Today we’d like to introduce you to Lindsay McFarlane.
Lindsay, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I graduated from the University of Illinois in ’09 with a bachelors in advertising. While in Champaign, I figured out pretty early on freshman year that I wanted to go into the fashion industry. I got lucky with a family connection and landed my first internship in NYC that summer with Theory. Summer of sophomore year, I stayed local and interned at a marketing firm. When I got back on campus junior year, I knew I wanted to go back to NYC that summer but I didn’t get so lucky with that family connection this time and it was ultimately up to me.
With no school resources for anything fashion related, I was on my own. After literally thousands of emails and maybe a handful of actual responses, I was off to NYC for interviews on my spring break and eventually landed my internship at Seventeen Magazine. Back on campus senior year, I started my job search right away knowing that I wanted to stay in Chicago working in fashion if possible. I had one offer in NYC and an offer I took in Chicago.
Graduating in ’09 with a job during the recession was a feat in itself but when I found myself in a place where I didn’t want to start my career, I had to make a tough decision in an even tougher career environment. I left my job and went back on the hunt. I decided to work in retail at Neiman Marcus while searching for a job. I worked on the sales floor for 6 months and didn’t hate it but knew I needed client experience to move forward. I took a job at a marketing firm and worked there for 3+ years. I truly loved it but knew I wanted to be in fashion.
On a very serendipitous day, I was randomly staring at LinkedIn for the millionth time and saw that a PR position had opened at Neiman Marcus; I literally had to pinch myself. I called immediately and didn’t stop calling and emailing until I confirmed they received my resume. I was in for an interview not long after and landed my dream job. It was an amazing experience, truly. While at Neiman Marcus, my life was soaring. I moved in with my man, got engaged and got married.
After planning a wedding, I knew I needed a new hobby. I had always been the go-to girl for assistance for younger sorority sisters and family friends for internships and jobs and over a bottle of tequila with my girlfriends, Working Girl Inc. was born. I wanted to become that resource for girls all over the country who wanted to go into fashion, events, PR, marketing and more that don’t otherwise have somewhere to turn. Fast forward to 3+ years later, I have taken Working Girl Inc. full time and I am only getting started!
Has it been a smooth road?
With any entrepreneurial journey, some days you find yourself celebrating at the end of a very long day and others you just want to crawl back under the covers. There are always struggles, learning curves, growing pains and keeping up with technology and the world around us. For the first 2+ years plus the development and launch of Working Girl Inc., I was working a grueling full-time job at Neiman Marcus that I loved and I never wanted to jeopardize one for the other.
Recently, I have taken Working Girl Inc. full-time and it’s been something I have wanted to do for so long but never had the guts to leap. I am so lucky to have such amazing friends, family and professional network that have always told me to not only leap, but jump so high.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Working Girl Inc. story. Tell us more about the business.
Working Girl Inc. is the ultimate destination for college students and recent college graduates for internships and entry-level jobs. Call me the career guru or mentor they never had in class at their colleges. I am their career coach or big sister, a constant and consistent resource as they try to find themselves in their careers. On the other end of my business, I work with companies locally and nationally looking for top-tier candidates. Working Girl Inc. is a boutique recruiting agency specializing in fashion, events, marketing, PR and social media.
What sets us apart is that we are so small but mighty. With a large recruiting firm, someone will reach out to a random profile they spotted on LinkedIn, exchange a couple of emails and then send their resume off to the client they are assisting in filling an opening for. With Working Girl Inc., every candidate we recommend has met with us. We know each of our girls very well. We know their strengths, their weaknesses, and their dreams. We make sure the match is a perfect fit so no one has time wasted.
Where do you see your industry going over the next 5-10 years? Any big shifts, changes, trends, etc?
I think within the next 5-10 years, traditional recruiting firms may stay pretty mainstream with the addition of technology playing a larger role. I see more recruiting apps forming to make the career process more automated. I am not sure I love this vision as I think humanity and the personal touch in an industry such as recruiting is so important. I always think of someone being hired as someone joining a family. This is why Working Girl Inc. truly recommends only candidates we have met with and know.
Pricing:
- Career Consultation for someone looking for an internship or job: $400 (friends and family rate for Voyage)
- For partnering companies looking for candidates: rates range from $500 to $5,000 depending on the position and number of candidates hired
Contact Info:
- Website: www.workinggirlinc.com
- Phone: 847.814.2727
- Email: lindsay@workinggirlinc.com
- Instagram: workinggirlchi
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/workinggirlchi/
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
