Alexandria Powell is our newest recruiter for MinTech Agency, handling our recruiting outreach, interview and relationship building with candidates and our clients. A native of Cleveland, OH who now calls Pennsylvania home with her husband and two beautiful children including one newborn:). Alex has a true heart for helping people and believes in the MinTech vision that following a job path in tech can truly change your life, family and community. Keep reading to learn more about Alex and make sure to connect with her on LinkedIn.

Can you tell us a little about you?

I started at the University of Akron. I have a bachelor’s degree in communications/public relations. I moved to Pennsylvania in 2014 to begin my master’s program, so I have a master’s in public administration from Penn State University. During my time at Penn State, I worked as an employment specialist for Goodwill Industries helping to find employment for individuals with barriers. This could mean helping people with criminal histories, disabilities, the elderly or veterans. I worked very closely with businesses in the Pennsylvania area to help employ those individuals. I most recently was a talent coordinator for Terra Lingua USA which is a small exchange program for high school students. My job was to find community coordinators and host families for our international exchange students. I also spent time as the career services director for the Ohio Media School working to help students interested in the media field find employment. 

I’ve had a special experience working with people who have those barriers, so I came to HR to try to make a difference.

You attended university for Communications and PR. What led you into recruiting and HR?

My goal while I was working toward my bachelors was to work in a nonprofit. I really have a passion for helping people better their lives in any way I can. Throughout my work as an employment specialist and helping those individuals find work within their communities, I figured out that I wanted to be on the other side. I have this perspective that a lot of people in HR or talent acquisition don’t necessarily have or see. I’ve had a special experience working with people who have those barriers, so I came to HR to try to make a difference.      

That is cool that your expertise in PR has aligned with your purpose of helping people through tech recruiting and connection.       

Yes! I find joy in meeting new people and hearing their stories. I think throughout all of the roles I’ve had, the theme has been consistent with me meeting new people, learning their stories and analyzing those stories to help get them into the right spaces. 

So, how did you learn about MinTech?

I originally heard about MinTech when I was looking for a new role in the recruiting field. I was looking for something more fast-paced and really wanted something that presented me with a  larger challenge. Karen reached out to me via UpWork. When I actually started to look more into MinTech, Karen’s mission of helping underrepresented individuals really spoke to me. Although it’s tech, it still serves that same purpose of helping others, and I’ve worked with that mission in my other roles. I’ve always been the kind of person who has taken a passion for helping Black and brown people. I actually have a certificate in Pan-African studies (they didn’t have a minor program in this field at my university). It’s always been a mission of mine to work in diversity in some form whether it was helping people with barriers at Goodwill or helping MinTech serve people of color. That is one thing that draws me to Karen is her passion for helping people of color. Her mission speaks to me. If I can be of service in any way, I will definitely jump at the opportunity. Funny story, I’d actually just started a new role at a different company when Karen reached out to me and realized that MinTech was where I needed to be. 

What does a day in the life look like for you as a recruiter at MinTech?

I work very closely with Karen. Every morning, Karen and I will sit and talk about our strategy for the day. Including, how we will find individuals to fill the roles that we currently have available.  Whether that means posting on social media or contacting individuals through LinkedIn or reaching out to individuals we’ve met in the past to re-engage. Also, talking with our clients to make sure we’re keeping them up to date and informed of our search efforts. 

One thing I’ve learned, even from my own job search, is that you are your best advocate.

What advice would you give to someone looking to work with a recruiter? 

One thing I’ve learned, even from my own job search, is that you are your best advocate. You know your skills and what assets you bring to a company. As a recruiter, we come across lots of resumes, so the best thing you can do is continue to be your biggest advocate. If you see a role on MinTech, reach out to me or Karen and let us know why you’d be a good fit for the role.  Also, just staying in touch and keeping your information up to date so that we can see your progress. Maybe you didn’t have a skill last year, but your update tells us that you’ve spent the past year developing that skill and that will stand out.    

To learn about the roles Alex is currently recruiting for, visit the MinTech Job Page.