Her Spark asked Revel Consulting Talent Acquisition Associate Caitlin Hooks Five Questions. Here's what she had to say!
Q1: Who is your favorite female role model and why?
Condoleezza Rice is someone who always sticks out in my mind. I was too young to know much about any presidency until George W. Bush's, so Condi's presence in the White House was the thing for me that normalized women having an equal seat to men in the places of power. She was also on the inaugural College Football Playoff committee and was one of the first women to be admitted to Augusta National Golf Club, so as a female sports lover, I greatly admire her for both of those things!
Q2: What are you reading right now? OR What's next on your reading list?
I just finished reading "Grant" by Ron Chernow, the man who wrote "Hamilton". If you're a fan of biographies, this is a can't miss. President Grant's life and work was the focal point, but I gleaned even more from learning about the Reconstruction years after the Civil War. There are so many tragic parallels between that time and now, and it was another sobering reminder of how far we have to go. Next up is "Transcendent Kingdom" by Yaa Gyasi. I plan on listening to it because Bahni Turpin narrates, and she is the best when it comes to audiobook narration!
Q3: What's the best career or academic advice you ever received?
This wasn't so much advice as it was a principle from a book on work - "Every Good Endeavor" by Tim Keller - that I turned into a question to I ask myself daily: "Am I looking to derive my meaning FROM work today, or am I looking to bring meaning TO my work?" Essentially, if I'm looking at work to provide ultimate meaning and life for me, it's going to fail. If I instead seek to bring meaning to my work, I am free to enjoy the work that I do, which makes me a better worker!
Q4: Her Spark's mission is to equip girls with the STEM skills and opportunities to succeed in the careers of tomorrow - dedicated to solving gender disparity in computer science, engineering, and technology careers. What does the Her Spark mission mean to you?
As a recruiter who focuses quite a bit on the STEM space, I love the thought that one day when I scour LinkedIn for quality candidates for my roles, there will be an equal number (if not more) of female to male profiles popping up.
Q5: What is your favorite part of Summer Summit? If you haven’t attended before, what are looking forward to the most?
Though I haven't had the privilege of sitting through the entire Summer Summit, I have enjoyed rubbing shoulders with some of the Triangle's leaders in the STEM space including Her Spark staff, board members, and volunteers.
Want to connect with Caitlin via social media? Click the links below!
Instagram: @caitlinhooks
Twitter: @caitlin_hooks17
About Her Spark
Founded in 2017 by professional women and business leaders, Her Spark is dedicated to solving gender disparity in computer science, engineering and technology careers. Her Spark’s mission is to equip girls with the skills and opportunities to succeed in the careers of tomorrow. For more information, to learn ways to get involved or to make a donation, please visit HerSpark.org.