Words of wisdom from the team…

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We realised that in the short time that we’ve had our blog up and running, we’ve had some exceptionally good advice from the team.

So we’ve gathered it all into one place for you.

Enjoy!

Ann Radford, Founder and CEO

On finding your dream role:

  1. Find a handful of agents you can trust and make an appointment to meet them. This allows them to understand what you are looking for. You need to find someone who will add dialogue to your career and not just send your CV out and hope for the best.
  2. Rework your CV, making sure to highlight your achievements and not just your responsibilities. This is your time to grab someone’s attention and see how much you have to offer them.
  3. When you are invited for interview, take time to research the company and prepare for your interview thoroughly. There are lots of sites offering common interview questions and advice on how to prepare your answers. This is your career. Take it seriously.
  4. Don’t enter more than two processes at once. Less is more.
  5. Make sure you set up your voicemail on your mobile. You’d be surprised how many candidates don’t. Everyone is very busy and you want to make it as easy as possible for someone to get hold of you. Plus, you’ll be kicking yourself if you miss an interview opportunity.

On navigating London’s current hiring indecision:

  1. Accept the current reality
  2. Request information about the job’s recruitment process so far
  3. Be honest with others and realistic with yourself
  4. Take a balanced approach
  5. Stick to your guns if you’re clear on your next move
  6. Explore options where you already are
  7. Be patient. With us, with clients, and with yourself

On life:

  1. Think before you speak. Walk away from a situation, breathe, and go back to it. Then act.
  2. Be bold and take risks. Trust in your instincts.
  3. Work hard. Don’t give up. Don’t try and conform. And don’t be afraid to make mistakes.

On how to find a job that gives you a healthy work/life balance:

  1. Be open minded. Don’t miss opportunities that don’t look quite like you expected.
  2. Ask the questions that you need the answers to.
  3. Don’t be afraid to challenge and question in the interview process (find out what the challenges are).
  4. Always go in to an interview with 100% confidence in yourself.
  5. Speak to people like receptionists and those that welcome you, as they will be the best indicator of the culture.

On how clients can find the best person for the job:

  1. Trust in the judgement of the consultant working with them.
  2. Lay out the key areas needed for the role to make matching candidates easier.
  3. Know what you don’t need! If you’re unsure what these are, interview a few candidates. You’ll start to see clearly what you don’t need.
  4. Try to discover the personality of the candidate early on.
  5. Break the interviewee and interviewer stereotypes.

On making a drastic career change:

First, take a little break and get some distance.

However, all the effort someone has put in, potentially 3 to 4 years to qualify in the financial industry, is not be taken lightly. Maybe re-evaluate the sector and type of business they are in. If someone has a passion for something it will feel less like work and enjoyment will naturally increase.

If, after all this, someone really does need a massive change, it will be an honest discussion around the best way forward for them at that point.

Jim Gervaise-Brazier, Head Of Financial Recruitment

On how to secure your first role:

  1. Manage your expectations (you’re likely to be facing some tough competition).
  2. Be humble. People are hiring you to do a job for them, not to forward your career.
  3. Research the client thoroughly before going for an interview and find a way to show them that you’ve done this.
  4. Prepare at least 10 questions for the interviewer(s).
  5. If you want the role, make sure that you tell the client that you want the role!

On how to make it in the financial services industry:

The best money is definitely on the tech side of the industry nowadays. So, if you do want to be successful, my advice is study hard and increase your tech skills.

Sam Barrett, Senior Consultant

On how to compete as a graduate:

As companies have developed and the numbers of graduates have increased year on year, employers have shifted focus in what they now look for and can be far more selective.

A lot of employers now want to see more mathematically-minded graduates, extending the candidate pool to include those with degrees in disciplines such as Physics, Engineering, Computer Science and Pure Mathematics, to name just a few.

On how to compete as a mature candidate:

I wouldn’t try and compete with younger candidates. More mature candidates have to realise that they are not competing with youngsters; they are bringing something completely different to the table that a younger candidate simply won’t have. Maturity can be used to their advantage.

If they do find themselves unexpectedly looking for a new role, there are a few things that mature candidates can do. Learning new skills is always an option.

Also, don’t price yourself out of the market. I appreciate that more mature candidates will have far more financial worries than most graduates. But always be flexible on salary. And go direct where possible.

We hope this helps you in your search for that perfect role, candidate, or work/life balance.

More advice coming every month x