Meet Zakiya 

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I am Zakiya Heron-Fortune, M.S., CMCS — a Human Resources and Talent Acquisition professional, workforce-development practitioner, career coach, and consultant.

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My career has consistently centered around people, relationships, and opportunity. I have spent more than seven years working across Human Resources, Talent Acquisition, recruitment, employee engagement, workforce development, and employer partnerships.

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The part of the work I have always enjoyed most is the relationship-building. I enjoy sitting with hiring managers and really understanding what they need — not simply what is written in a job description, but the type of person who will thrive on their team.

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I enjoy cultivating employer partnerships, developing talent pipelines, connecting people to opportunities, and creating relationships that continue beyond a single hire.

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And I still genuinely enjoy working directly with candidates and job seekers. My approach is relationship-centered, practical, and grounded in the belief that people are more than their résumés and organizations are more than their job descriptions.

Why This Work Matters to Me

I have always believed that work is deeply personal.

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We spend so much of our lives working, building relationships, developing our skills, and contributing to organizations. Because of that, I believe the relationship between an employer and an employee should be more than a transaction. The right opportunity should make sense for both sides.

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That belief has been shaped not only by my professional experience, but by my own career journey.

Like many professionals, I have experienced what it feels like to be accomplished, capable, and hardworking, yet still question whether an environment was truly the right fit for me. Those experiences have given me an even deeper appreciation for the importance of alignment — between people, leadership, workplace culture, expectations, and opportunity.

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It is one of the reasons I care so much about Talent Acquisition.

My Experience

Throughout my career, I have recruited and supported talent across a variety of industries and professional backgrounds, including healthcare and human services, culinary and food service, warehouse and logistics, and nonprofit and mission-driven organizations.

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My experience has allowed me to see hiring from multiple perspectives — as a recruiter, as a partner to hiring managers, and through workforce development, where I have supported job seekers preparing to enter or re-enter the workforce. That combination has shaped how I approach consulting today.

Why Intrinsic Purpose

Intrinsic Purpose Career Services was created around the idea that meaningful work begins with understanding people — their strengths, their motivations, their potential, and the environments in which they can thrive.

Today, that purpose has expanded.

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Through Talent Acquisition consulting, fractional recruiting, workforce partnerships, and selective career coaching, I help organizations and individuals make stronger employment connections. For employers, that means helping identify and secure talent while building thoughtful, effective recruiting practices and partnerships.

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For professionals, it means providing focused career support that helps them understand their strengths, communicate their value, and pursue opportunities that genuinely align with where they want to go. Different sides of the hiring process. One purpose.

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Creating better connections between people and opportunity.