Ashley Jones 01:01
Hello, everyone. It's Ashley here, the producer, and I'm taking the reins with Rachel for this week's show. How are you doing, Rachel?
Rachel Bozeman 01:08
So good, I can hardly stand myself. And I can also hardly stand to wait any longer to hear from our guest today, which is the one, the only, miss Ruth Robertson, Senior Talent Acquisition Partner for Technology with ICF. Thanks for joining us today, Ruth.
Ruth Robertson 01:30
Thank you so much, Rachel, for having me today. I'm very excited to be here.
Rachel Bozeman 01:34
And we are so excited you are here as well. And we like to always start the conversation kind of at the very beginning. And I think it's true for most recruiters, no one ever came out of the womb saying," when I grow up, I want to be a recruiter." We've all had some interesting twists and turns that have taken us to this amazing path of finding people great careers. And we would love to hear a little bit about your background in recruiting. How did you get into this wonderful, crazy, fulfilling career of recruiting? And what led you to ICF?
Ruth Robertson 02:10
I actually gravitated towards recruiting because I genuinely do like helping people. And I feel like there is a hidden talent in understanding what someone is looking for and then working with them to find a position that actually aligns with either their career goals or aspirations. And I do find that to be so rewarding. Overall, I started in recruiting and talent acquisition about 16 years ago. I have had the pleasure of doing the majority of it here in the nation's capital in Washington, DC. And some of the work that I have supported overall has been aligned to the Department of Defense on a lot of military projects, including some OCONUS work, which is outside of the continental US. And some exciting work as it relates to the US military. And you asked me what it was that drew me to ICF. It actually began during the pandemic, when I think a lot of people were really thinking about what was happening in the world and what their life would look like post pandemic. And I thought about it, and I really wanted to get involved with an organization and have more purpose in the work that I was doing. And so I was really drawn to ICF based on their mission and the ability to build a more prosperous and resilient world, especially with the fact that the company had a long standing history. And that's something I'm sure as we continue this conversation, we'll delve into a little bit more.
Ashley Jones 03:43
Yes, absolutely. And I hear that ICF has over 9,000 employees. And so you do have a lot of contracts and opportunities there. But give us just a brief overview of the types of different categories of work that you support in the security cleared community specifically.
Ruth Robertson 03:59
Sure, absolutely. ICF is right at about 9,000 employees. We have a lot of roles that vary when it comes to cleared work. So it's not just all lines of code, it goes beyond that. And we've been fortunate enough that we've even had some cleared positions in a creative industry set. So some of those roles -- and this is just at the high level -- would be things in cybersecurity and engineering, both from the system side, information assurance, software development. And even from the programmatic level for business and program analysts. And from the creative set, so some technical writing and graphic related design, data scientists, and even communications management.
Rachel Bozeman 04:44
A lot of great opportunities. And something we hear quite often from a lot of our cleared professionals is that one of the considerations that is made when thinking about their next career is really about that culture. The culture has to make sense for them. They have to thrive, they have to be in a place that just makes sense for them holistically. And so I understand that there's an incredible story and a rich history when we think about ICF. And I heard from a little birdie, that one of the founders was part of the amazing group of Tuskegee Airmen and that ICF really stands for Inner City Community Fund. So tell us a little bit more about how you think those really incredible deep company roots really helped shape the culture of the company that you are today.
Ruth Robertson 05:30
Going back to 1969, Colonel Clarence who went by lucky Lester, was a member of the Tuskegee Airmen, and it was part of the mission to finance minority-owned businesses here in the nation's capital. From that start, we have definitely grown as an organization and have expanded into global consultancy and technology services company, which is what we do today. And it really is true to our cultural roots. This is where we definitely see the diversity, equity, inclusion come into play, because it's truly embedded into everything we do. And we have been fortunate enough to be awarded some of the most prestigious awards, including best employer, and best employer for women. And that's something that we strongly believe in as an award, but also, as what I like to say is also not just a badge of honor, it really represents our unwavering commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility. And so that is our commitment to the work that we do overall.
Ashley Jones 06:43
Wonderful. And kind of going back to my earlier question, you talked about some of the cleared roles. You mentioned cybersecurity. And I was even excited that you mentioned graphic design. You don't hear that a whole lot in the cleared community. But what other cleared job openings do you have? What are some of those positions that you are hiring for?
