From Seabirds to Staffing

By the time Pippa Susskind realized she didn’t want to be a marine scientist, she was already knee-deep in data sets and seabird populations on a cold, rainy coastline in Aberdeen.

“It was miserable,” she laughs. “I had to analyze the distribution of six different species of terns. I couldn’t figure out the stats, had to ask someone for help, and I just thought—this can’t be it.”

The irony wasn’t lost on her. After years of studying biology and completing a master’s degree in marine science, policy, and law, she found herself completely unmoored by the real-world version of her academic dream. “I realized I needed something more people-facing. I wanted energy, clients, conversations—not spreadsheets.”

That moment of clarity would eventually lead her to a fifteen-year career at FDM Group, where she worked across recruiting, training, and deploying early-career tech talent into companies across the UK and U.S. “I did everything from campus recruitment to running a sales team. And I kept evolving,” she says. “That’s what kept me there for so long.”

But it wasn’t until after her second child that the idea of launching her own company-Hire Orbitt-began to feel not only possible, but necessary.

Not Just a Career Move, a Lifestyle Shift

“I had two kids under three. No family nearby. My husband works full-time. I had to ask—do I really want to be commuting into Manhattan four days a week?”

It wasn’t just about professional growth. It was about autonomy.

Pippa wanted flexibility. She wanted to do daycare pickups and still deliver for clients. “It wasn’t like I was trying to change industries—I was just ready to do the same work, but on my terms.”

She officially launched Hire Orbitt in August 2024. Her niche? Early to mid-career IT professionals—folks with anywhere from 0 to 10 years of experience. “I love placing candidates who are looking for their next job, not just their first.”

Her client list spans industries—from financial services to construction and real estate. “I lean East Coast, but I’m not limited to it,” she says. “If someone needs a strong candidate, I’ll find them one.”

The Reality of Starting From Scratch

Pippa’s years in corporate gave her the skills, the confidence, and—perhaps most importantly—the network to go out on her own. But that didn’t make the early days easy.

“The paperwork was overwhelming. The website took weeks. I talked to 15 different vendors before picking one,” she says. “And once they had my number, I was getting calls for months.”

Despite the chaos, she stayed focused. “I had a vision—blues and oranges, planet-themed for Hire Orbitt—and I knew I didn’t need anything flashy. I’m not selling a product. I just needed something clean and credible.”

Getting certified as a woman-owned business was another hurdle. “It was a lot of paperwork, but it makes a difference,” she says. “It opens doors.”

Still, the toughest part wasn’t logistical.

“It was the loneliness,” she admits. “I went from working in an office, surrounded by colleagues, to sitting alone every day doing cold outreach. It’s isolating.”

She misses the spontaneous chats, the energy of a team. “When you get rejected five times in a row and there’s no one around, you start to wonder—why am I doing this again?”

But Then Someone Gets the Job

That question always answers itself.

“What I find most rewarding is helping someone land a role,” she says. “Maybe they were laid off. Maybe they’ve been applying for months. And then they get the offer, and a year later they’re thriving. That’s the high.”

Hire Orbitt isn’t just about placements—it’s about momentum. It’s about giving someone a nudge at just the right moment in their career.

“There’s something really satisfying about playing matchmaker between candidate and company. When both sides are happy, it feels like you’ve actually made a difference.”

Pippa’s now approaching her first full year in business. The warm intros from her network are starting to taper off, which means she’s ramping up outbound efforts.

“It ebbs and flows,” she says. “One month it’s business development, the next it’s candidate delivery. That’s the nature of it. But I’m learning as I go.”

And perhaps most importantly, she’s doing it on her own terms.

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