Christian Walliker — Moving into Management Consulting Recruitment

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Christian Walliker Moving into Management
Consulting Recruitment
As someone who has recently changed career, it is
always interesting to reflect on your personal
journey, and how you have ended up where you are.
I would consider my route to be somewhat
unconventional, having come into a role in
recruitment after working as deputy manager at a
sports centre, but after looking at it more
closely and especially the skills I obtained, it
was more logical than one might think.
I graduated from the University of Southampton
with a History degree, and like many fellow
students, I did not have a clear idea of what
type of career I wanted to pursue. I was however
desperate to start my working life regardless,
and after working at Rocks Lane Multi Sports
Centre on and off since about the age of 14, I
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felt it would not hurt to ask if there was any
work available. Initially I started on a
part-time basis, but after a few months, a
full-time role opened up and was offered to me,
and I duly accepted. It was in this role where I
developed a lot of the skills which I require
for my current occupation, and for life in
general. Responsibilities I had included growing
the football programme, answering the phone to
customers, and organising tournaments. Between
these roles, I gained more expertise in problem
solving, meeting deadlines, remaining calm under
pressure, developing an articulate phone manner,
my computer skills, using a database, and in
general communicating with people from a variety
of backgrounds. These are all skills essential
to my current role, and therefore I am grateful
to Rocks Lane for giving me the opportunity to
harness these skills. The flexibility of the job
also allowed me to undertake some travelling,
including trips to Vietnam and Brazil, which
were unforgettable experiences.
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Within my current role as a headhunter, great
communication is arguably the most important
skill required to do the job efficiently. This
involves messaging candidates and clients,
speaking to them on the phone, and in person.
With talking to candidates, this comes in the
form of effectively relaying the job description
to them, passing on more details if they are
interested, gaining relevant information from
them, arranging times they can speak with the
client, and being in touch throughout the entire
interview process. We are here to help
candidates as much as we possibly can, and this
is only possible by being in constant contact,
and by helping them with any issues they may
have. There is also communication with clients,
such as receiving information about the roles
they are looking to fill, and information back
and forth on when they can interview candidates,
and how they would like to proceed with them. Of
course, by having deadlines to meet from both
candidates and clients for when they can speak
with one another, our communication in between
them both and how we relay it back is vital for
a smooth and positive process. This was a vital
part of my role at Rocks Lane by dealing with
customers and more senior members of staff, and
one that I have taken into recruitment.
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Rocks Lane was never intended to be a role for
the long term, but in the two years I was there,
it helped me immensely. Again, the recruitment
industry was not a move I planned much in
advance. It was an opportunity that presented
itself, and I was very excited to accept the
challenge. The idea of moving out of my comfort
zone and challenging myself is what I always
drive towards, and I have now found the perfect
environment to keep pushing myself and improve my
skills even further. The point I really wanted
to convey is that it is normal to not have your
whole life planned out, especially straight
after finishing university, but what is important
is to not just sit and wait for the perfect job
to just present itself. It may take some time,
but you must keep challenging yourself, and to
harness your skills in any working environment,
as you will then be much more prepared for when
the right opportunity does come along.