Jamie manages the OEM Sales & Marketing division at Redline Group. We asked him what he’d tell himself on his first day in recruitment if he could go back in time…
Don’t take yourself too seriously. Get your head down, get on with it and drive your own development because you are going to love this!
I came to technical recruitment from a background in management in the hospitality sector. I always had a natural affinity for sales and an ability with people that meant I could build rapport at all levels, I could empathise with the needs of client and candidate alike and I could influence people from a position of knowledge.
However, I won’t pretend to you that the concept of technical recruitment wasn’t daunting. I had no engineering background, no understanding of design or manufacturing methodology and frankly I was a bit of a dunce when it came to getting my head around why certain bits of technology even existed.
I was tenacious in my approach. I told myself that I didn’t just need to understand technology to be good at my job…I genuinely wanted to know. I spoke to as many people as I could. Every conversation was like an hour in the classroom. I always had more questions. I always wanted to know more and I wanted to be recognised for that knowledge as an expert. This is what drove me to take control of my own development and the reason I found myself at home in the evening ploughing through pages on Wikipedia, industry magazines and white papers. That and a lack of a significant social life!
But probably the most important message I would want to give myself on my first day is to relax a little! Recognise that while this job is hard work, it is hugely rewarding, and that it is just as important to enjoy it as it is to do well! It’s no real surprise to any of my colleagues, managers or directors that I started getting my best results when I took the pressure off myself and allowed myself to have some fun with it!
What would you tell yourself on your first day in recruitment? Let us know in the comments below.
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I Love Recruitment 