Q & A with Boyan Vassilev - Trainee Recruitment Consultant

When did you first consider Recruitment as a possible career?

I first thought about recruitment as a career when I was in my final year at university. Researching lots of potential jobs, it stood out to me as it wasn’t a rigorous process to do well in as personality and work ethic speak for themselves. It is a clear example of hard work pays off because the commission structure is tailored to remunerate those who are willing to put in the time.

What about the Recruitment role appealed to you?

For me it has to be the relationship building. In other career paths, it could be years before you really start to see the benefit of developing and maintaining relationships whereas in recruitment it begins on day one! Things move quickly in the recruitment world as well, so it never fails to keep you on your toes and it always demands the best of you which is something I found appealing.

What do you love about the job?

The environment I work in is the best part. Being surrounded by people with a similar work ethic yet who are always up for a laugh makes the days go by quite quickly. It can be quite daunting diving into a specialism that you know little about but everyone is always very keen to help you out which makes the job even better.

What made you choose Harvey Nash?

What stands out at Harvey Nash is the vision it has. The inclusivity and success of the company over the last few years is a testament of the success yet to come. The Harvey Nash IT Leadership Survey is just an example of how the company is a step ahead of their competitors. Every division has a vision of where it is going and how it will get there and I saw that as an exciting opportunity to get on board!

6 months in, what challenges are you currently facing?

Starting from scratch definitely has to be the biggest challenge. Maintaining relationships is easier than creating them in the first place, and so getting that first introduction is always hard. Learning the language of IT can be a bit challenging if like myself you come from a totally different background, but asking candidates on the phone to explain things to you helps the most. At the very least, it shows you care and want to learn more.

What advice would you give to a graduate considering a career in Recruitment?

Research the firm you are looking to apply to. It’s important to know whether they share your ethos and the company culture is a good fit. Remuneration is a big thing to ask about. Whether there is a threshold to earning commission or how the commission structure looks is a big thing that can influence your decision.