"The core skills that I gained from the military; the ability to communicate clearly and concisely, good organisational skills and time management have helped me greatly"

What led you to recruitment following you time with the RAF?

When I left the Royal Air Force, I was looking for a commercial business that recognised the competencies of someone with a military background and what they can offer.  I had looked at numerous different options but the work hard, play hard ethos of recruitment really appealed. The idea of talking to new people on a daily basis and gaining new skills was a big motivator. In addition, I wanted a role that would give me a sense of achievement and reward. 
It was very important to me to join a recognised brand in an established market that would be able to provide me with full support and training in order to be successful in my new career. I did a lot of research on recruitment agencies and it was clear to me that PageGroup was a market leader.

What skills from your background in the military helped with your transition into recruitment?

I feel that it was the core skills that I gained from the military, sometimes those that are overlooked, were what helped me with the transition into recruitment. The ability to communicate clearly and concisely as well as possessing good organisational skills and time management have helped me greatly. 
As with any job there are challenges. I would say that establishing and building new relationships is probably the biggest challenge I have faced. When there is a new client who your team have not yet worked with it can be challenging. Once you make a breakthrough the sense of achievement is great, even more so when you place a candidate with that client.

Tell us about your PageGroup career so far. 

My career with Page thus far has been fantastic; I have been with the team for almost a year and feel like I have settled really well. I have met many new people and learned so much about the commercial world which has been invaluable. It has been very useful to learn so much from others as everyone has a different style and this has really helped me to develop. The biggest thing I have noted in my time with PageGroup in particular has been the reward and recognition.

What is most rewarding about your job?

I think that the most rewarding aspect of my job is playing a crucial role in finding a candidate their dream job as well as finding a solution for my client. You naturally build very strong working relationships with both your candidates and clients and take a significant sense of achievement once you have assisted them.

What advice would you give someone with a military background who wanted a job in recruitment?

I would suggest that anyone from a military background who is thinking about a job in recruitment should do as much research as possible. Try to get as thorough an understanding of the industry as possible. I would even recommend speaking with the Michael Page internal recruitment team who are best placed to explain what the role involves to someone from outside of the recruitment industry.
Typically you will tend to find that people in recruitment are driven and ambitious; the type of people that look to exceed targets rather than just meet them. You have to be organised and confident in talking to new people so I would suggest the more exposure you can get to networking the better. If you have intentions to work in a particular sector then make sure you have a good understanding of that industry.