Placed with Purpose: How the Right Connection Opened New Doors for RN Alexis Vazquez

Finding the right opportunity is more than matching a resume to a job description. It starts with understanding the person behind the experience: what they are looking for, what matters to them, and where they want their career to go.

At Tandym, the relationships we build with our candidates are an important part of that process. Our recruiters take the time to listen, offer guidance, and help candidates navigate their search with a partner in their corner.

Placed with Purpose shares the stories behind those partnerships, directly from the professionals we’ve had the opportunity to work with. From the first conversation to the first day on the job and beyond, we’re sitting down with Tandym candidates to hear about their experience, where they landed, and what the right opportunity has meant for them.

For our first installment, we spoke with Alexis Vazquez, RN, whose search for a new opportunity in mental health nursing led to an unexpected career milestone. After connecting with veteran Tandym recruiter Juliet Gallicano, Alexis found more than the change she had been looking for. She discovered a new area of mental health care, stepped into a leadership role much earlier than she anticipated, and found a place where she could envision the next chapter of her career.

Here’s her story.

Tell us a little about yourself and where you were in your career when you first connected with Tandym.

I had been a registered nurse for about two years, and my first nursing job was in inpatient psychiatry. I enjoyed my time there, but I was ready to transition into a different type of environment.

I knew I still wanted to work within psychiatry, mental health, and substance use because that’s really my passion and my first love in nursing. At the same time, I wanted to be somewhere I felt I could genuinely help people in a different way. I was looking for an environment where I could see and feel the impact of the work I was doing.

What challenges were you experiencing in your job search before working with Tandym?

I think the nursing job market can be difficult to navigate. There are so many opportunities out there, but getting your foot in the door can sometimes feel like it comes down to who you know. If you don’t have that connection, the process can become very difficult or take a long time.

Having that connection through Tandym really helped. It felt like I had someone helping me get my foot in the door and navigate the process in a much more efficient way.

Had you ever worked with a recruiter before? What stood out about working with Juliet and the Tandym team?

I hadn’t really worked with an agency recruiter in this sense before, and Juliet was honestly the perfect person for me to come across.

One thing that stood out to me about Juliet and the other healthcare recruiters I met at Tandym, including Sandra Huljev and Tori Sposato, was their energy. They were so bright and welcoming. From the moment I got on the phone with them, they made me feel comfortable and excited to work with them.

That’s such great energy to bring to something that can otherwise be really stressful, especially when you’re trying to transition between jobs and figure out your next step.

How did Juliet support you throughout the process?

Communication really made a difference for me. There were so many interactions throughout the process, and I was always kept informed about the next step, anything that changed, and any new updates. Whether it was a call or a text message, I always knew what was happening.

I think that really helped calm some of the anxiety that can come with a job search. I always felt supported and never felt like I was navigating the process alone.

Did you feel like Juliet understood what you were looking for, rather than simply trying to find you a job?

Absolutely. Juliet made me feel very comfortable being open and honest about what I wanted.

There were positions she presented to me that were within the mental health space, but they didn’t necessarily feel right for me. I felt comfortable telling her, “You know what, I’m not really feeling this one.” And that was completely fine. Her attitude was always that we were trying to find somewhere I could actually envision myself.

She gave me different options and never made me feel like I had to take something just because it was available. Eventually, that process led me to where I am today.

Was there a moment when you realized this experience had exceeded your expectations?

The outcome itself went beyond anything I expected.

I originally applied for a staff nurse position and interviewed for that role. Then I got a phone call from Juliet telling me they wanted to offer me the Nurse Manager position instead.

I had talked during the interview process about being able to see myself in leadership someday, but I didn’t really think I was there yet. I had only been a nurse for about two years, so having an opportunity like that present itself was something I never would have imagined.

I genuinely don’t think the opportunity would have presented itself in the way it did without Juliet and Tandym. When I was talking about it with Sandra and Tori over lunch, I remember saying, “I think this is a Tandym success story if I’ve ever seen one.” It really went beyond my wildest dreams.

Now that you’ve had time to experience the role, how has the opportunity impacted your career?

It has opened doors for me in ways I never expected.

First, I never thought I would be in a managerial position this soon in my career, so stepping into leadership has been an incredible opportunity for me to grow.

I also never expected to find myself in community mental health. It’s very different from a hospital setting, and being in this environment has taught me so much. It revealed how much I love this side of mental health care and exposed me to a setting I may never have considered otherwise.

I’m really thankful Tandym helped introduce me to an opportunity and an environment that has allowed me to discover something new about where I want my career to go.

What would you say to another healthcare professional considering working with Tandym?

I would absolutely recommend Tandym. When you’re in that period of transition and you don’t necessarily know what your next step is, having that level of support makes such a difference.

They gave me options, listened to what I was looking for, and helped me find something that actually felt right for me. I also had the opportunity to start in the role on a contract basis before ultimately becoming a direct hire, which gave me the chance to experience the position and make sure it was the right fit.

I’m genuinely so grateful to Tandym for bringing me here. This experience has opened doors for me and taken my career in directions I never would have expected.

More Than a Placement

Alexis’s experience is a reminder that the right career move isn’t always the one you initially set out to find. Sometimes, it’s an opportunity you hadn’t considered, a new environment you hadn’t explored, or a challenge you didn’t realize you were ready to take on.

For Tandym, building meaningful candidate relationships means taking the time to understand those possibilities. It’s about listening to where someone wants to go, helping them navigate the options in front of them, and being there throughout the process.

We’re grateful to Alexis for sharing her experience and to Juliet for doing what great recruiters do best: building a relationship, listening, and helping connect someone with an opportunity where they can thrive.

Looking for your next opportunity? Explore current openings with Tandym and connect with our team to see where your career could take you next.