Jesse Bryan joined Development Guild DDI six years ago as a Research Consultant supporting searches, and now leads searches in his current role as Senior Consultant. We caught up with Jesse and had him take us through a typical day working remotely from his apartment in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn.
What does your typical day look like?
Usually, my sweet 17-year-old cat Sidney wakes me up by sitting on my pillow. I tend to start my workday with a cup of coffee and checking emails to make sure I am prepared for the day to come. My days are pretty diverse and can include interviewing candidates, conducting research for candidate pools, attending sales meeting with potential clients, leading client meetings to update them on the search progress, and on the best days, closing a search with a “verbal yes”!
Day in the Life: Video
Jesse let us tag along on a typical day working remotely as a Senior Consultant at Development Guild.
What brought you to Development Guild?
I was actually recruited to Development Guild from another search firm – the recruiter recruited the recruiter! The opportunity to work exclusively with mission-based nonprofits was extremely exciting to me. Another aspect that appealed to me was the size of Development Guild. I was coming from a large search firm and was looking for a smaller and more connected company culture.
What has your career path been at Development Guild?
I started off as a Research Consultant; I focused on creating and building candidate pools for our searches – I’ve always loved the “detective” aspect of the job. Soon after I started, I was assigned to outreach, helping connect our search leads with potential candidates. All the while I was learning from some of the best mentors – Tracy, Kieran, Bill and Suzi.
In 2020, I was promoted to Senior Consultant. In this role, I lead searches from initial research to final negotiations and hiring. I also love to collaborate with other leads on searches. Some of my favorite searches are with our CEO Suzi – we have really developed a wonderful dynamic that lets us both shine in our search work and leaves for a very happy client.
What do you love most about your job?
I really value the relationships with candidates and clients that I’ve built over the years. I love the diversity of clients I get to work with—my current searches include: Friends of the High Line, Emerson College, Fountain House, and Boston Medical Center—as well as seeing the impact of our work within organizations. My colleagues are also the best! I love meeting up with my NY colleagues for a Guinness or two at the end of a long week or to celebrate a closed search.
Advice for success at Development Guild?
The firm has given me immense opportunity to succeed here and most importantly, really be myself. I have grown tremendously since joining Development Guild and I credit the firm and its culture as a big reason why. So, my advice would be to take advantage of the many opportunities the firm provides and don’t hesitate to get outside your comfort zone and pursue your passions!