Meet The Team: Tessa Whelan, Recruiter

Tell us a little about yourself, Tessa!

Hello there! I’m from St. John’s, NL and have been in the recruitment space for a few years. I love spending time with my friends and family, and my two beagles, Mason and Mandy! If you’ve been on a call with me, you’ve probably heard them “singing” in the background. When I’m at home, you can often find me listening to a good podcast (DM me for recommendations), bumping some early 2000s hip hop music (my playlist is straight out of a middle school dance), or reading a good book.

‍How did you first get into recruitment?

Growing up, my dream job was to be a talk show host. I feel that being a recruiter is not much different—I’m constantly talking to many different people throughout the day and asking lots of questions. When I completed my first work term in recruitment at university, I was hooked! 

Why did you first join CoLab and what are you most excited about?

Joining CoLab was an exciting ride! I originally met Adam while working with him during a work term in university, and I knew Steph from our time spent working together at lululemon. I knew they were building something cool and were creating a culture that I wanted to be a part of, but nothing in my field had become available yet. So I was working at an organization that I absolutely loved, but always kept a close eye on what the team at CoLab was up to. When they posted a recruiter position as I was starting to look at new roles, it felt like fate. The opportunity to be the first recruiter at a tech startup was something I just couldn’t pass up.

I’m so excited to watch as the team continues to grow, and to see the impact we’re making on the engineering world!

‍If you had to be shipwrecked on a deserted island, but all your human needs—such as food and water—were taken care of, what two items would you want to have with you?

My dogs and a good book!