What do you think are the three most important skills to succeed in your career area?
Honesty & integrity – these come hand in hand and are key when building long lasting relationships with clients and candidates.
Communication – we work with a diverse range of people from juniors through to executives so it’s important to communicate professionally while also in a friendly manner.
Listening – crucial when understanding both the needs of a client and a candidate and finding the best match.

Was this something you planned to do or did you change direction at any point in the past? If so, what was that and was it easy to do?
I had never considered recruitment before, mainly because I didn’t know anything about it! After I graduated with a degree in Spanish and English Literature, I came back to Jersey feeling a little lost. My priority was finding an interesting people-focused role that was also creative so I went to Rowlands to find out more about my career options and the job market generally. My meeting was positive and the more I learnt about the company and the role of a recruiter, the more I felt it complimented my skills and ticked all the boxes for me!
I have now progressed from trainee to senior consultant and I am also responsible for marketing – not only fulfilling my desire to help people but also my creative interests.

What do you love most about working in your career area?
Meeting such a diverse range of people and helping them with something as little as re-formatting a CV, or changing their lives by helping them change career direction, or helping them to relocate to the Island. I also love the fact I can work independently, while also part of a great team, manage my own portfolio and tailor this to my own personal style, providing a unique and positive experience for each client and jobseeker.

Are there any negative aspects of working in your career area that people considering it should be aware of?
There can be a negative perception of recruitment unfortunately. Some think that recruiters are dishonest and focused purely driven by money and commission. This is the case in some instances but definitely should not be applied to recruiters in general. Every agency is different and it’s really important to work with a reputable organisation whose values are aligned with your own.

What training / qualifications did you undertake for your current role or are you currently undertaking?
When I started, I did a mix of on- the-job and class room training; this included an interview skills training course in London, employment law training with a local law firm, as well as in-house system training. We have also had industry experts in to teach us about the sectors we are recruiting for i.e. compliance, so we are more informed when working with clients and able to provide better guidance to candidates. In the future, I would like to complete the REC recruitment qualification and also do the CIPD qualification, with particular focus on a coaching and mentoring.

Is there any other information that would be of interest to someone thinking of this career?
Recruitment is a fantastic career option if you like working with people and want a busy, varied and challenging role. Working in recruitment gives you a diverse range of skills and also opens up the door to many other career opportunities in areas such as; human resources, relationship management, project management and operations. People tend to ‘fall into’ recruitment, but the majority that do, especially those at Rowlands, can truly say they love what they do (cheesy but true)!