Although I am still quite new to the recruitment world, I guess I already have my own unique story to tell as to how I fell into it, just like everyone else tells me they did. As I start the New Year with my first ever blog, I wanted to factor my own experience in with the topic of Recognising Top Performer Traits and Transferring Skills.
As a High School student at the crossroads of my decision making, as to whether further education, travelling or going straight into a career path was the best move for me, I had some important calls to make in May 2017.
As with all huge decisions, I asked advice from my family, and who better than from Kirsty Lloyd, who most people will know as a top performing Recruitment Expert with FPSG, but also affectionately known as Auntie Kirsty!
Exploring my options, with some straight-talking about 1) what I enjoy doing? 2) what motivates me? and, crucially, 3) what would allow me to be able to perform to the best of my ability with the skills I already have?
This was the most enlightening chat I have ever had and just what I was needing. It was here that I learned more from myself than what I realised I was capable of.
We reflected that since the age of 11, I have been heavily involved in what has been a very exciting journey to the top ranks of Shooting. I am very proud and honoured to represent Scotland as a member of the Scottish National Olympic Skeet Team. Being recognised as a top performer is something that I have only been able to earn through hard-work, dedication and being passionate about what I do. Suddenly, I was starting to notice a family trait starting to shine through, so I asked Kirsty LOTS of questions about her career and her employer FPSG.
Subconsciously at first, I started to hope that there may be some advice on clients that FPSG work with who could use someone like me who was self-motivated, results-driven and open-minded to new challenges. We looked at all the varied roles that FPSG have on their website. Before I knew it, the chat moved to how my transferable skills would suit well to any environment that required a top performer’s mentality, gained through all my training and practice sessions at skeet shooting. FPSG’s Internal Vacancies page caught my eye.
All of a sudden I knew I wasn’t destined to go travelling or on to University. It was my time to fall into recruitment. The main characteristics which I identified Kirsty and the other top performers she described at FPSG, which were key to their success, was suddenly staring me in the face as my own.
So, with my sleeves rolled up and with confidence I could excel, I hit the ground running with a team who support, mentor and collaborate very well with our candidates, clients and one another.
Every day I am fortunate to work with multi-talented colleagues and highly-skilled jobseekers who are also prepared to learn, improve and hone their skills to keep themselves ahead. From appraisals and self-reflection, like them, I benefit from hearing from others with more experience and use it as a catalyst to keep pushing myself to out-perform my targets. It’s what I enjoy. It’s what motivates me. It’s what makes the most of the skills that I already have.
Looking back at the crossroads back in May 2017, in my wildest dreams I did not see myself as the person who could achieve the top number of monthly placements in the team, but I still wanted to push myself to try and achieve it. Needless to say I was very pleased to achieve this in October 2017.
Always keen to analyse my own performance, I remembered that when I was 11 years old, I never thought that I would get to represent my country and perform at Olympic level. The comparison is that in both cases I really wanted to though, so I got stuck in and applied myself. To start my career, I replicated what I had been doing instinctively in my sport. I developed consistency in my approach; used my initiative; reveled in being a team-player with an adaptable and positive approach.
The best thing about writing this all down is that I can now also recognise the potential in the candidates I work with much easier. When candidates are open-minded to the career paths I can offer them, I can share my own experiences with them when they are looking to transfer skills or consider new ways of achieving their best potential and meeting their goals.
As I build my LinkedIn network, feel free to connect with me here.
Let FPSG help you meet your recruitment goals by contacting us on
0870 050 0525 or hello@fpsg.com
Author: Isla Thomson
