LAUREN LIEBLER IS THE DAMN TRUTH.*
- - - - -
*Now that I have your attention, I would like to preface this entry by stating that, generally speaking, I harbor a special type of disdain for the corporate recruiter. Having worked for NYC-based fashion companies for about six years now, I have dealt with countless of their kind, both of the in-house as well as the agency variety - and nine times out of ten, I have encountered what can only be described as a general and overwhelming ineptitude in executing the core competencies of their chosen field. Refusing on principle to simply believe that an entire group of people can somehow self-select into a pool of uninspired idiocy, I'm forced to attribute this ineptitude to a lethal combination of laziness, haste, and the necessity to fill more open positions than there are qualified individuals. Or perhaps the industry of fashion is not readily synonymous with higher-level intellect, and therefore a certain assumption has seeped into its gatekeepers that broader strokes will suffice in lieu of nuanced and strategic casework in order to pinpoint the right fit between an employee and a company. Whatever the reason may be, personal experience has repeatedly indicated that to the average recruiter, a prospective candidate is as faceless and interchangeable as an assembly line lightbulb made in Korea.
This backdrop should sufficiently provide the appropriate context for my review of JBCStyle, and in particular, a shining star at that company named Lauren Liebler. I had first been approached by Ms. Liebler in July 2013 with an opening she was working on with a preeminent luxury fashion startup. Having walked me through the job description in detail and endured two lengthy calls with me, I ultimately decided that the opportunity was not for me given my concerns about the long-time viability of the company (and about the operating premise that people with editorial backgrounds can efficiently run an ecommerce site). As with any recruiter, I had been precise and exacting in my requirements with Ms. Liebler, and as a result, expected her response to my decision to follow the general format of other recruiters - to retreat into the ether of mediocrity, never to be heard from again. Instead, she thanked me for the opportunity to learn more about my preferences and motives, and said that she would be back in touch again when something more appropriate became available.
Months later, she did in fact resurface - this time, with something pretty damn compelling: a more expanded role with a venerable luxury fashion house for which I desired to work since the start of my career. It was compelling not simply because it was a great company, but because it was evident that Ms. Liebler had actually listened to and processed the priorities I expressed during our first encounter: a thought-based marketing position that was influential in the strategic development of the brand, with equal responsibilities in data and creative functions, being fully integrated with cross functional partners and supported in scope by senior management. She remembered all this, and she went back out into the marketplace on the premise that I was a worthy candidate in order to find that perfect position that would get me to leave a job with which I was completely satisfied at the time.
Being an overreaching young professional (read: wiseass) with a robust inclination towards thinking I'm somehow very special because my mother kept telling me it was so, there were other needs as well - in three areas that most of us as candidates are somewhat reticent to directly address: promotion, pay, and benefits. Ms. Liebler created the environment that enabled honest discussion of these topics so she could get me everything I was looking for. She went to bat for me on every level and delivered on every level. Due to her diligence and strategic work, she was able to negotiate and secure an offer for me that was so compelling based on my short-term and long-term objectives that I had no choice but to readily accept.
Nearly a year later, I am happy to say that the reality of the offer actually lived up to Ms. Liebler's hype. Following the requisite adjustment period, I quickly hit my stride and now find myself in a place that is delivering on all the levels I had hoped for: as an institution where I can work out my intellectual, strategic, and creative ideas in a position of influence and oversight. Long story short, I love my job. My current situation is verifiable proof that you can work in luxury fashion with intelligent, thoughtful people, and that Lauren Liebler is likely going to be the person to put you there if you're lucky enough to have her in your corner.
To sum, hats off to Ms. Liebler for her tirelessness, intelligence, congeniality, and genuine concern for the candidates she takes on. JBCStyle, hang on to her for as long as you possibly can - she's certainly a diamond in the rough. read more