“The most difficult thing is the decision to act. The rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure, the process is its own reward.”
-Amelia Earhart
It is not new where we see engineers take up different career paths. By nature, we are problem solvers, including our team.
But this listicle is focused on engineers who pivoted as talent acquisition professionals.
But why talent acquisition?
Many engineers are transitioning from their technical roles to becoming talent acquisition professionals. This career move is driven by their desire to use their skills in a more strategic and impactful way and to become involved in shaping the direction of organizations by attracting and hiring top talent.
Therefore, here is a list of a few engineers who later became popular talent acquisition professionals in no particular order:
Kevin Wheeler
![Talent Acquisition Professional](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6516813912555e8b460c1f1e/66ccc05d3d986e49ba1a57be_651d66070fcfabc3fef066ce_Untitled-design-4-2-1024x820.png)
Wheeler is a former engineer and the author of several books on talent management and recruitment. He has held leadership roles in HR at companies such as Intel and Cisco and is known for his expertise in building and managing high-performing teams.
Follow Steve on LinkedIn.
Stephanie Lampkin
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6516813912555e8b460c1f1e/66ccc05d3d986e49ba1a57bb_651d66077241ac8761477aaf_Untitled-design-5-5-1024x820.png)
Lampkin is the founder and CEO of Blendoor, a recruiting platform that seeks to eliminate racial and gender bias using technology. She is an MIT-educated engineer who is here to eradicate unconscious bias in technical hiring. Previously she has been associated with Microsoft in various technical roles.
Follow Stephanie on Twitter.
Chris Bloomquist
![Talent Acquisition Professional](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6516813912555e8b460c1f1e/66ccc05d3d986e49ba1a57c8_651d6607360952dd82ffbd4f_Untitled-design-7-2-1024x820.png)
Bloomquist is the co-founder and VP of Talent at The Talent Mine, a recruiting company. He started his career as an engineer but soon transitioned to talent acquisition in various well-known institutions.
Follow Steve on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Greg Savage
![Talent Acquisition Professional](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6516813912555e8b460c1f1e/66ccc05d3d986e49ba1a57cb_651d6607ee893f8ad18b4211_Untitled-design-6-2-1024x820.png)
Savage is a former engineer and the founder of Firebrand Talent, a recruitment agency that specializes in placing engineers and technical professionals. He has held leadership roles in HR at companies such as Microsoft and Cisco, and is known for his expertise in talent acquisition and employee development.
Follow Greg on LinkedIn and Twitter.
These individuals all started their careers as engineers before transitioning into HR and becoming popular talent acquisition professionals. They have made significant contributions to the field and have helped to shape the way that companies approach recruitment and talent management.