Alex – Recruitment consultant, Team Leader
Alex’s story is a classic example at HRN of how someone with no previous recruitment experience has made the successful leap from working in a Gym to Recruitment. In the space of a year Alex has successfully progressed onto become a senior consultant and is now heading up his own regional team. Alex shares his story:
Tell us about your first job working at a Gym?
I had always been interested in fitness and sport so securing my first job in a gym felt like a natural route for me to take. I originally started working for Virgin Active back in 2017 as a lifeguard and then progressed onto sales, signing up new members into the club.
What did you enjoy about working at a Gym?
In the client facing role I enjoyed encouraging and persuading new members to sign up. For me it was all about finding out about that person and helping them achieve a goal.
What was your least favourite thing about working at a Gym?
Even though I was signing up new members, I had no real control over my earning potential and I was largely relying on my basic salary.
What made you think about a career in Recruitment?
I started looking at recruitment as my friend was working within the industry and healthcare seemed like a natural choice to me. As I enjoyed the sales aspect of the gym, I felt like I could apply these skills in an industry like recruitment. I also liked the idea of having a big impact on people’s lives by finding them a new job, let’s be honest, people spend a lot of time at work.
How did you find the transition from Fitness to Recruitment?
At first learning about recruitment and the ins and outs was difficult it was very different to what I was used to. However, I had great team around me and a really supportive manager. I felt it went as smoothly as I could have hoped for and I learnt new skills every day. In fact, I am still learning now!
What do you enjoy about Recruitment?
The most enjoyable part of recruitment for me is when I find a candidate a new role and they are over the moon with it and once started call me and tell me how great it is. That is such a great feeling. An added bonus is the amount of money you can earn for all your hard work.
What is your least favourite thing about Recruitment?
My least favourite thing is having to tell someone they were not successful when the candidate really wanted the role. It is horrible especially if they were certain and you had a gut feeling it was the best position for them. I have learnt in recruitment not to dwell on things and learn from these situations.
Would you recommend a career in Recruitment to someone from a fitness background?
I would definitely recommend a career in recruitment to someone currently working within the fitness industry, the people skills you gain make a natural fit for recruitment.
Ever since I took the plunge I haven’t looked back