|
Terra Antar“If you work just for money, you’ll never make it, but if you love what you’re doing and you always put the customer first, success will be yours” (Ray Kroc, founder of McDonald’s Corporation).
Terra Antar’s diverse life experience, lengthy work history, and educational background have given Terra a unique perspective on being a recruiter. Putting the needs of her candidates and clients above the needs of the ‘sale’ has enabled her to succeed in an often difficult and competitive business. Because of this philosophy, Terra has established a loyal client base and a significant pool of excellent candidates. Why Terra Antar?
Terra was born in Brooklyn and raised in a multigenerational Retail family, with at least three accomplished generations of salespeople—you might say sales is in her blood. Terra’s father taught her a most important rule of business: “If you treat the customer the way you want to be treated, they will always come back.” This advice has molded Terra into the successful recruiter and business person she is today. Although in sales from the age of eleven, Terra had no desire to be in sales—her heart belonged to Broadway. However, according to her father, it was either college or marriage…so Terra started Brooklyn College and received a BA in Theatre (“I showed him.”). Terra worked in many off-Broadway Houses, including The Public Theatre; she was in Summer Stock, regional theatre and Shakespeare in the Park in Santa Barbara. After working long and hard in her craft, Terra realized she loved theatre but hated the business, so now what? Teach Theatre! Terra was introduced to The Door, A Center of Alternatives, a youth center for ages 12 through 21 where she taught theatre for nearly 10 years. She also helped develop a program for younger adolescents, which in addition to theatre also included counseling. Terra’s love for counseling inspired her to receive her master’s degree from New York University in Counseling Psychology. After receiving her degree, Terra had the opportunity to become Dean of Students for a Medical University that opened up on the Island of Saint Lucia in the West Indies. It was an incredible experience, however, short-lived, the school closed after one year. At another loss for what to do next, she opened up the New York Times and came across an advertisement for a recruiter. “I thought what an exciting way to apply my sales experience, counseling background, and to use my business acumen. Yes, ‘I did get my job through the New York Times’ (some people reading this will not be old enough to recognize the quote). So in the 1980s, I started recruiting and never looked back.” When people ask Terra what her specialty is, she simply responds with “YOU!” Though avoiding a specialization is sometimes frowned upon by the recruitment community, Terra has found success in a generalist approach. Having survived two recessions and thriving not only in spite of them but also because of them, Terra developed her recruiting style. She learned to recruit for whatever came along, and now has over 15,000 candidates in her personal database and a diverse portfolio of clients. Terra shares her wealth of experience, either one-on-one or in college classroom presentations, by helping candidate and students with their techniques for job hunting, resume writing and interviewing. On a personal note, Terra is devoted to her two beautiful nieces, and she is Auntie to many children in her large, close-knit, extended family. “I have an amazing group of friends, some from childhood, but most I have inherited over time! I work with a remarkable group of recruiters at Integrity ACLM where I have been for over 15 years. These many hearts and souls enrich my life by challenging, supporting and teaching me, while helping me continue to grow on both a personal and professional level.” |