NEWS
My first 30 days in recruitment
I’ve officially been in recruitment for 30 days!
After juggling my university dissertation with back-to-back grad interviews, I now find myself at Aylin White – a spacious, fresh and airy office nestled behind the hustle and bustle of Moorgate.
“Aylin White is a recruitment consultancy for global real estate and the built environment”
Real Estate and the Built Environment – industries I knew little about! I love admiring the finest architecture in London, from the Shard to the London Olympic Park, but I never thought I’d get a chance to work with the masterminds behind such projects!
But in reality, the fact I could join a meritocracy and my achievements could be a direct result of my own hard work was what really inclined me to learn how to advise on recruitment. Not to mention, Aylin White’s ‘Researcher Academy’ training scheme sounded like the solid foundation I would need to become a confident recruiter.
I must admit, the first nervous thought that came to my mind was how I’d cope being a girl in what is a heavily male-dominated industry. Now, after having been a Researcher for a month I do sense the gender inequality in the industry, however I have found myself naturally warming to female candidates. As a matter of fact, the bulk of my candidate meetings have been with women ranging from design managers to project managers. So perhaps, the industry simply needs more female recruiters to unearth the existing, yet hidden, female talent!
Speaking of nerves and concerns, my first week at Aylin White coincidentally fell on UK Mental Health Awareness Week – it was during this week I knew I was in the right place.
To see a company actively raising awareness, dedicating time and showing concern towards the real-life issues people face on the outside, I knew I was in a place I’d be looked after!
During the week of planned events, we got to listen to a variety of insightful talks from guest speakers that included both mental health professionals and even the mums and dads of my colleagues – I thought that was a nice personal touch! We all got goody bags that included a mini plant to keep us feeling “zen” at the desk. Although this might seem like a small thing for you out there, for us, it was these little touches that brought the whole week together. My personal highlight had to be the meditation session – something that has always been on my mind to try.
After a happy first week, I recalled the many interviews I attended with other mainstream recruitment firms, where I had been daunted by directors who warned me that I’d be expected to work long hours and work on my own.
However, for me, it has been a different story:
Here at Aylin White, I am part of the Construction Team, led by one of our Directors (Chris Bennett).
Another member of my immediate team and I get to work on the same high value roles for multi-million-pound construction projects – so we get to share the excitement and challenge as a team each day! We also enjoy sharing our progress while having many laughs along the way.
Life in the Construction Team is truly collaborative. We like to begin each week with a mini catch-up meeting – simply sharing our latest vacancies and discussing our top candidates. Meeting new candidates is always an unpredictable yet exciting task, as you can never anticipate the personalities you will meet or the life stories you will hear.
It’s a great source of inspiration to watch colleagues who are ahead on the Program advise clients with full independence and confidence, especially after starting at the company as Researcher like me. Once you find your niche you really are in total control of your career, which is what I’m most excited about in future!
As for myself, so far, I’d place myself nicely somewhere within the commercial or ‘fit-out’ sector – as I do tend to obsess over all things interior!
In my first 30 days of recruitment, it really has been my fellow Researcher team that has made the month fulfilling. Having colleagues you can relate to each day, has ensured no day is a lonely one. At first, I was hesitant to fall into a role so soon after finishing university, but now I’m glad to have not missed the opportunity to join such a knockout group!
If the notion of taking full responsibility for a key part of business excites you, then definitely consider recruitment. At Aylin White, it is fascinating to see the team so focused within their specialisms to subsequently reap the rewards of the whole team effort!
Overall, the first 30 days have been a positive experience in which I’ve enhanced my people skills, bonded with my colleagues and met the most diverse candidates, all with an interesting story to tell. Over the next 30 days I most look forward to seeing how my natural style as a recruiter will emerge!
See you around the office,
Mahreen