Michael Wichmann | Information Security Executive; Strategy & Program Leadership
I started working with Top Talent in 2019 after being introduced to Sandy Jacob through a CISO and Deputy-CISO. Over the next several years, Sandy has proven to be an industry ally, and advocate for the betterment of my organization and extremely performance driven. Often times she will request feedback on the candidate search parameters to further assist in 'sharpening the pencil' for the best candidate as well as offering additional search criteria and market analysis. Unlike many national recruiting firms, Sandy (and team), takes the extra steps to appropriately vet candidates before they are submitted, taking the guess-work out of where to focus my attention. With high ethical standards and clear, consistent and transparent communication, Sandy continues to prove her worth and demonstrate the value that she and Top Talent brings to the market. (2024)
Chadd Thompson | CMO at Blue Jeans by Verizon
Sandy Jacob's leadership and her team's expertise have been pivotal in our organization's success. With an unparalleled dedication to excellence, Sandy consistently exceeds expectations by leveraging her profound understanding of our recruitment needs and the candidate market. She seamlessly aligns with our team and stakeholders, ensuring a smooth process characterized by high standards of quality, transparency, and authenticity.
Sandy's leadership qualities, coupled with her proven track record of delivering exceptional talent, make Top Talent our go-to choice for recruitment. Her contributions have been instrumental in expanding and elevating my team, and I eagerly anticipate our continued partnership as we strive for further success together. (2024)
Jason Torres | Cybersecurity Director at Rush University Medical Center
As we were growing our Cyber team at Rush, we tried to use our internal recruiting but we were not getting any quality candidates. I met Sandy early in my career and reached out to her. She took the time not just to understand the position but the culture of the team. We ended up hiring someone who has flourished at Rush and grown in their career. Please keep Sandy in mind if you are ever in need of help to find not only the right pieces to fit your team but a needed part of your family. (2024)
Joyce Washington | AVP, Information Security Architect at Wintrust Financial Corporation
I loved working with Sandy, she was insightful and very professional. She and her team have extensive network connections that can help anyone land their dream opportunity. (2023)
Michael Bravos | Associate Engineer
Sandy recruited me as an agent some years ago and all I have is positive words as I witnessed Sandy's great people skills along with a passion to help people. I believe I still have a copy of Rhinoceros Success as Sandy pushed personal development which helped me in my life. (2023)
Thomas Hasheider | Senior Information Security Engineer at Wintrust Financial Corporation
Working with Sandy has been an exceptional experience as I transitioned into a new role. Her remarkable communication skills and collaborative approach helped me discover a position that aligned perfectly with both my skill set and personal goals. I wholeheartedly endorse her to anyone seeking to navigate a career transition. (2023)
Sam Chin | Senior Specialist, Finance at Transamerica
Sandy is amazing and one of the best! She was instrumental in helping me through the process of my recent role. She was very communicative, regularly followed up, and made sure I had what I needed to be successful. It was a pleasure working with Sandy! (May 16, 2023)
Tiku Bana | Identity and Access Management Engineer | Solutions Architect | Cloud Engineer
Sandy Jacob is exceptional and one of the best recruiters I've worked with. She is excellent at communicating properly and promptly. I am in my current role because of Sandy's expertise and professionalism. Sandy will be a huge asset to any company she works with. She has the ability and experience to make any team better. (April 11, 2023)
Ryan Scott | Lead Internal Controls Analyst at Transamerica
Sandy was incredibly helpful in assisting me in obtaining a lead controls analyst position at Transamerica. She was consistently reaching out with interview tips, company information, and checking in at every step in the interview process, including leaving my prior position. She additionally worked with me to be a middleman between myself and the hiring company’s HR department to negotiate the terms of the position and was very communicative with me about my requirements and obtaining them. Sandy is the most helpful recruiter I have worked with and I would highly recommend working with her. (August 29, 2022)
Jordan Barnes | Information Security Engineer - SOC Analyst
It has been my absolute pleasure working with Sandy. She helped me throughout the entire process and kept me updated and in the loop during the most critical stages. Sandy is an absolute professional who ensured I was well equipped for every stage of the process. Incredibly talented, and very accessible throughout our time working together. Sandy's positive attitude and transparency shined throughout this process, and I would highly recommend her guidance and expertise to anyone in search of new and exciting opportunities. (August 24, 2022)
Karen Verenna | Financial Risk Management Manager at Transamerica
