Interview: Samantha Bosher from Westray Recruitment

We asked Samantha why recruitment is her career of choice.

 

How did you get into recruitment?

Following completion of my A Levels I secured a conditional offer to study medicine at Oxford University; unfortunately, my father took ill so I decided to stay closer to home in a carer capacity. When I put my focus back onto my career I wanted to stay in an industry which helped people; Westray gave me the opportunity to join the business as an administrator and the rest is history

What’s your current role?

Executive recruitment consultant – working with senior level candidates on a consultative basis.

What sector do you currently work within?

I work across a variation of sectors, covering managerial/executive level recruitment.

Are there any challenges facing your sector at the moment?

Working predominantly in the North East sector, historically, there has been a lack of senior appointments in comparison to the exceptional senior talent. However, we have seen a sharp increase in this, which is a positive representation for the entire job market!

What do you love about your job? The pleasure of working with both inspirational businesses and candidates on a daily basis. It is often uplifting to see how positive the market place really is, despite the ‘doom and gloom’ depicted in the media! The joy of presenting someone with the ideal job offer never loses its magic.

What’s the biggest challenge about working in recruitment? The saturated market place – statistics state that 9,000 new agencies were formed in the UK in 2015. Inevitably this brings a host of issues from depletion of service to reduced reputation, it can often feel as though you are fighting an uphill battle!

What keeps you in the industry?

The genuine desire to help people, the moment I lose my emotion for this I will know it is time to move on – but I cannot foresee this happening any time soon!

What’s the top thing a great recruiter needs in their toolkit to succeed?

You need to be a genuine and resilient person with passion for the industry – many people come into the sector in pursue of purely financial reward, they soon see the error of their ways!

What’s the number one tip you would give someone who was thinking of joining the industry?

Make sure it is the right company at the right time for you – I hear too many stories of people who have a bad initial experience in recruitment because they have not qualified what they are actually looking for. It is such a shame when potentially excellent recruiters are disheartened from this.

What would you tell yourself on your very first day in recruitment?

Make your own recruitment experience – do not compare yourself to others, you will make your own success, in your own way. There is not a definitive path to success.

What’s the best experience you’ve had with a candidate/What’s the best feedback you’ve had from a candidate?

Early on in my recruitment career I worked with a gentleman who had been out of work for 15 years due to depression. No-one was willing to give him a chance due to his CV. However, on meeting with him the genuine desire to work was clear. I introduced him to a client who I persuaded to give him a chance on a temporary basis. Due to his drive and integrity he secured a permanent contract and now has a fruitful career.

Any positive feedback received is priceless so it is impossible to put this on a scale. I often receive calls from my candidates when they are at their lowest points, the thanks received from this is truly priceless.

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