I’ve been working in recruitment for over two years now, specifically the property management sector. It's a cut throat industry and it's insanely competitive, and we definitely all have our bad days. Yet we all still keep going, and that reason is different depending on who you speak to. I wanted to write this blog to humour fellow recruitment consultants out there, and also to ask for a little bit of patience.
While we all may have various reasons for continuing along in this crazy job, we need candidates to stop and think, I mean really think, and also to ask for just a teeny tiny little bit of understanding from clients if there is a hiccup along the way.
One of the lessons I learnt, thankfully early on in my recruitment career, and which I continue to remind myself of daily is, we only have so much control.
That's right, there is a limit. We can guide you to tailor your CV, advise you to arrive to an interview on time, remind you to present yourself professionally, ask you to do your research etc., but unfortunately I don’t have a sixth sense and just didn't think to ask you not to wear your new Ray Bans into the interview.
I thought I would take this opportunity to humour you all with a few more examples and having asked just a few people in the RE portfolio, the list was as long as it was ridiculous. The best one and one of the more extreme, 'I'm very sorry but they are unable to accept the offer because ... they got a new puppy?!' (I wish this was a joke) Another, the candidate lived in New York and the job role was in London. Rather than turning down the role whilst discussing with the recruitment consultant, avoiding a strenuous journey and a long night of prep, they jumped on the plane and travelled to the interview for 'lunch', only to say 'it wasn't for them'. Needless to say, they didn't finish their meal.
Finally, there are many ways to express your interest in the opportunity and having met them once already and been invited back, you are on the right track. However, arriving to the second interview a whole week early, won’t get you the job any faster.
What I'd hope you take away from this, my fellow recruitment consultants; we’ve all been there. Keep your head up and laugh it off.
Job hunters, to you I say looking for a new job is something to take seriously, a big part of one’s career so make the most of it. Take something away from every meeting, learn something new from every person you meet, prepare accordingly, buy yourself a new suit if needs be and finally, think, double, think and then think again.
Prospective employers; at GKR we will always try our best to find you the top calibre candidates, meet them, understand their strengths and weaknesses and find out everything about them, down to their favourite meal and lucky pair of socks, but, we only have so much control.
We recruiters like to think we’re superheroes, but if the candidate has got it in their mind to turn up to the interview with their pet bird in their pocket, there’s only so much we can do.
