Recruitment Matters - Interview with IRP Certificate Top Students

Recruitment Matters caught up with Caroline Fox, consultant at Kelburn, and Susan Coshan, senior consultant at Ace Appointments, after they completed the IRP Certificate in Recruitment Practice with top marks 

Susan Coshan

How did you get into recruitment? Caroline Fox: Purely by chance. I had worked in an estate agency for seven years and decided it was time for a change but I wanted to use the skills I had built up. I posted online and was contacted by a recruitment-to-recruitment agency.

Susan Coshan: I was in the office doing some temporary admin cover when I was given a lever arch file of clients to try and start filling placements. I got a good placement at one of our big clients and pushed hard for it, which impressed the managing director who was in the office.

 

Caroline Fox

What’s your favourite part of the job? CF: Being able to tell someone they’ve been successful. I like to make money but the personal side of it is so important – finding someone a career they enjoy makes me feel warm inside.SC: I have built up a base of loyal clients and many of them have become good business acquaintances. On a good week I look forward to figures day and I’m really buzzing, on a bad week I can’t wait for Friday.

 

Why did you decide to take the Certificate in Recruitment Practice? CF: Estate agency is unregulated and doesn’t have a formal body or recognised qualifications, which I found frustrating. It was excellent to discover that there were formal qualifications in recruitment to evidence my skills and prove I have the knowledge I need to succeed. Our managing director, Kevin Maughan, is a big supporter of consultants getting qualified.

SC: It’s refined how I work, especially my time management. It has reaffirmed the knowledge I already had and made my job into a career. When I began the course I thought ‘I have been doing recruitment forever and this is common sense’, but I have definitely noticed how the Certificate has changed my thought patterns and encouraged me to think about best practice. 

What advice would you give to anyone else taking the Certificate? CF: The best advice I was given by my tutor was to look at the marks for each question and make sure I was putting in the appropriate amount of detail. What I really enjoyed was being able to apply the course material on a day-to-day basis. The material became part of how I was working, not just part of studying, which made it easier to remember.

SC: Make the most of your study coach to get tips and advice. I was told I was too precise because the answer is not always black or white. It is often more about structuring a good argument, making sure you can support it and drawing on your previous experiences.

How did you feel when you found out you were the top student? CF: I was really pleased. I know my manager has always had faith in my ability but it was great to repay him by achieving this.

SC: I was gobsmacked.

Congratulations to both Susan and Caroline. Click HERE if you want more information about the IRP Certificate in Recruitment Practices