Sandy is a fantastic person to work with. She is a very hard worker and knows how to obtain the best talent for a company, while also helping her clients get the best package from employers. Sandy responded quickly to any questions that I had and was proactive with any issues throughout the entire hiring process. She took the time to first make sure that I was a good fit for the job by understanding the opening for which I was applying and through learning about me in our initial interview. Sandy then helped me through every step in acquiring this new position, including providing interviewing tips both in general and when interviewing virtually. She also went above and beyond negotiating the offer, helping me through accepting the offer, and submitting my resignation at my prior company. She even checked on me after my first day to make sure everything went well. I am very grateful to have had someone like Sandy Jacobs working to help me to obtain a new position that met my career goals. (May 30, 2022)
Sarah Moughal | Audit & Assurance Senior Assistance at Deloitte
Sandy is an exceptional recruiter to work alongside the hiring process. She will attend all your questions and make the process seamless. She will help you prepare for interviews and be transparent with the feedback you receive! Sandy takes the extra initiative to make sure you will be a great fit at the placements she will seek for you! I have worked with over 10-15 recruiters and Sandy really brought the best transparency and energy needed to land me my desired role! Thank you, Sandy! (May 20, 2022)
Jacob Parmentier | Information Security Specialist- Project Manager at Wintrust Financial
Sandy is an excellent recruiter. She was a great resource to have on my side in my job search. Sandy made herself available to help and provided loads of insight and tips along the way. Sandy is a great communicator, keeps you up to date, and is very transparent about the whole process. Definitely recommend!! (May 3, 2022)
Raymond Olsen CFCI | SVP Director Fraud Management at Wintrust Financial Corporation
Sandy is absolutely the best executive recruiter I have ever had the pleasure of working with. I would enthusiastically recommend her for your next job search or hiring of candidates!! (October 18, 2021)
Duy Nguyen | IT & Security Audit - Senior Consultant at Allstate
You know you are in good hands with Sandy! I had an outstanding experience working with Sandy and she helped me successfully pursue and land a position that is the best fit for me. Sandy is one of the most responsive person that I have worked with. Her knowledge about the position, company, and its leadership would make her your best ally. She will go the extra mile and look for your best interest in negotiation with prospective employers. I would highly recommend working with Sandy if you have the chance! (April 23, 2021)
Mengying(Ivy) Johnson, CPA | Senior Tax Analyst at NTT America
It was so pleasant to work with Sandy. She is responsible, responsive and reasonable. I would recommend her to all of my friends who need a job. While interview process could be stressful, Sandy made it really easy and stress free for me. Even after I landed on my job, she could have just walked away, but she helped me with the exiting process with the old firm. She’s equipped with knowledges one would need to find a good fit, and extremely helpful on making things happen. It was so easy to talk to her, so the communication was efficient and effective. I felt lucky to have worked with Sandy. (April 15, 2021)
Trevor Jon Cozza, CPA, MBA | Audit Senior Manager at AmTrust Financial
Sandy is an excellent person to work with. She and I worked connected over a role and although I was not actively looking, she was completely transparent about the position she had in mind and the reasons she felt I was a great fit. She assisted with the process every step of the way, answering questions and helping to bring all questions to resolution. I never felt anything but connected to the process and supported as her communication was excellent. I would strongly recommend her to anyone looking for recruiting services. (April 7, 2021)
Jack Rumsey | Senior IT Assurance Analyst
Sandy is best talent recruiter I've worked with by far. Through the introduction call to receiving a final offer for a dream position, Sandy was by my side during the whole process. Sandy was able to listen to me describe my experience, professional brand, and future goals and position me in the best way possible to the company at the start of the interview process. Finally, she is incredibly transparent and responsive which makes her someone that you can trust with helping you level up your career. (March 23, 2021)
Matthew Kapsiotis, CPA, MBA | AVP, Internal Audit @ AmTrust
Sandy is an excellent recruiter who is always transparent with job candidates she is assisting in finding their next role. Sandy communicates timely and effectively and ensures she has a good understanding of what job candidates are seeking in their next role in order to identify opportunities that align with those interests and the candidate's skill set. Sandy does not try to sell candidates on roles they clearly are not interested in and strongly advocates for the candidates she works with. If you are in the job market, I strongly recommend connecting with Sandy to see how she and her team can assist you. (January 26, 2021)
Zach Wheat | Senior Security Engineer at Wintrust Financial
Working with Sandy was amazing! She made the entire process so easy and removed all the stress that usually comes with interviewing. She was very knowledgeable about both the company and the position, which was a huge plus. She was able to coordinate everything, even during the busy holiday season, so it fit in with my schedule. If you have the opportunity to work with Sandy, take it! (January 8, 2021)
Johnathan Henderson, CISA | Information Security Specialist at Wintrust Financial Corporation
Sandy is simply the best recruiter I have ever worked with. The amount of effort she put into prepping me for job opportunities and her attention to detail is unmatched to the point where I always felt extremely confident going into any interview. She is always prompt with feedback and information on next steps. Sandy was an absolute joy to work with during my search and I was fortunate to have connected with her when I did. (January 4, 2021)
