Recruitment Matters: James Goddard from Monarch Digital

James Goddard is the head of digital at Monarch Digital Recruitment, and was the top student in December 2014’s Level 3 Cert RP exams. He spoke with Recruitment Matters about his success and what it means to be a digital recruiter in 2015. 

Congratulations on being top student. How has your year been so far?

It's been a great year.  I was over the moon to get the certificate, but to find that I had come out on top was a double boost.

What made you want to recruit for the digital sector?

It was something I came to in 2009 when the market was quite challenging. It was a great sector in London in terms of companies looking to strengthen their digital presence. Since then, I’ve made it my sole specialism.

Why did you choose the Level 3 Certificate in Recruitment Practice?

I manage a team now, and I have people come to me with questions all the time. I know a lot of information through experience, but I wanted to have the authority to say if things were correct or not in the eye of the UK’s leading body for recruiters.

And how did you find the course?

It was a lot more challenging than I thought. You can’t take a crack at that exam without some solid revision. But I think I’m a better recruiter because of it and I can now tell people whether something is correct or incorrect across the board. Whether it’s diversity, all the way to recruitment law, I feel confident enough to give solid answers.

Would you recommend the course?

It’s something I really recommend. You can use it in every part of your day, and it’s really nice to have a professional certificate in recruitment. Our industry is often seen as quite cowboy in behaviour, but courses like the certificate really swing things towards a more professional outlook. That can only be a good thing.