Hello! I’m Hannah and I am a Scala & Java Recruitment Consultant, working as part of the contract team here at Evolution. I’ve been working here for about five months now, so I’m still relatively new to the world of recruitment – but I’m writing my first blog to share my experiences of the transition from being a student to a trainee Recruitment Consultant.
How I came to work at Evolution
In September 2014, I started studying Law at Liverpool John Moores University, with the hope of (perhaps) being a lawyer when I graduated – I hadn’t actually decided at this point! As a Warrington local, the move wasn’t too bad with the campus being so close. I absolutely loved my time at university. My course was great and I found it was an interesting subject to study, but I loved the social aspect much more. I enjoyed meeting a range of people from different backgrounds, with uni being awash of different personalities! I didn’t join many societies, but I did join the Law Society, which allowed me to mix with new people, make new friends and enjoy the nights out they organised. Eventually my three years of being a student came to an end in July 2017, with graduation meaning I’d have to start looking for a job and kickstart my career, which was terrifying after three years of studying!
The one thing I knew when looking for a job was that I didn’t want to do anything to do with law. Don’t get me wrong – I enjoyed university and the course, but I knew it just wasn’t what I wanted career-wise. I wanted a career which was more sociable than law; I wanted to be able to talk to and meet those that I was helping.
Like most graduates, the post-uni job search is a struggle; especially if, like me, you had no idea what career you wanted and the only sure thing you knew was that you wanted a sociable job! However, out of the blue, I was approached by one of the internal recruiters at Evolution, Bethan Hollows. During an informal chat on the phone, she told me all about the role she was recruiting for and was very knowledgeable. She guided me through the whole interview process and was speedy with feedback and organising interviews, not to mention being extremely flexible with the interview times. After a couple of meetings with Bethan and the directors, I was given an offer and of course I accepted!
Working in recruitment – starting from scratch
As I had absolutely no experience in recruitment, I was put in the Evolution Academy, which is not as daunting as it sounds. The Evolution Academy provides in-house and hands-on training by a fantastic training and development team (who recently won a Royal Award for their training efforts, which isn’t surprising!) I joined the team with two other graduates who, like me, had graduated that month.
The first few months in the company were spent under the tutelage of Internal Sales Coach, Matt Auton. Matt had worked for Evolution as a Recruitment Consultant and Team Leader so we knew we were getting the best training and advice, and that he knew what he was talking about. Whilst learning the ropes, Matt kept us motivated with weekly competitions, which created a healthy, competitive environment – and of course it’s lovely to win some prizes along the way! After three months of Academy training, I was moved to the contract team where I’m currently working alongside Chris Bennett and looking after the Scala / Java patch.
I’m excited to see what the future holds!
Evolution has allowed me to fulfil my wish of working in a sociable environment, which was something I enjoyed at uni and what I wanted to carry over into my career. I get to go and meet clients face-to-face, go to meetups and meet the professionals who we place in jobs, as well as learning more about the industries which we are recruiting for. The social aspect of working in the Evolution office itself is also a massive plus; whether it’s the quarterly trips, the annual global trips, playing softball in the park or just opening the beer fridge before we finish every Friday – our office is a brilliant place to work.
If you are thinking about getting into recruitment, my advice would be to talk to our internal recruiters – they are able to answer any questions you might have, and give you some guidance on what the job involves. Take my word for it – I didn't know what to expect before I started here, but Evolution is such a friendly and welcoming company that cares about the development and wellbeing of its employees. Plus, hard work is rewarded in so many ways; just ask Bethan or Gareth when you speak to them!