Jonathon Loughran, CISA, CRISC | Lead Security Governance Analyst at Rapid7
Sandy is extremely helpful, attentive, and professional. She found me a great role and was a pleasure to work with. She kept me informed at every step of the interview/placement process and made sure I was always equipped with key information to be successful. Thank you Sandy! (December 20, 2020)
Robert Jastrzemski | Senior Information Security Engineer- Splunk Analytics at Wintrust Financial
Simply the best! Sandy has an incredible ability to find the best professional fit for me during my career search. I have worked with Sandy twice—she has found me a winning combination of challenging roles and companies with an excellent culture. During the interviewing process, she is always there to provide valuable coaching and insights that help project me to the top of the hiring process. I find Sandy to be genuine and someone who I completely trust; I feel she always has my best interests at heart. I strongly recommend Sandy to be your recruiter if you are searching for your next career move. (October 2, 2020)
Jake Losch, CPA | Lead Internal Auditor at Transamerica
Sandy was extremely helpful during my recruiting process. We had a few conversations in the early stages so she could obtain an understanding of what I was looking for in a potential new position. Those discussions made things easy for me going forward, as she took a genuine interest in hearing my perspective and was able to help communicate my goals and viewpoint to the firm for hire. She was critical in helping to guide me through the process and well exceeded my expectations. I would highly recommend working with her. (June 23, 2020)
Kenn Yu | Lead Control Management Officer at Wells Fargo
It has been very pleasant working with Sandy who helped advanced my career in early 2020. She has provided great coaching, advice, and guidance along the way including offering an insightful and unbiased view on the opportunity and the company, connecting my background to the job profile, polishing my resume, preparing me for interviews, and advising me throughout the salary/benefit negotiation process. She has been very responsive and easy to communicate with, which allowed the process to be nothing but smooth and uneventful. I would recommend her without hesitation for anyone who is interested for the next career move. (May 28, 2020)
Ashton Tunk, JD, MBA | Officer and Senior Auditor at Northern Trust Corporation
Sandy is the best recruiter I have ever worked with. She was very transparent throughout all stages of the recruitment process. Sandy followed up with me several times and made sure that I was aware of all necessary steps to fast track the process. Likewise, she is very authentic. She cares about her candidates and treats them with the utmost respect. I highly recommend her. (March 20, 2020)
Kevin Bellus, CISM | Information Security Professional
I feel extremely lucky to have had Sandy to guide me through the recruiting process for my new position. From our first screening call I was impressed with her professionalism and honesty, and as we went through each step she provided me with all the tools and advice I needed to succeed. Her extensive knowledge of the hiring organization's leadership and requirements, as well as her amazingly thorough emails, were essential in preparing me for both rounds of interviews. Sandy also did an exceptional job of keeping me apprised of the status of my application, preempting many of my questions and responding quickly to all my emails. All of these factors, plus her positive attitude and drive, ensured the smoothest hiring process I've ever experienced. I would happily recommend Sandy and Top Talent to anyone looking to maximize their chances of securing a new position without any hesitation. (February 11, 2020)
Andrew Vitek | Lead Data Engineer at Ryan Specialty
I couldn't have asked for a more positive experience while working with Sandy; if you have an opportunity to work with her, you'll find that she's incredibly transparent and informative. She was in contact with me almost every day, providing updates, taking the time to understand my objectives, and providing concrete feedback. Sandy made me feel confident throughout the entire process of applying for an open role. When the time came to negotiate an offer, she was on vacation; nevertheless, she relentlessly spent hours on the phone finalizing a very attractive deal. I am very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with Sandy. (January 16, 2020)
Zack Kubik | Director of Accounting at Mittera
Sandy is amazing to work with. She provided industry insights and valuable tips and lessons throughout my entire interview process. Sandy went above and beyond my expectations by being readily available at all times. She was also a key liaison between me (as the candidate) and the firm for hire. This helped provide a quick response from the firm and also any necessary feedback from my interviews. I highly recommend her to anyone looking for assistance in the hiring market. (January 6, 2020)
Drew Pilarski | Security Engineer
I am quite glad to have worked with Sandy. She played a imperative part in finding, and placing me with in the right opportunity that allowed me to grow in my career. Sandy made everything incredibly easy and was readily available to work around my schedule. She was the main point of contact between Wintrust and myself, which helped steadily move the hiring process forward. I am grateful for her guidance that made this a good transition, and will recommend her to my friends and colleagues. (January 27, 2019)
