Erika Aftel
\nDirector of Candidate Engagement<\/h3><\/div>![](\"https:\/\/cerestalent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Erika-Aftel_Ceres-Talent_2023.jpg\" "\\"Erika")
<\/span><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>Contact Erika
\n<\/b>540.369.4119
\nerika.aftel@cerestalent.com<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>Erika is our Director of Candidate Engagement, laser-focused on our greatest assets \u2013 our candidates. Having spent many years as a strategic marketing manager and consultant in a variety of roles at companies large and small, Erika brings a unique perspective from having worked across all channels targeting B2B, B2C and B2B2C audiences. She\u2019s excited to use her marketing expertise to ensure our candidates are best-positioned for their next career move.<\/p>\n
Having sat on both sides of the table, both as a hiring manager and a job candidate, Erika is well equipped to help find the right talent for our clients\u2014as well as the best company fit for our candidates. A New York City native and avid U.S. Open Tennis fan now living in Virginia, she earned a B.S. in Economics from the State University of New York at Albany.<\/p>\n
Advice I Wish I\u2019d Received Earlier in My Career<\/b><\/p>\n
Always be learning! I\u2019ve never stopped jumping at opportunities to learn and add new software platforms and tools to my marketing repertoire. You are never too old to learn something new, and it\u2019s especially critical for marketers to remain current and embrace new skills in Martech at every turn\u2013to be better prepared for the future landscape of marketing.<\/p>\n
My Dream Job If I Weren\u2019t at Ceres Talent<\/b><\/p>\n
Samantha Brown, World Traveler, or as her Twitter profile reads, \u201cgirl with the best job in the world\u201d. Need I say more?<\/p>\n
My Very First Job<\/b><\/p>\n
My first job was coding resumes for an IT headhunting firm while I was in high school. I was also tasked with pre-screening candidates by phone, which I hated doing, because it required me to read off a script. I was so bad at it that one person stopped me midway through my spiel to ask if I was a recording! So, I mainly tried to stick to the coding part of my job, until my manager reminded me about the $500 bonus I could earn for every person I pre-screened who ultimately was placed by the firm. Boy did I start smiling and dialing…I think I earned $1,500 in bonus money in one summer alone. Not bad for a few minutes of work at any age! My role at Ceres Talent, while miles above my first stint at recruiting, is an exciting bookend to my career in marketing.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
Meet the rest of our team:<\/h3><\/div><\/div><\/div>![](\"https:\/\/cerestalent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Sue-Keith_Ceres-Talent_2023-scaled.jpg\")
<\/a><\/span><\/div>Sue Keith
\nCorporate Vice President<\/a><\/strong><\/p><\/h4><\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/span><\/div>Contact Erika Erika is our Director of Candidate Engagement, laser-focused on our greatest assets \u2013 our candidates. Having spent many years as a strategic marketing manager and consultant in a variety of roles at companies large and small, Erika brings a unique perspective from having worked across all channels targeting B2B, B2C and B2B2C audiences. She\u2019s excited to use her marketing expertise to ensure our candidates are best-positioned for their next career move.<\/p>\n Having sat on both sides of the table, both as a hiring manager and a job candidate, Erika is well equipped to help find the right talent for our clients\u2014as well as the best company fit for our candidates. A New York City native and avid U.S. Open Tennis fan now living in Virginia, she earned a B.S. in Economics from the State University of New York at Albany.<\/p>\n Advice I Wish I\u2019d Received Earlier in My Career<\/b><\/p>\n Always be learning! I\u2019ve never stopped jumping at opportunities to learn and add new software platforms and tools to my marketing repertoire. You are never too old to learn something new, and it\u2019s especially critical for marketers to remain current and embrace new skills in Martech at every turn\u2013to be better prepared for the future landscape of marketing.<\/p>\n My Dream Job If I Weren\u2019t at Ceres Talent<\/b><\/p>\n Samantha Brown, World Traveler, or as her Twitter profile reads, \u201cgirl with the best job in the world\u201d. Need I say more?<\/p>\n My Very First Job<\/b><\/p>\n My first job was coding resumes for an IT headhunting firm while I was in high school. I was also tasked with pre-screening candidates by phone, which I hated doing, because it required me to read off a script. I was so bad at it that one person stopped me midway through my spiel to ask if I was a recording! So, I mainly tried to stick to the coding part of my job, until my manager reminded me about the $500 bonus I could earn for every person I pre-screened who ultimately was placed by the firm. Boy did I start smiling and dialing…I think I earned $1,500 in bonus money in one summer alone. Not bad for a few minutes of work at any age! My role at Ceres Talent, while miles above my first stint at recruiting, is an exciting bookend to my career in marketing.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div> Sue Keith
\n<\/b>540.369.4119
\nerika.aftel@cerestalent.com<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>Meet the rest of our team:<\/h3><\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/a><\/span><\/div>
\nCorporate Vice President<\/a><\/strong><\/p><\/h4><\/div><\/div><\/div>
![](\"https:\/\/cerestalent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Kathy-McConnell_Ceres-Talent_2023.jpg\")
<\/a><\/span><\/div>![](\"https:\/\/cerestalent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Lee-Mayfield_Ceres-Talent_2023-scaled.jpg\")
<\/a><\/span><\/div>![](\"https:\/\/cerestalent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Debbie-Willis_Ceres-Talent_2023-2.jpg\")
<\/a><\/span><\/div>![](\"https:\/\/cerestalent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Susan-Villalas_Ceres-Talent_2023.jpg\")
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