Insider profil
Keen to receive questions about
Top Insider Advice
A sideways or lateral career move can help give you a different perspective and broader experience. It helps you consolidate your knowledge. Always look around an organisation if you're happy before deciding to look outside. There are opportunities often such as secondments which might give you that breadth with an option to return to your 'home role' afterwards.
Career path
Head of Talent Acquisition
Phoenix Group
Started 06/2021 to PresentCompany
What do you like about your job and the company?
Although my day is often very structured with regular calls and meetings it can all change very quickly. With all the communication methods available I can find myself involved in a variety of different tasks, asks or conversations each day which I didn't plan. It keeps it really interesting. I'm also really lucky as we work in a hybrid role so I have a huge amount of flexibility about where I work. For me I enjoy the social interaction that the office provides a couple of days a week although I'm more productive on the days I work from home so like the balance of both worlds.
Greatest achievements
It was actually a job that I was recruiting for but I got one well with the hiring manager and upon reading the job spec and interviewing candidates I realised I had the skills and experience to give it a go. No regrets it was incredibly tough, and I had just come back from maternity leave and so made the difficult decision to come back full-time to take the job but I learnt so much in the first two years that it was definitely a career highlight. I was lucky in that not only was I able to build something successful from scratch, but as we supported a number of countries across Europe and required fluent native speakers we ended up building a really diverse and multicultural team which meant I learnt so much from those around me about the different cultures, traditions and approaches - for example did you know that in Germany it's unlucky to give someone a birthday present or wish them a Happy Birthday before their actual birthday?
Tim B
Programme Director
Top Insider Advice
Notice how you feel about what you're doing and about how you're doing it. If it feels right then stick with it... if not adjust, notice how you feel and keep adjusting until it feels right.
Jonathan M
Top Insider Advice
Be open to new opportunities, which make you smile We are in a growth business, and a growth mindset compliments this. I am a big believer in doing things which make you happy and working on your strengths. I feel like I have found this here
Simon I
Facilities Project Manager
Top Insider Advice
Always have a career plan, no matter how vague and set your self targets/goals that you want. Be flexible though, as sometimes you may need to take an indirect route to get to your next goal. Opportunities will come along that might not be an exact fit to the plan, sometimes you will use your head and other times your heart to choose whether to take up an opportunity but keep the plan in the back of your mind at all times. Its good to always consult your friends or colleagues, be prepared to be challenged, embrace this though, do not fight it. You should always listen and take account of both sides an argument, that way you can make and take informed decisions and actions. No such thing as failure and do not be afraid to make mistakes, no matter how careful you are, they will happen, so don't stress it, use that energy for getting things done. When mistakes do happen, own them, be accountable and learn from them. Your mistakes and those made by others are all part of what makes you. They are as important was your successes and make sure you add them to your building experience and knowledge. These lessons can be applied anywhere and will increase your personal resilience. You own your career, no one else, take those opportunities that fit.