Ruth Robertson 07:01
Well, some of those positions do fall into obviously, the cybersecurity realm. And so you will see positions like the cybersecurity analyst, as well as positions for countermeasures and vulnerability assessment, again, doing some technical writing, and things that just speaking on the high level, really do align with critical infrastructure and support of our nation from a cyber perspective.
Ashley Jones 07:32
That's wonderful. And for those that are interested in those roles, did those happen to be in the National Capital Region? Or do you have a variety of locations?
Ruth Robertson 07:41
Yes, we do have work that actually does span throughout the DC metro area and other states. Our headquarters is based in Reston, Virginia. And a lot of our work comes from the agencies that you're familiar with, and those three letter acronyms, here in the DC metro area, but it does span other states as well.
Rachel Bozeman 08:04
Well if that doesn't get them excited, I think this next question for sure will. Something that you mentioned to the team on the pre-call was, you used a phrase that I love, so I might have to borrow this one Ruth, "being locked in the box all day." And I know that sounds awful and scary, but really kind of keys into that lack of flexibility. But that's not something that ICF has, as there's opportunities that really teeter into a lot of flexibility, and potentially some of that hybrid remote work that all the cool kids love, and just some different options for cleared professionals. So what does that look like for ICF?
Ruth Robertson 08:45
Well, it certainly is going to vary on the client specifically, but we are seeing fortunately a great trend, where clients are more flexible on remote work or work from home days. Most roles we do have are either a hybrid model, some do require in office more than others, but we're very fortunate that we are seeing hybrid positions as well. And so we know that will give them more of a work-life balance and being able to do the work that you love while maintaining that level of clearance, and also have that flexibility, is really something that we're seeing a nice positive trend in.
Ashley Jones 09:28
Awesome. Now something I'm excited to get into, because we don't talk about it all too often on the show is, I hear you love a good cover letter. Do you have a story to share about a time that maybe a really good cover letter made a difference?
Ruth Robertson 09:41
Well, I think sometimes because cleared members will not want to divulge too much in the resume. they do state some interesting facts or aspects of their career in a cover letter. And so that's why I said, I love to see those things highlighted. And some of that resonates, especially from a cleared perspective to help set people apart a little bit. There is a story. It's actually a service member who was about to separate from the military after about 15 years. And she really wanted to convey how important it was for her to continue to support a mission. And so when I had the opportunity to speak to her, the mission that she mentioned was actually, in fact, the contract that I was supporting. And so it was almost like it was meant to be. And so I was able to get her an opportunity to interview. As luck would have it, we were able to find her a role that indirectly supported the work that she was familiar with, so she's able to do that now out of uniform. It is the kind of thing again, helping people find work that they can believe in, that really was rewarding for me to see come to life.
Rachel Bozeman 11:05
I think you have some really good points there. And I know something else that also can be kind of nerve wracking for some candidates, but certainly does good for a recruiter's heart is the resume. And I know you have seen your share of resumes over the year. So what's one thing that you often see done that maybe really shouldn't be done, that job seekers really could look to stop or just kind of tweak a little bit to overall improve their resumes?
Ruth Robertson 11:35
Well, I certainly think from a recruiting perspective, and especially in the cleared space, knowing that most of them have been told not to put a clearance level on their resume, but indicating that you do have a security clearance. So you don't have to actually say which one. But I certainly think in the resume, it is very beneficial to indicate that you have some sort of clearance without overtly identifying the level. So we don't want someone to have an issue later on as it relates to that. And I think it's always important to have good contact information on a resume. I have come across some amazing candidates and have not had a way to reach them. So then you have to put on your super sleuth hat to try to hunt them down, which I am good at doing by the way. But yes, I certainly think making sure that you do have at least one email address and a phone number on the resume is always good practice. And if you can indicate that you have some type of clearance would be ideal.
Ashley Jones 12:43
Great tip there, especially the no contact info. Oh, that's so avoidable.
Ruth Robertson 12:47
I've seen it many times.
Ashley Jones 12:49
Listen, everybody, check your resume right now. Is your email, is your phone number on there? Put it on there, please.
Ruth Robertson 12:56
And also, Ashley, is that phone number accurate? You'd be amazed at how many disconnected numbers I've called.
Ashley Jones 13:03
Oh no. That's a great follow up then, make sure it's your current phone number. Awesome. Well, I hear you have another tip involving lateral moves. Could you talk about that strategy for growth? I don't think a lot of people necessarily think about a lateral move when they're thinking about progressing in your career, because you always hear about the typical "climbing up the ladder." So tell us more about your thoughts on that.
