In June 2019 after the best part of 17 years working in FMCG, my wife, my two children (three and one at the time) and I left the U.K to travel the world.
We sold our house and most of our things. Cars, furniture and much else besides. Around December we became aware of coronavirus. As we were in Australia at the time, we had to keep an eye out so that we wouldn't get caught somewhere far from home. Around about now we were meant to be in Asia, making our way back relatively slowly for when the U.K summer would begin in earnest, thus completing a glorious hat-trick of summers. Instead, we fair raced home from Perth via Mauritius and Paris before quickly Eurostarring it home via London.
I won't go into more detail on the trip here (I kept a travel blog at www.wiwdi.wordpress.com if anyone is interested in reading more). Suffice it to say that we got back home before the ‘drawbridge was pulled up’ and many of us are now living in the most uncertain times we have ever known. It’s hard sometimes to know whether this was superb timing or the worst possible time to get back to work.
The intention was always to spend a good period of time getting back in touch with friends and contacts while making new contacts in areas that interest me. The difference is that I will just have to do so a bit more remotely than would be my preferred option and to act with a sensitivity befitting of the times in which we currently live.
Everybody has their own idea of what helps you be successful in executive search. Here a few thoughts.
● Be yourself. I have always enjoyed working with people that are direct and allow their personality to be seen. It would be fair to say that the opposite of this statement is also true.
● Communicate clearly. I have been a job hunter. I have been a hiring manager. I know what I liked about the way the process was managed on both sides of the fence: clear and timely communication was always fundamental for me.
● Act in the long term interest The best recruiters are those that behave with a level of integrity that makes you want to use them and recommend them to others.
In-keeping with point 1, I intend to make this blog a weekly event. This kick-off blog will be shorter than the norm as I find myself busier over the coming weeks.
Going forward I'll cover a range of subjects with the main aim of it being an interesting read rather than it necessarily being my hot-take on what's just happened in one of the grocers. If there are any subjects you’d particularly like to read about then please let me know in the comments below.
Hopefully I'll speak to many of you over the coming months. For now, keep safe and try not injure yourself doing P.E with Joe Wicks.