From tech layoff to $20k in a month: How Cameron Barnette placed an engineer in under 30 days on Paraform
Cameron Barnette, founder of Take-Off Recruiting, made $20k in one month on Paraform. But what sounds like a quick win is actually the result of years of experience, combined with Paraform’s features.
Before starting his own business, Cameron recruited for companies like Google and Uber, as well as VC-backed startups. He shares his story, and how he used Paraform to place a candidate at Banquet Health in less than 30 days.
From sales to Silicon Valley recruiting
Cameron's journey from insurance sales to tech recruiting came with a crucial insight: "You can't be a good recruiter unless you have some sales tenacity and closing capability."
He started his recruitment career “closing” candidates at Google, before joining Uber's Advanced Technologies Group, where he delved into cutting-edge fields like computer vision and machine learning.
Branching out at Boulevard and beyond
After these in-house roles, Cameron moved to agency recruiting at Boulevard, a boutique recruitment firm focused on seed to Series C startups in emerging tech. As their first technical recruiter, he partnered closely with founders and hiring managers, owning strategy, reach-outs, and conversations about compensation.
This experience solidified his preference for early-stage, VC-backed companies.
"I got my feet wet and cut my teeth in the early-stage VC-backed recruiting world. After that, I couldn't see myself going back to big corporate recruiting."
After one more stint in-house that, like for so many others in the industry over the past few years, ended in layoffs, he saw an opportunity rather than a setback. "The layoffs became my catalyst,” he says, “Instead of being one applicant among thousands for a senior recruiter role, I took a leap of faith and started my own business."
This move paid off quickly — Cameron secured two major clients within his first two months as an independent recruiter.
Growing his business with Paraform
Cameron started using Paraform because he loved how it gave recruiters direct access to VC-backed companies: " Paraform connected me to really interesting startups in niches that I want to learn more about."
When he discovered Banquet Health on the platform, he strongly resonated with the company's mission. “They aim to change how hospital staff, especially dietitians, spend their time: less in front of screens and more with patients. Having two nurses in my family, I understand the challenges of burnout and stretched time.”
Opportunities to maximize candidate placements
Paraform connects Cameron with clients, but its features also accelerate placements and make his workflows more efficient.
On Paraform, Cameron could pipeline his candidates across multiple roles.
"I can give candidates various options, and land them at one of many different companies. That's always a win, versus having them decline an offer from my single client and go elsewhere, and I get $0 in a contingency situation. Someone who’ll finish as the silver medalist at another company could be the ideal fit for a company I'm working with on Paraform."
This approach not only increases the chances of successful placements, but also improves candidate satisfaction.
Tools that increase efficiency
To quickly get up to speed on new roles, Cameron can watch recorded intake calls from hiring managers to understand what companies are looking for in a hire. Detailed role pages also offer concise criteria and do's and don'ts for sourcing. Sometimes companies will provide pre-written outreach templates, making it easier for recruiters to align their messaging with candidates.
Recruiters can also see how responsive hiring managers are on Paraform, and prioritize roles with active managers. Cameron found Banquet Health’s hiring manager, Nivi, to be highly responsive.
“Submitting candidates to them made sense because they reviewed profiles promptly, provided good feedback, and communicated clearly. Their process was well-calibrated, which made working with them much easier.”
Access to top startups
Cameron already has existing clients and a book of business, and primarily uses Paraform to connect with interesting companies in his niche. But he emphasized that even if you’re just getting started, Paraform can help you grow quickly as an independent recruiter.
“Even if you don't have an extensive rolodex of clients, you can still connect with top VC-backed startups right from the jump. You can join Paraform and say, hey, I started my own business, I want to put my name out there and work on contingency to fill some roles.”
The future of independent recruiting
As fast-growing companies seek to scale their teams, independent recruiters who can combine deep industry knowledge with efficient tools to maximize their placements are poised for success.
In the world of sales, closing a deal is a win-win. In the world of recruiting? It's a triple win — for Cameron, his candidate, and his client.
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