The Perfect Transition: Paige Pecora's journey from industry to agency

Introducing Page Pecora, one of the inspirational female leaders from Meet's New York Office.

She speaks to Women in Recruitment about her career journey...

I am currently a Senior Division Manager at Meet, overseeing a team of five recruiters at varying levels. As a team, we work across three different markets - Regulatory Writing, Clinical Operations, and Pharmacovigilance striving to provide top-level talent to a variety of Life Science entities.

I started my career in Pharmaceutical Sales, which was my first job post-graduation. The competitive dynamics within sales were always something that interested me, but the role came with seemingly constant travel that made me feel isolated and exhausted. Seeking the best of both worlds, recruitment was the perfect transition. I was targeting a smaller, less corporate firm with a great culture in which I could still leverage my interest in the healthcare industry – Meet fit this exact mould.

I started as an entry-level recruiter and just celebrated 4 years with business with a recent promotion to Sr. Division Manager. I feel incredibly fortunate to have embarked on my recruitment journey with Meet and grow along with them – I was the first American hire to their Life Sciences team in NYC, which has expanded tremendously since then. The development opportunities I’ve been afforded off the back of our growth have exceeded what I could have imagined for my career at this stage.

When I joined Meet, I was tasked to develop a brand new market, which can be daunting for someone with no prior recruitment experience like myself at the time. As expected, operating in a 360 capacity was certainly a challenge, and many dead ends and hard lessons ensued before I finally did my first deal. It may sound cliché to say that my first deal was a career-defining moment, but during a time when I was very much questioning my new career choice, it was the exact fuel I needed to forge ahead and strive for more. I am very grateful for that period of time (and the learnings it yielded), and I still reflect upon them when I am faced with new challenges as my career evolves.  

What would your advice be to your younger self? 

Trust the process and understand that not every success will come in a tangible form. Recognize the impact your daily discipline and effort will have on your ability to achieve your long-term goals.

Has Paige's journey piqued your interest in working for Meet? You're in luck! We are hiring at various levels across our New York, San Francisco, San Diego, London and Berlin offices. Get in touch with careers@peoplewithchemistry.com for more information.

This article was originally published on Women in Recruitment's website in October 2020.