I recently embarked on a personal brand project with the ever energetic David Wolstenholme. Part of this process was to spend some time introspecting about why I had chosen my particular career path, and how that aligned with my core values. This was not as easy as I had expected, and I found myself searching to understand exactly what it was that drew me to the career I am in, and what keeps me here. The obvious ones came easily to mind; it’s good money, I work with great people, I’ve had lots of career opportunities, but that could have been so in lots of professions, so why this one?
It came down to just a few things:
- It’s a privilege to have another person share their hopes and aspirations with me so candidly. Over the years, I have literally met thousands of people who have sat in front of me, trusting me enough to share their goals, ambitions and vulnerabilities. People trust me enough to bring me ‘in the tent’ on their career journey – for this I am grateful.
- I know a little about a lot. In more than a decade in the recruitment sector, I have had the opportunity to have insight into the strategy, successes and challenges of a huge array of organisations. Whilst I don’t claim to be an authority, I have had wide enough exposure to develop a broad commercial perspective, and I bring this to running my own business, and to each client interaction.
- I have played a role in the success of others. I am forever grateful for the start I was given by people2people, and the investment that Mark Smith , Manda Milling and Simon Gressier made in me. I am grateful that I’ve been able to be a mentor to others new to the sector, and have played a role in launching the careers of some of the best and brightest in our team.
- I learn new things every day. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t learn something new. It might be about an organisation I have not known of before, or an enhancement to technology that will make my job easier. I work in an ever changing sector where yesterday’s way may not work tomorrow. I need to be constantly adapting to ensure I continue to thrive. I am grateful for the opportunity to keep learning.
Through my discussions with David, it became evident that gratitude is really core to my values structure. I have a bloody great life, and I know it. It also became clear that I have a low tolerance for whining and for people who do not realise how good they’ve got it.
So, at the risk of sounding preachy I have a plea for recruiters of the world: PLEASE don’t forget how privileged you are to do the role that you do, and to have the conversations that you have. I know how busy life gets, and how frustrating our role can be at times, but please be grateful for the opportunities, and for God’s sake don’t whine!
