To mark yesterday’s International Women’s Day, we asked some of SThree’s most successful female employees to share the secrets of their success.
In this article Dara Lubarsky, Director of Client Relationship Management in New York, provides insight into her career progression, the challenges of a job in a sales culture and more.
Read about Dara’s story here. . .
Tell us about your career at SThree
I joined as a fresh graduate from George Washington University in the summer of 2008, recruiting for SThree brand Huxley Banking & Financial Services. I won SThree Top Rookie and SThree Top Global Biller in 2009 a year after starting my career here.
In 2011, after recruiting for a few years, and recognising that my strengths were in establishing client rapport, gaining commitment and impacting our account relationships, I moved on to establish the Business Development / Account Management function in New York.
Since then, I have focused on improving the quality of service that Huxley provides to its’ clients. I work across the Contract and Permanent divisions to help determine client strategy, as well as being the dedicated Relationship Manager for a number of selected Key Accounts.
Now as a Director in Client Relationship Management, I work on a number of strategic programs such as Diversity. I am also determined to understand top down business initiatives and how we can add value from a staffing perspective.
What specific challenges do you face working in a sales culture?
One challenge faced, which has now been tackled with CRM career path, used to be career progression outside of sales and recruiting. If you didn’t want a career in managing a sales and recruitment team, it was difficult to move up.
However, I have worked to pave my own path down the Client Management route and have really enjoyed the outcome. It is very exciting to play an integral part in mapping out your own career and seeing how we can continue to improve the function and where we can take it for current and future employees.
What are the secrets to your success?
I have an unwavering work ethic to do my best. There are times where the role you’re in can get monotonous and allow you to get lazy, but I have never let myself be comfortable and coast in my position. I work to consistently demonstrate to my internal and external clients that I can add value to their day and help them achieve their objectives.
What top three tips would you give to a woman joining SThree?
- The best career advice I have received was to make myself indispensable. Work to identify ways to add value to your team, your clients and your business. I have achieved this through my client relationships.
- Identify the way you can provide feedback and make suggestions within your office or region. Not all managers are always asking for input, and you should find a way to establish your voice.
- Remain entrepreneurial. While SThree has a structure that works and is to be followed, the company does remain agile and I believe is always looking for ways to innovate and do things differently. Whether it’s a new market you believe will be lucrative, a location strategy idea, or a new position that will add value, I believe our SThree Management wants to hear ideas from us. It is empowering when an idea becomes something tangible.
What do you want to achieve next?
I am working to scale up the CRM function in the US. Through effective proof of concept, we are working to add client dedicated sales people, business developers and account coordinators to clients that require a heightened level of service. I am excited to see what can come from achieving a level of strategic partnership with an account.
Internally at SThree I am passionate about advancing our culture to a more inclusive workplace. Through the work I am doing with my clients, such as my upcoming Diversity Roundtable, I am gaining insight into elements of Gender Diversity programs that work well and what components should be looked at.
I am excited about learning valuable tools from SThree diversity champions such as Natasha Clarke, and I look forward to being part of SThree’s inclusive management team that embraces change moving forward.
If you’d like to gain further insight into how to create a diverse workforce, read and share this article: 5 Steps To A Diverse Workforce.