I planned a career in the public sector, but about a year in, the UK entered a recession and public sector recruitment was frozen—not ideal when your degree is geared towards that very sector. With little idea of what I wanted to do next, I took the first job I could find, which landed me in a banking call centre. It was fine for a while, but career progression in that particular office was virtually non-existent.
Eventually, I began exploring new opportunities with an open mind. My only criteria were: clear paths for progression, a challenging environment, and better earning potential. I knew a few people in recruitment, and it quickly became clear that while the industry is demanding, it also offers real possibilities—if you’re willing to put the work in. I landed my first role in tech recruitment and haven’t looked back since.
There’s a running joke in recruitment that people tend to “fall into it,” and I’m no exception. I started at the bottom as a resourcer, worked my way up to consultant, and now serve as a Talent Delivery Lead. One of the great things about recruitment is that it welcomes people from all backgrounds. If you’re driven and a people person, you can absolutely build a successful career here.
If I could go back in time, I’d spend more energy thinking about what I wanted to do and seek guidance earlier. There are so many transferable skills that could have been applied to the private sector—skills I didn’t even realise I had. Maybe I would have jumped into recruitment rather than fallen into it.
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