Lana Jankovic | Vice President, Internal Controls & SOX Compliance
I’ve worked with Sandy for many years, both as a candidate and as a hiring manager. I first met her when I was searching for a job and was impressed by her professionalism and knowledge of the audit and accounting industry. She took a very serious approach when interviewing me and left no stone unturned when inquiring about my professional background, career aspirations, reasons for leaving prior positions, etc. It was immediately clear that I wasn’t speaking with an average recruiter. She was very transparent and upfront about different career possibilities and kept me informed of the status of my interviews almost daily. Due to her diligent approach, I’ve been using Sandy’s services as a hiring manager as well. Because of her company’s national presence, I’ve worked with her team in Chicago, Cleveland and now New York. As a hiring manager, I know that Sandy will only present me with candidates who perfectly match my requirements and my team’s dynamics and personalities. I also know that all her candidates are thoroughly vetted before being submitted, so her submissions always result in on-site interviews. This greatly helps expedite the recruitment process. I am also grateful that she is upfront with both my recruiting teams and candidates about salary expectations, so I have never experienced any last-minute surprises. I greatly appreciate her tremendous professionalism and diligence. She is by far the best recruiter I've ever worked with. (January 10, 2019)
Matt Golden | CISSP | CISA | CFE | IT Audit & Security
Sandy was a major contributing factor to landing my new job. Sandy played a pivotal role throughout the entire process, including vetting open positions, interview prep, providing in-depth company background, as well as finalizing things post-offer. She will perform her due diligence to find a position that's right for you. I would highly recommend working with Sandy. (December 14, 2018)
Scott M Benson, CISSP | Partner & CISO
Sandy has placed numerous candidates with me over the last 5 plus years. Sandy and the team she leads has been absolutely vital in assisting me to successfully build out information technology and information security audits teams as well as a 1st and 2nd line cyber team. Sandy is one of the best in her space and I am extremely grateful for all of the hard work and great candidates she has brought to the organizations I worked. She is brilliant, dedicated and determined. I highly recommend her and her organization. Thank you Sandy! (November 18, 2018)
Bradley Siske, CPA | Senior Manager of Internal Controls - Transamerica
Sandy connected with me through Linkedin and the first thought was "Great, another recruiter connection..." She then used her recruiter ways to get me on a phone call live where I was impressed by her ability to focus on my interests and less about selling specific roles. Sandy then helped me make an exit from public accounting to a role which has been very rewarding at an excellent price point (to which Sandy helped me negotiate). Throughout the process she continually kept me up to speed on where I stood in the process and what to expect next. Sandy was very professional throughout the entire process and I would highly recommend her for anyone looking to make a career move. Thanks Sandy! (November 8, 2018)
Erlina Merdani, MBA | Manager, Internal Audit/SOX Compliance
I’m glad to have worked with Sandy, she was very informative and provided guidance and support through my job transition process. Thank you for the opportunity! (October 26, 2018)
Graeme Laxton | Principal (Director), Business Continuity and Cyber Resilience at OCC
Sandy was an absolute pleasure to work with in finding my new job. Sandy contacted me on LinkedIn and from day one, she kept in constant contact and was the main point of contact between Walgreens and myself. She helped solidify my new role as an IT Auditor at Walgreens Corporate and stayed with me through the whole process. She was very helpful and very insightful for the interview step with Walgreens. I would DEFINITELY work with Sandy and her company, Top Talent again!. I would, also, DEFINITELY recommend Sandy to anyone else looking for a job. She WILL NOT disappoint. Thank you Sandy for all your hard work! (August 30, 2013)
Brandon Klingberg | Senior Consultant Accounting Manager at Navistar Inc.
In her role as a Recruiting Manager, Sandy was the consummate professional, introducing opportunities that were the proper fit for me, providing excellent insight into the companies I was interested in and a candidate for, and giving very timely, relevant feedback that allowed me to place very quickly. I always felt like a priority, and there is no question that I would work with Sandy again if I find myself back in the job market. (December 22, 2011)
Mike Schulte | Vice President - EXIT Realty Growth & Development
Sandy was one of the top recruiters (if not the top) for Century 21 in the U.S. She recruited almost 100 recruits every year when she was with Century 21 Universal and recruited 88 at Century 21 Jacob. I'd love to have Sandy on my team and I'm sure you would to!!!Sandy was one of the top recruiters (if not the top) for Century 21 in the U.S. She recruited almost 100 recruits every year when she was with Century 21 Universal and recruited 88 at Century 21 Jacob. I'd love to have Sandy on my team and I'm sure you would to!!! (October 31, 2011)
Steve Tatterson, CPA | Fund Controller at Jump Trading LLC
Sandy is a genuine professional. She was honest, knowledgeable, and responsive to my preferences for new opportunities. She was interested in getting to know me and what exactly I was looking for in a position. When Sandy found the right opportunity for me, she represented me in a professional manner and delivered results. (January 20, 2011)