Things I Know - Sir Alec Reed, Winner of the IRP Lifetime Achievement Award

Things I Know Recruitment Matters Magazine this month interviews Sir Alec Reed, winner of the IRP Lifetime Achievement Award.

Do one thing and do it really well I think it’s good to ride one pony. Be honest with yourself – work out what you’re good at, and then stick to it. Looking back at my own career, I think where I’ve made mistakes is when I’ve tried too hard to diversify. A generalist is a tough thing to be in the current jobs market.

The computer has changed the world a lot We set up an internet company way back in 1995. We got in early. But the internet is changing everything. It’s been very difficult for head hunters because now you can contact 50,000 applicants via sites like LinkedIn so easily. Then again, it’s not very good at filtering unsuitable people out.

Total immersion is key I don’t mean that you have to be a workaholic. But the jobs market is very competitive now, much more so than it used to be. You have to enjoy your job. It has to be your hobby as well as your paycheck. You can only really go the extra mile when you really enjoy it.

You can have too many ideas That’s my problem anyway! I just have so many ideas going through my head all the time. I basically employ other people to tell me which are the good ones and which ones are bad – I find that really hard to do myself!