Andrea (Annie) Colabella’s Post

Forgiven actions. Yesterday a candidate, "Abby", had to cancel an interview. It was last minute and a bit frustrating because it was a final interview. Abby had a legitimate reason for needing to cancel the interview [that I believed] and up to this point in our relationship, Abby has demonstrated professionalism, kindness, appreciation for the part I play in her job search, and transparency. Beyond that, she took swift action and helped me to reschedule this interview immediately upon finding out about her need to cancel and apologized to both me and the hiring authority. I was thinking this morning about how the same cancellation from another candidate that I'm working with, "Jessa", would have triggered a VERY different reaction. Why? I've been working with Jessa for three weeks and she's abrupt to the point of rudeness when we communicate, she misses our prep calls and doesn't call me to debrief after interviews (in other words, she does NOT respect the process), she's fibbed to me more than once, and is cagey in 90% of our conversations. [Read: she's just a J 🙄 Y to work with.] The way you interact with people - no matter how short or long they'll be a part of your story - impacts them, their perception of you, and how they'll help you (or not). Is it just me or do you also think it is easy to forgive certain actions and behaviors from some people and not others? #professionalism #forgivableactions #unforgivableactions

With Intelligence recently announced their shortlist for the best service providers in the fund space, and we are thrilled to share that Cardea Grouph as been named one of the top three finalists for the prestigious award of Best Executive Search Firm. Since our establishment in 2009, we have focused solely on servicing the investment funds space. It is a true honor to be acknowledged in the industry for our commitment to elevating the standard of service offered to both clients and candidates. #cardeagroup #awardfinalist #executivesearch #serviceexcellence #hedgefundrecruitment #privatefundsrecruitment #privateequityrecruitment #investmentfundsrecruitment

I find irony in the fact that I provide interviewing tips before each candidate meets with one of my clients. Why? Because at the beginning of my own career, I did or said the following things on interviews I attended: I sang to a partner at PwC during an interview for a statistican role. I saw the surprise wash over her face as the words began coming out and couldn’t stop until the lyrics were complete. I made several jokes to an HR professional at Susquehanna International Group during my phone interview where I was asked rapid fire math questions. My interviewer shared a story of how he was on Jeopardy and how his fate turned during the game due to misstating an answer during a Double Jeopardy quiz by adding a plural “s” to the end of his answer and he would’ve been correct without the “s”. I shared that I would’ve tried to recover by “telling Mr. Trebek’s’ that he must’ve missed my lisp” and SAID THIS WITH A FAKE LISP. Another firm asked me “what would your colleagues from your last firm say about you?” and my reply was that “they’d probably tell you that I was a bimbo.” I share all this (with a heavy dose of secondhand embarrassment for myself) because again, the irony that I actually coach people on what to do and also because all hope is not lost when you answer something in a fashion that could use a fair amount of improvement. Those last two firms hired me, somehow. 🤯 If you wish you’d answered something differently, embrace it, own it, address it and keep that chin up. The right firm will appreciate all your imperfect answers. Hope you enjoyed some levity in this gorgeous Friday. #interviewingtips #interviews #jobsearching #interviewcoaching #prepcalls

Once in a while, I get a call from a candidate who has accepted the position vacated by an active candidate I am assisting. In these instances, I find myself in a situation where I'm aware their predecessor left the firm due to compliance issues. If a candidate reached out to me AHEAD OF accepting the position, I would give them the advice that I believe is right, despite putting myself in a precarious position. I would recommend they continue to investigate and suggest speaking with the outgoing CCO or compliance professional they are replacing to gather the necessary information. If a candidate is already in the position or resigned from their current role, I carry troubling knowledge that will eventually surface, and it weighs heavily on me. I'd love to help guide candidates, acquaintances, and friends alike to avoid joining firms that are either hiding the truth, misleading in the value placed on compliance, hiring compliance as window dressing, and/or behaving poorly in the eyes of the SEC. I encourage you to reach out if you're curious about insights into the market and funds hiring. While I do not know everything, through interactions with candidates at Cardea Group, I hold valuable knowledge about certain fund activities. #hedgefundhiring #hedgefundcompliance #privateequityhiring #privateequitycompliance #compliancematters #ccohiring #ccoopportunities #jobsearchingtips

“It also speaks volumes to his ethics and morale compass to have left the firm he was at…” This was feedback from a client about a candidate who made a decision to leave his most recent hedge fund where he was CCO. The candidate left his position due to concern about what some of the leaders of the fund were doing and their blatant disregard for working in a compliant manner. I put this here to give anyone the encouragement they may need to leave a situation that could end poorly for themselves by being aligned with a fund or firm that doesn’t value working “in bounds” or heed your guidance on compliance matters. If presented correctly in the interview process, hiring authorities may view your departure (without another role lined up) as a testament to your character, not a knock on your resume. #hedgefundcompliance #hedgefundrecruitment #compliancematters #cco #jobsearchingtips

"Your greatness is not what you have. It's what you give." - Alice Hocker Celebrating my sister who gives, gives, gives, and gives some more this weekend on her 48th birthday. And bringing this post of positivity and generosity to the top of my feed because it is a wonderful day to be a giving, kind person.

Amy Poehler's MasterClass was such a delight. I loved so much about it - the humor (duh!), the content, the delivery, the rawness and vulnerability, and the art. It was a treat. She shared this thought which applies to more than improv and being on stage. It resonates in the context of life, work, relationships, and business. Don't bail when someone's at their bottom. #lifeadvice #workadvice #bethere

Retained CCO & Counsel search...take a listen. As this search is just launching with market mapping, the process is in the infancy stage. If you're new here, and want to learn more, please message me and know that we're in initial stages of this retained search so the process will be slow to start. Ecstatic to be spearheading these search efforts...! #ccosearch #compliancehiring #executiveheadhunting #executiverecruiting #hedgefundhiring #regulatorycompliance