Ertan Ikic on Career Growth and Opportunity

Building a successful career is never a straight line — it’s a journey filled with risks, learning, and resilience. For Ertan Ikic, founder of Top Pick Recruiting LLC, career growth isn’t just about moving up a ladder; it’s about creating real opportunities for yourself and others.

Learning Through Hard Work

My path didn’t begin in an office. For many years, I worked as a butcher — a job that taught me the value of effort, precision, and consistency. Every day was physical, demanding, and honest.

Those early years gave me the foundation I needed for everything that came later. I learned that success doesn’t come overnight. It’s built through discipline, reliability, and taking pride in your work — no matter what that work is.

When I eventually transitioned into recruitment, I carried those lessons with me. The skills may have changed, but the mindset stayed the same: deliver quality, build trust, and never cut corners.

Creating Top Pick Recruiting

The idea for Top Pick Recruiting LLC came from a simple observation — that too many people are stuck in jobs that don’t fit them, and too many businesses struggle to find the right talent.

I wanted to bridge that gap by creating a company that treated recruitment differently — with respect, transparency, and a human touch.

Career growth isn’t only about getting the next job. It’s about finding the right environment where you can learn, contribute, and grow long-term. That’s what I try to achieve for every candidate and client we work with.

What Career Growth Really Means

People often think of career growth as a promotion or a pay raise. But to me, it’s something deeper. True growth happens when you develop skills, expand your mindset, and build meaningful relationships.

Sometimes that means taking a risk, switching industries, or starting something of your own. Growth doesn’t always look comfortable — but it always pushes you forward.

When I look back, my biggest professional leaps came from moments when I was willing to start over, to learn something new, or to leave a comfort zone behind. That’s the real meaning of opportunity — the courage to step into the unknown.

Helping Others Find Their Path

At Top Pick Recruiting, my mission is to help others experience that same transformation. When we connect a candidate with a company that aligns with their values and ambitions, it’s more than a placement — it’s the start of a new chapter in their life.

We’ve seen people grow from entry-level employees to managers, from job seekers to leaders. Watching that evolution is what keeps me motivated.

And it’s not just about individuals — when the right people are matched with the right companies, entire teams thrive. Productivity goes up, morale improves, and businesses grow.

My Advice on Opportunity

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that opportunity rarely comes perfectly packaged. It often shows up as hard work, uncertainty, or even failure.

The people who grow the most are the ones who stay open-minded — those who can see beyond the challenges and recognize potential where others see obstacles.

When I first came to the United States, I didn’t have much. But I had drive, humility, and the willingness to learn. Over time, that mindset opened more doors than I could have imagined. That’s the power of perseverance and optimism.

Final Thoughts

Career growth and opportunity go hand in hand — one feeds the other. Every step forward, no matter how small, is progress.

When people ask me what success means, I tell them this:

“It’s not about being the best — it’s about becoming better than you were yesterday.”

That’s the philosophy behind Top Pick Recruiting LLC, and it’s the principle that’s guided my own journey.

If you’re willing to work hard, stay patient, and keep your eyes open for opportunity, your career — and your life — can transform in ways you never expected.