A restaurant franchisee needed a manager for one his restaurants.  He was an extremely busy guy, and because of his travels and other commitments, his search was sporadic. So, he got in touch with Linric Professional Services Recruiters, and the owner Eric Okoemu.  Eric, using his own strategies, his time-tested approach, and with great care, prospected for, and interviewed, qualified candidates.  In a short time he found someone he believed to be the perfect person for the job. And, he also believed he had the perfect job for this person.  It had taken the franchisee over a year and finally, with Eric's help, he had found his manager.  

Eric’s strategy is, in truth, a very human approach; he does not want it to be only about salary. He wants it to be more holistic than that. So, he personally interviews all applicants but he also carefully interviews the client.  His goal is to get a feeling for the people and the business so he can make a lasting connection for his clients and a lasting connection for the candidates. In his words, "finding the right job that matches one's passion." 

Eric does extensive interviews. He himself has held many jobs, mostly in sales. Some of those positions made him glad when he woke up in the morning, and excited to go to work, while others he disliked the job and disliked his boss.  This is why he became a recruiter.  He wants job candidates to be satisfied in their work and he wants his clients who hired those candidates to know they have found a good fit for their company.  Eric wants it not to be all about the money. It is his mission. And, it is also the way he feels about the work he himself is doing now. "Why shouldn’t everyone feel this way?” Is the question he asks himself every day.
 
After many ups and downs being in the workforce and not finding the perfect match for himself, Eric decided to work alongside a friend who owned a staffing agency. For him, the rest is history. He had found his niche, his “place”.  The kind of business he wanted for himself, and Linric was born.  In his work, he enjoys peace of mind and finds great satisfaction and enjoyment in matching individuals to positions that fulfill them, and that, in turn, makes for a great employee for his clients.  

Many of the people that Linric works with are immigrants.  They will take jobs that others will not.  These are jobs that might include working in a cold room all day stocking the shelves in a walk-in freezer, or unloading packages onto a dock.  Many are not committed to their work and change jobs often.  If they are making $20 an hour and the employer next door is paying $21, they will leave.  Eric coaches them, tries to show them another way to think, to be on time, come to work every day, to feel pride in their work; to own what they are doing, and then maybe one day, as Eric encourages, they can become supervisors and make $25 or more.  He gets them to understand the “long game” because he truly cares. 

Eric came to the US from Niger.  He came for economic reasons, and for the chance to live life on his own terms, to be able to choose his own destiny. It seems that after some unpleasant and unfulfilling work experiences, he had found his calling.  As a person, Eric is charming (and fun) to speak to, and one can see almost immediately why he is as successful as he is and why he is so good at what he does.  

Eric and his wife have five children, two girls and three boys. When he talks about his family his face lights up. For relaxation and fun, he loves to travel and listen to music. Going into a theater to watch a movie engages him. He is a true intellect and is in the process of getting his doctorate in business administration with an emphasis on marketing. He is intrigued by studying truth and reality, and by doing research on how God is perceived by different religions and cultures. There is no question that as he grows his knowledge and business acumen, it will make his business stronger and more effective than it already is.  

Eric Okoemo and Linric Professional Recruiters can be reached at:
16 Edgerton Terrace
East Orange, New Jersey 07017
973 609 8466
ericokoemu@yahoo.com

Mary Stevens and her husband did not have great credit scores. Their income was fair, but they had some late student loan payments three years ago that were holding back their scores. Having found the house that they wanted, they were in the difficult position  of hearing "no" from two mortgage lenders. Then they met Sheetal Sawhney.

Over the course of two months Sheetal worked with the couple to find a lender that had more flexibility in their underwriting and could acknowledge that the Stevens last three years had been spotless.  Because Sheetal had so many different relationships with lenders and had built up robust relationships with all of them, she was able to get the job done.  Mary and her husband closed on their house in May of 2023.

Sheetal Sawhney is that rare and lucky person who feels that her job is her calling.  Her greatest joy is helping clients realize their dream of owning property.  One story she loves to tell is of a woman who came to the US from Jamaica with nothing, who, with Sheetal's help and guidance, in time, became the owner of four properties.  She is what Sheetal calls a coachable client. Her favorite kind of client. 

Particularly gratifying to Sheetal is helping first time home buyers into their first home. Often a potential buyer cannot immediately qualify for a mortgage.  Sheetal will hand them a "to do" list to follow, with a time frame. She teaches them budgeting and how to get rid of high interest credit cards.   Many do as she says, come back to her, and are successfully able to become homeowners. In her words, " It is a big thrill that I enjoy very much". Her interest in her clients and her passion for her work is palpable.    
   
Because of the rise in interest rates and the lack of inventory, this is a particularly difficult time for those wishing to purchase a home.  Sellers are not listing, unwilling to give up their low interest mortgages and if a client does find a property, there are usually multiple offers and bidding wars.  Sheetal tells her clients that if they do find the perfect place  to go for it, rates will eventually come down and they can then refinance.  
 
Sheetal is the Branch Manager and Senior Mortgage Originator for CrossCountry Mortgage in North Bergen, She is licensed in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Florida. Sheetal came to the US from India where she attended Narsee Monjee College of Commerce and Economics in Mumbai India, and received her Masters in Finance.

Her career started about 26 Years ago , at a time when she was, not that happily, working in the garment district. At that time, someone spoke to her about becoming  a lender.  The opportunities it offered intrigued her.. She impulsively decided to take the risk, left a good paying job, and she has never looked back. More than two  decades later, she has built a book of loyal clients, who return and refer others to her.  Many of her clients and real estate partners have become dear friends.

Sheetal works with a team of like minded professionals.  Their job is getting that pre -approval for their clients. It is intense and sometimes stressful work.  She considers her team family, and most have been with her for a long time.  Her operations manager has been with her for 25 years. The people on her team are service - driven, have similar values, have no agenda, and will hold their clients hands until closing. 

 Loved and respected by her clients, Sheetal is the ultimate professional. She and her team have received many five star reviews on Zillow.  Her realtor partners enjoy working with her and her "we are all in this together " approach to getting the job done and done well. She is a great communicator and is in touch with all parties in a transaction weekly.. the Realtor , the Attorney and of course, the buyer. Everyone knows what is going on and no one feels left out.  

With plans to grow her team., finding the right employees to compliment her already terrific group is her priority.  Sheetal has been known to say "I love mortgages" What she accomplishes every day, year in year out, for her clients, shows that she really means it.