From Thor To Talent Acquisition: Meet 'Marvel'ous Brooke Colaco

Born in Goa's quaint and picturesque state and brought up in the fast-paced life of Mumbai, Brooke Colaco is your perfect city girl. She understands and represents different spectrums of modern lifestyle and people's behavior. It, therefore, hardly comes as a surprise that she chose a career in managing Human Resources. Brooke, a strong advocate of the remote work culture, recently joined Skuad's Talent Acquisition Team.

Here are some snippets of our super-fun conversation with this vibrant recruit.

Before we dive into the non-work questions, tell us your first impressions about Skuad.

I joined this well-knit organization 2 months ago, and I am dumbfounded by the meticulous planning and smooth functioning. It's overwhelming to see the CEO of Skuad, Sundeep Sahi, constantly updating the employees about the organization’s progress. And I absolutely admire the way our Talent Director, Paridhi, manages such a huge team. In fact, all the people I have interacted with so far have been very welcoming. It is commendable that Skuad is hiring and giving opportunities at a time of rising layoffs. I always wanted to be a part of a startup, and I could not have asked for a better one!

Did you always want to work in Talent Acquisition?

Haha, no! I was not a people person until a few years back. I have tried everything from finance to marketing. During my second internship at Hector Beverages, my manager saw my potential and convinced me to give Talent Acquisition a shot. That was my Eureka moment! Since then, I have honed my skills in this field and don't see myself doing anything else!

How do you describe your attitude towards life?

Wow, that’s a deep question! In my professional life, I strongly believe that "if you’re the smartest person in a room then you’re in the wrong room." After graduation, I realized that things are not just handed over to you. Life isn’t a bed of roses, so you need to work hard and test your limits. I am more of a "go with the flow" kind of person in my personal life. I am a big-time risk-taker. I like to explore what life has to offer instead of making far-fetched aims and goals. Everything happens for a reason, right? And when things go downhill, I say to myself that there is always a silver lining to everything!

What is your prized possession?

My phone! Just kidding. I would like to change the 'what' to 'who.' My siblings are my ultimate life essentials. They are my support system. I cannot imagine my life without my elder sister and my younger brother. They contribute to the crazy in me yet keeping me grounded. I believe siblings give you a perspective on life and teach you about the diversity of human nature and thought. My siblings constantly push me to work harder and move forward in life. So, yes, I am very proud of them and cherish the bond I share with them.

How has remote working turned out for you? How do you spend your time outside work?

This is my second remote work experience. Before Skuad, I was a part of the Toptal team, where we had a partially remote work system. It’s commendable how Skuad is working towards being a 100% remote organization. I have always found comfort in working from my home. Office life leaves you with a limited work-life balance. Working remotely means I can go down to Starbucks, get a glass of my favorite iced coffee, and enjoy the Mumbai landscape. Or, I could wake up late, avoid dressing up and start my day. How wonderful is that? I love it.

Ahem…I am a dedicated HR professional. But, when I am not working, I turn into this movie fanatic! I am a fan of the Marvel Universe. My favorite characters are Spiderman and Thor. On the other side of the continuum, I am a huge romantic. A Walk to Remember is my all-time favorite movie. I also enjoy cheering for the Mumbai Indians while watching cricket with my brother. Apart from giving time to my idiot box, I like to channel my energy into painting and learning new recipes.

That's Great! Are you fond of cooking?

Food is my guilty pleasure! I can literally live on cookies, cakes, and iced coffee. If there is one skill I could pick up magically, that would be cooking. But, yes, I am learning to cook. My sister is brilliant at it and runs a food blog as well. Most of my cousins are also in the food industry. My grandfather and father ran a cafe. It's in the genes! Just that, I have to work slightly harder to be better at it and make the family proud.

Tell us your go-to travel spots and dream destinations.

I was born in Goa and have my extended family there, so I fly down twice a year. It's a great relaxation cum party spot. I would love to tick off the Maldives from my bucket list sometime. My dream destination, however, is London. I love the fancy vibe it emanates. And I mean, the Queen lives there, who wouldn’t want to visit London?

Okay, let's do a 'This or That' round!

• Are you more of a messy person or organized? Organized.
• Do you like indoors or outdoor? Indoors.
• Are you someone who likes to try new cuisines, or do you stick to favorites? Umm..try new cuisines!
• Do you like summers or winters? Definitely winters.
• Lastly, mountains or beaches? Beaches..hello, I'm from Goa!

That was a fun conversation, Brooke!

We hope your tenure at Skuad remains as beautiful as your name and as vivacious as your personality. It was a great time getting to know you, and we wish you all the best for future endeavors.