Making the move into recruitment
Michael Page Technology’s Managing Director, Stephen Rutherford, talks to Ebony James, who recently joined his business after a successful career in IT.
Ebony. Welcome. How has your day been so far?
It’s been a good day. It’s been very productive if a little busy, which is always good.
How does this compare to a typical day in your previous job?
Well let’s put it this way, it’s 7pm and I’m still here. At my previous job I would have been out the door at 5. I enjoy it so much so I don’t notice how time flies. I used to have an aversion to ‘routine’ in my previous role; one thing you can say about recruitment is that every day differs. I imagine that is why so many people stay for so long. In IT there is always a variety of things to do, you never know what will happen from day to day, so in some respects it’s quite similar – the variety of tasks you are involved in is great!
What attracted you to a career as a Recruitment Consultant with Michael Page?
The people, and the fact that I get to talk about Technology, meet new clients & candidates and generally do something I enjoy whilst working. I’d never thought about recruitment before I was asked. Now I’m actually doing it I can honestly say it’s not easy but saying that, it’s the best job I’ve had!
What skills do you think you had to offer?
I have a lot of confidence meaning I’m comfortable talking to anybody; I’m not a shy person which really helps. Understanding and being able to listen and reflect on information is also a key skill too. Lastly, having a technical background certainly gives me credibility. You need to know what you are talking about, in addition to this, knowing what other people are talking about is half of the job.
How is the job going so far?
Good. I’m picking up skills which I never thought I would. I’m learning how to communicate effectively and becoming more professional at it too. These are things which I needed to work on and this is definitely the right place to do it. It’s a competitive role but I’m a competitive person so I’m in my element.
Do you have any regrets?
No
What sort of people should think about moving from an IT role into a career within recruitment?
Anyone who has the will to succeed; someone who wants to take a different route through Technology perhaps. If you are still interested in talking about IT and want to learn about new Technologies as well as meet interesting like minded people AND you want to get paid for doing it, then recruitment is definitely the job for you. You need to have a passion for winning though…!
How should they go about applying?
The best thing to do would be to give my boss Stuart Packham a call on 0208 742 5963 or email him at stuartpackham@michaelpage.com. He’s a brilliant manager and will be able to tell you whether you’ve got the potential to work for Michael Page.
Thanks for your time Ebony
To find out more about Michael Page Technology, click here.
