Tara Drake

About Tara Drake

With over 16 years of experience at Apple, I lead and influence others to think differently about attracting and hiring the best talent for the company. I am a certified Lominger Leadership Architect and a LinkedIn Recruiter Coach, with skills in strategic planning, project management, and event production. I build and lead strategies for engaging with diverse communities, including veterans, retirees, college students, career pivots, career moms, underserved populations, and new and experienced workforce.I am passionate about providing a world-class candidate experience and outstanding customer service for the hiring managers. I lead a team of program managers, who consult with recruiters across the globe, helping them strategize ways to find new talent for their job openings. We develop diversity attraction strategies for campus and community engagement for in-person and virtual events. I also train and mentor agency and contract recruiters, establishing processes and measuring results and helping them reach their goals. I believe in honesty, integrity, relationships, and the power of teamwork.My team leads our SkillBridge Fellowship Program and our Education with Industry Fellowship Program. If you are an active duty military service member transitioning out in less than 1 year, we want to speak with you. If you are active duty and are approved for the EWI or TWI program, we want to speak with you. If you are a veteran looking for a career in the tech industry, we want to help point you in the right direction.

Experience

1. Global Community Engagement Program Leader

   Apple

   Oct 2025 — Present · US

   Lead community engagement programs across our DNA\'s and I&D. Specifically focused on Veterans, Military Spouses, Active Duty for SkillBridge Fellowships & EWI/TWI Fellowships, as well as recruiter readiness, and beyond.

Education

• Texas State University

  BS, Apparel and Textiles

  1986 — 1990

Skills

• Customer Experience
• People Skills
• Screening Resumes
• Strategic Planning
• Employee Relations
• Applicant Tracking Systems
• Talent Assessment
• Internet Recruiting
• Recruitment/Retention
• Customer Service
• Employer Branding
• Human Resources
• College Recruiting
• Great People Skills
• Direct Sourcing
• Full-Cycle Recruiting
• Talent Identification
• Building Relationships
• Merchandising
• Onboarding
• Sales
• Technical Recruiting
• Recruiting
• Business Development
• Time Management
• Management
• Talent Management
• Cold Calling
• Performance Management
• Employee Training
• Employee Engagement
• Candidate Screening
• Team Leadership
• Hiring
• Strategy
• Retail
• Candidate Selection
• Candidate Assessment
• Leadership
• Interviews