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  • November 12, 2017
  • Gareth Morris

The Graduate: Mark Hollett

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Hello! I’m Mark and I am a .NET Recruitment Consultant covering roles in Scotland, working on the contract team here at Evolution. Even though I’m relatively new to recruitment, I’m writing this post to explain how I went from being a graduate to a Trainee Recruitment Consultant.

My time at university

I moved to Sheffield in 2014 to study Sociology and Criminology at Sheffield Hallam University. I really enjoyed my time at uni; not just the course, but, like all students, I enjoyed the social aspect and the nightlife too! I also found the time to work alongside studying, holding down a number of jobs; but it was working as a nightclub promoter which introduced me to the world of sales and earning commission. I really enjoyed the sales aspect involved with club promotion, and it was this which made me decide to look at a career in sales, which in turn lead me to apply for recruitment roles.

Choosing where to work

I had a fair few opportunities to join Sheffield-based recruitment companies, but I was contacted by Gareth Whitfield about an opportunity based at Evolution’s Head Office in Warrington, which also happens to be my hometown. The more I learnt about the business, the more I realised that for my own development and chances in recruitment to be successful, Evolution was the best opportunity I had.

Gareth was great; he made it clear about the opportunities available within the business from the first phone call. He actually contacted me about six months before I eventually joined the company in July 2017, and he kept in touch with me over this period and advised me on things I could put myself in the best position for a career in recruitment. Long story short – Warrington won over Sheffield in the end, and after graduation I moved back home!

Starting my career in recruitment

I joined the Evolution team with two other graduates in the Academy, Hannah and Phoebe. The first couple of weeks involved non-stop training with Matt Auton, a member of the in-house training team here, before we started incorporating practical tasks into our days. Matt knows what he’s talking about as he worked at Evolution for a number of years as a consultant before becoming a trainer, and he is continuing to develop us now with his coaching sessions. We are even able to request additional coaching sessions if we feel like we need it, which is great.

After three months in the Academy, I began to work alongside Jonathan Howson, working on DevOps roles in London. This was a great opportunity to develop my skills and put into practice everything I’d already learnt, and Jonny provided me with additional coaching alongside Matt which helped my development a lot. It has also allowed me to meet contractors face-to-face, such as at the DevOps Summit, and work on some really exciting roles in a fast market.

After a few months working on the London DevOps patch, I moved to my current position covering .NET development jobs in Scotland. This has been yet another great opportunity for me to develop, as I am working in a completely different market, so it is certainly keeping me on my toes! I do still work with Jonny when he needs a hand in the DevOps patch, especially with clients we’d previously worked on together, and he still helps me out with .NET Scotland, giving me advice whenever I need it.

So, why Evolution?

Working in recruitment has given me the chance to challenge myself every day, and the job never feels laborious. Everybody at Evolution is really friendly and always there to help if you need anything, and everyone genuinely wants the best for you. The contract team director, Matthew Fleet-Jones, sits two seats away from me and is there if I ever need help. The company rewards hard work as well, by offering a range of incentives such as quarterly and annual trips – not to mention the commission we make with placements! Overall, it’s just a brilliant place to work, and I’m really excited to see what the future holds.

 

If you’re interested in coming to work at Evolution, visit our Careers page where you can apply for jobs or contact our internal recruitment team.

Contact us today.