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Cpc Christopher Gray
Christopher J. Gray, CPC, is a Partner and the Practice Lead for the Energy & Renewables Practice at ThinkingAhead, based in Nashville, Tennessee. He specializes in recruiting professionals in the energy sector, particularly focusing on positions related to renewable energy and power delivery, such as PE Licensed engineers.12
Background and Experience
- Location: Originally from Knoxville, Tennessee.
- Professional Journey: Christopher has over 15 years of experience in recruiting and business development across major cities including New York City, Philadelphia, and Nashville. He has been recognized as a top performer in his field, having achieved the title of MVP in his region shortly after joining ThinkingAhead.1
- Education: He holds a Master’s Degree in Percussion Performance from the Eastman School of Music and a Bachelor’s Degree from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville.1
Community Engagement
Christopher is actively involved in community service, volunteering with organizations such as the Nashville Career Transition Group and The Salvation Army. He is also passionate about music and performs as a drummer whenever possible.1
Expertise
His recruitment expertise covers various areas within the energy sector, including:
- Relay Settings and Design Engineers
- Smart Grid Technology
- Transmission Line Design
- Substation Design and Protection
- Green Energy initiatives (Wind, Solar, Hydro, Biomass, Geothermal).13
Christopher Gray is known for his dedication to understanding client needs and providing tailored recruitment solutions that align with industry demands.
Highlights
CLIENTS:
Interview advice:
DO:
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Attract the person to your company. If it is thru me, they likely already have a job. Why would they leave their current role to come work with you? That's the question you have to answer.
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Be clear about the job. No one wants to come work for someone who is indecisive or not sure about the direction of the company.
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Have a timeline. People expect feedback within a day or two. "I'll get back to you in a week or two," is almost admitting "This isn't going anywhere anytime soon."
DON'T:
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Expect the person to be desperate. The candidate has all the options in our world. There are too few of them and tons of openings.
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Dismiss a person because they aren't perfect. Look at where you can put them to work on Day 1, and expect to coach up the rest.
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Air out every negative the company might be going thru in a given moment. All orgs have their ups and downs. Your casual mention of an issue might be a huge red flag to someone meeting you for the first time.
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Speak of your org like it's a cult. It's just people. No need to make grandiose statements about how awesome everyone is. The person you are interviewing is considering you for a landing spot. Too much braggadocio and they will see it as too clique-ish and will not be impressed.
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Be too picky. A job or two in their past with less than 5 years, or a person wanting to work remotely should not be dealbreakers.
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Treat the resume like Holy Scripture. Get to know the actual person in front of you.
