How did you get to your current position?
I’m a Journalism Graduate and run a film blog and Instagram in my own time: The Brighton Film Club. However I feel those skills fit into a Recruitment environment very well. I have 6 years’ experience in the sector working my way up from Resourcer level. To be honest, there’s not a huge amount of difference between working as a Resourcer and as a Manager in a busy, local agency because, from the clock hitting 9:00am you’re pulled along on a rollercoaster that could rival Space Mountain in speed. It takes a decent memory (mine’s called my diary) and a lot of coffee (big doff of the cap to coffee here) to get you through.
Favourite part of the recruitment process?
Of course, there’s immense satisfaction in giving a candidate the news that their hard work has paid off and they’ve been given a job offer, that’s what we’re here for after all. However, for me the first conversation I have with a candidate is my favourite part of the process. I like hearing people’s stories, putting the pieces of the puzzle into place of how we can help them in their journey and I find you learn the most about a candidate during that first call or consultation.
What advice would you give to a younger ‘you’ starting out in your career?
My advice to any jobseekers is the same to be honest, and I was lucky enough to have followed it myself post-university which has got me to where I am today. It really is as simple as being the most enthusiastic person in the room. Answer your phone every time it rings, respond to every email, arrive at every appointment and interview regardless of when it is. I remember making 2½ hour round trips for ten-minute recruitment sign ups, before starting my other role at the time. You’ve just got to give yourself the best possible chance because if you don’t, someone else will.
Dream job if skill, history and talent were not factors?
Well, it would be pretty cool to wake up as Michael Eavis in 1970 and realising that you had the land available to host the most famous festival in the world or to wake up as James May and get whisked along on boys-own adventures dicking about for years on end. Keeping in my own body though, my lack of creative music ability means I would love to own a self-sustaining record label or host a new music based radio show.
What’s your favourite office snack?
I try and keep breakfast and lunch as healthy as possible in the office considering it’s not as active a job as, say, playing right wing for Manchester United. But, having said that, I’m particularly partial to a bit of an overlooked snack: Snyder’s of Hanover’s Jalapeno Pretzel Pieces. Something to look for next time you’re out shopping, you can find them in larger supermarkets amongst the imported products (they’re an American favourite).
Desk trinkets?
I’ve been deliberately keeping a large section of my desk clear in order to house what will soon become my most treasured possession: The Recruitment Lab’s Fantasy Premier League winner’s trophy.
Radio station choice in the office?
We tend to keep to Radio 1 in the office, it gives me my new music fix and dosage of humor and works well in the background. Something like 6Music or NME Radio would play so much new stuff that I’ve not come across, I wouldn’t get anything else done!
Friday afternoon celebratory beverage?
A cold, crisp Brewdog at the end of a successful week is what Fridays are all about.
Best book you’ve read?
This is a tough one. My favourite book in terms of the impact it had on me as a writer (I’m a Journalism Graduate) and that intrinsic feeling that ‘this was written with me in mind’ is Nick Hornby’s High Fidelity, a feeling I’m sure is shared with many others who’ve read it. However, the ‘best’ book I’ve read in terms of form, language and timelessness is probably a toss-up between F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, David Foster Wallace’s Infinite Jest (finishing that certainly felt like a life achievement!) and And The Ass Saw The Angel by Nick Cave, a Brighton icon and personal hero of mine.
What’s your favourite movie?
I’m a self-confessed film buff and it’s my biggest passion alongside music. I owe a lot of that interest to the work of Quentin Tarantino who was the Director I devoted a lot of time to studying during my school years. As such, I don’t think Pulp Fiction will ever be topped as my favourite film.
What football team do you support?
My Mum’s a big football fan, and like many Mums she’s also a David Beckham fan. These two influences combined to give me a lifelong obsession with Manchester United which I certainly can’t complain about given the success I’ve seen us have throughout the Ferguson era. Of course, I can’t say the same of the post-Fergie years, but it looks like we’re moving into an exciting phase under Solskjaer. As my love for football as a whole has developed, and my knowledge has deepened, I take joy from watching many teams and, having been a Brighton resident for so long, regularly take a trip to the AMEX to watch the Albion so I would certainly say I support Brighton as well (as much as this may irk some people who say you can’t have two teams!)
Inspirational quote?
Walt Whitman’s ‘answer’ to the reason for being in O Me! O Life! – “That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.”