Ruth Robertson 13:26
Oh, absolutely. I think that what's been nice with ICF is when we win the work, it gives people an opportunity to make, in some cases, lateral moves. Sometimes it can be promotional. And we've had the pleasure of being able to do that across several programs. Right now, we also have what we like to call horizontal growth. And for us, growth definitely means a lot of things to people. And so when we are able to provide both vertical and horizontal opportunities, it is something that we see employees really get excited about, because being able to experience new opportunities like a fresh project, and then being able to also move within that organizational structure for a program based on skills that they will obtain while in that particular program.
Rachel Bozeman 14:25
You know, as I kind of think back on the years of recruiting and know that you're actively out there fighting the good fight for us all Miss Ruth. But as a recruiter, there's hires that we think back on and just go, "Wow, that was so satisfying. And that just makes me want to come back day after day." And then there's some that maybe there's a little bit of a sigh of relief once that hard-to-fill position definitely has the right talent in there. But could you share with us maybe a really cool cleared hiring story that you've experienced that you walked away feeling that earlier one, that extra satisfying, not the sigh of relief one?
Ruth Robertson 15:02
Oh, absolutely. I was at a recruiting event and met an individual who was about to separate from the military. And of course, one of the questions you ask is, "Are you excited about this next step?" And I sensed there was true apprehension, and honestly, the fear of the unknown, not knowing what to expect. And so we had a great conversation about ICF as a company. We talked a little bit about what this next step would look like. And this is walking away from the military after more than 20 years. So part of what I wanted to make sure that I could convey to him was the fact that we do have a community of military and prior military employees within the company. So that was something that was reassuring. And when it came time for him to make a selection on where he was going to work, he chose us. The beauty behind choosing us was, again, that connection to prior service members within ICF, feeling that support and having that strong connection. And it is something that still is in place today. And this individual, he started out as a cyber analyst. He was able to build on skills to take advantage of some of our learning tools. And now he actually does lead a team of cyber professionals that train and work directly with federal agencies on monitoring for vulnerabilities and cyber related threats. So that is something that I am truly grateful for being able to be part of. I'm truly rewarded that I was able to help someone stay aligned with what he has been doing for over 20 years in his life.
Rachel Bozeman 15:33
Well, I am giving you a recruiter long distance high five, because that makes me feel good too. So congratulations on that awesome hire and for his career just to continue to blossom and grow.
Ashley Jones 17:05
Yeah, that's a great one. Well, how can our listeners follow up and learn more? I'm sure they're going to be excited to get a hold of you.
Ruth Robertson 17:11
I would encourage everyone to go out to icf.com. You can learn more about life and culture within ICF in addition to our careers page, just to see that you are able to find work that you believe in.
Ashley Jones 17:27
Thank you Ruth for joining us today. It was such a pleasure. And we're so glad that you could share your expertise with our listeners.
Ruth Robertson 17:34
Thank you so much, Ashley. I really appreciate you having me today.
Rachel Bozeman 17:38
Thanks so much. Ashley, that was an awful lot of fun. And I really appreciated learning so much from Miss Ruth and learning more about ICF. It's something I've really appreciated Ruth sharing with us today was the history of our company. So oftentimes, I think people forget that there is the human side to corporations and companies and the fact that they've got such an incredible history and founders who have been part of the mission and care about the mission and doing the right thing. Just really got me super pumped and super excited about learning a little bit more about ICF. So what got you excited today, Miss Ashley?
Ashley Jones 18:20
Well, I always get excited when we have some good job search tips. So in addition to hearing all the wonderful things about her company, the cover letter, it's still relevant. It can really help kind of paint that picture of how your past can come and tie into your next career, especially for those transitioning military personnel. So she shared some great stories there. And then I just could not believe that people are still not checking their contact information in the resume. It's so simple, such a simple element to include, but it is so important and I mean, she did say if you're a great candidate, she'll go to those lengths to try and find you, but not every recruiter is going to be sleuthing the internet trying to find you.
Rachel Bozeman 19:06
So true. They got other things to do too friends, so make sure you make it easy for them. So it has been again, just a joy talking with you today Ashley, meeting Miss Ruth, and having all of our listeners here. It's just been a great day and we thank you, our loyal listeners. So make sure you get out there. Give us a follow and we'll talk to you soon. Bye bye.