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Jessi Cerra
Lead Recruiter at The Walt Disney Company
Professional Background
Jessi Cerra has established herself as a leading expert in talent acquisition, bringing a wealth of experience in recruiting initiatives across various industries. With a career spanning over a decade, Jessi has built significant partnerships with key stakeholders in both Human Resources and business units to understand their specific hiring needs. As the Lead Recruiter at The Walt Disney Company, she spearheads the recruitment efforts for both exempt and non-exempt level positions, ensuring that each candidate receives a positive hiring experience through continuous communication and support throughout the recruiting process.
Her expertise includes managing multiple recruitment tasks while balancing project work, demonstrating her strong organizational skills and ability to thrive in fast-paced environments. With a deep understanding of the business units she supports, Jessi actively contributes to the improvement of recruiting and selection processes by analyzing current practices and proposing innovative solutions. She possesses a flair for conducting in-depth and face-to-face interviews, ensuring that only the most suitable candidates are selected to join their teams.
Education and Achievements
Jessi Cerra graduated from The University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Science in Education, specializing in Recreation Administration. This educational background has equipped her with essential skills and insights into managing people and experiences effectively in various environments.
Throughout her professional journey, Jessi has accumulated extensive experience in talent acquisition roles across prominent organizations, highlighting her adaptability, leadership, and recruitment expertise.
Career Path
Jessi's career has included notable positions with leading companies such as:
- Lead Talent Acquisition Business Partner at VICE Media: Here, Jessi enhanced the recruitment strategies for creative talent in the media sector, ensuring seamless alignment between recruitment processes and organizational goals.
- Sr. Director, Talent Acquisition at the NBA: In this high-profile role, she was responsible for recruiting top talent to join one of the most recognized sports leagues globally, showcasing her ability to attract skilled professionals in a competitive market.
- Director, Talent Acquisition at NBC Sports Group and Talent Acquisition Recruiter at NBCUniversal, Inc.: Jessi played a crucial role in building diverse teams in the sports and entertainment sectors while driving NBC's talent acquisition strategy forward.
- Sr. Corporate Recruiter at Cox Communications and Recruiting Partner at HSNi: These roles allowed her to refine her skills in corporate recruitment, further solidifying her expertise in identifying and attracting high-caliber talent.
- Employment Manager at Grand Wailea Resort Hotel & Spa: This position allowed her to apply her skills in a hospitality environment, focusing on creating memorable experiences not only for guests but also for the employees recruited to serve them.
Achievements
- Developed innovative recruiting strategies that improved time-to-hire metrics and minimized recruitment costs across her various roles.
- Enhanced the candidate experience through regular communication and feedback, resulting in higher candidate satisfaction ratings.
- Successfully built and maintained relationships with hiring managers and business leaders to ensure recruitment alignment with strategic objectives.
- Managed teams and direct reports, providing mentorship and guidance in the recruitment process to develop junior recruiters into successful professionals in the field.
tags':['Talent Acquisition','Recruiting Initiatives','HR Partnerships','Positive Candidate Experience','Recruiting Processes','Project Management','Compensation Analysis','Union Property Recruiting','The Walt Disney Company','VICE Media','National Basketball Association','NBC Sports','Cox Communications','Hospitality Careers','The University of Georgia','Recreation Administration','In-depth Interviews'],
questions':['How did Jessi Cerra develop her expertise in talent acquisition and what specific strategies does she employ to enhance candidate experiences?','What are the key lessons Jessi Cerra learned from her diverse roles in recruitment across various industries including media, sports, and hospitality?','In what ways has Jessi Cerra contributed to improving recruiting processes at major organizations like The Walt Disney Company and the NBA?','How does Jessi Cerra balance the demands of recruitment and project management in her roles, and what tools does she utilize to aid in this process?','What makes Jessi Cerra successful in building partnerships with HR and business units, and how does that impact the overall recruiting strategy?']
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Mesh is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Mesh beneficial.
Mesh offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Mesh offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Mesh's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
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