Suzanne Elsdon
Mar 13, 2015
Does the path ahead excite you?
Blog
Have you started a career in supply chain, purchasing, buying, merchandising or logistics? Does the career path you have in front of you excite you? If not, read on….
Working forms a large part of our lives. We spend nearly as much time at work as we do with our loved ones. Therefore, why do many of us find ourselves in jobs that we do not truly enjoy? I started my career for a global food manufacturing business. I joined the company working on a placement year from university before being offered a permanent role once I had finished my course. Progression opportunities were available and I moved quickly through 3 promotions within the supply chain team becoming a Supply Manager. I learned an awful lot working in supply chain and I (kind of) enjoyed the job but was it getting the best out of me? I thrive on meeting people, building relationships and interaction. This was a small part of my role as a supply manager but not enough of it. As I only had experience of working for one company, I didn’t have anything to compare it to. A change in my personal circumstances meant I was relocating back to Manchester. Naturally, I met with a specialist supply chain recruitment business that had come highly recommended, Cast UK. On describing my frustrations with the role as well as the parts I enjoyed to the consultant, it became apparent that another supply chain position would not alleviate any of these frustrations. The trouble was, all of my experience was in supply chain and it felt like I would be wasting all of this experience if I did not progress with this career. The next part of the conversation was pivotal for me in the development of my career. The consultant I was dealing with talked to me about two supply chain roles. He also suggested supply chain recruitment as potentially a good option for me. It was something I had never considered before but he provided me lots of information, both the good and the not so good, about what the role entailed. The more I thought about it, the more I thought it would be a good move for me. I quickly forgot about the two supply chain roles and all my focus was on the recruitment position. I next met with Cast UK’s MD, Wayne Brophy, and following this meeting, I was completely sold on recruitment. I was just hoping I had done enough to impress. My sister in law is an HR Manager and she had tried to put me off with horror stories she has had dealing with recruitment consultants. With recruitment consultants seemingly having such a bad reputation, I genuinely thought this would be a great opportunity to make a difference simply by treating people as you expect to be treated yourself. I really believed what Wayne told me about Cast UK doing things differently from the standard recruitment businesses that give the rest of the industry a bad reputation. Eight years later, I am still here and what he told me remains true. It has been a great opportunity for me to use the experience gained in supply chain in a completely different environment that is more fitting with my natural style. Working in a growing business has been great for me as there are always opportunities to progress your career and take on extra responsibility. Recruitment is certainly not for everyone, there are lots of highs and lows. I admire supply chain and purchasing professionals. I deal with many senior candidates and clients on a daily basis who have had much more successful careers than I would have had staying in supply chain. They thoroughly enjoy the roles they are doing. For those of you like that, it seems you are in the right career. Hopefully we can help you to progress this career further. For those of you who are ambitious but don’t see the rest of your career working in supply chain, purchasing, logistics, buying or merchandising, could recruitment be a good option for you too? Financially, it can be a rewarding career but for those who say being money motivated is one of the most important things for a recruitment consultant, I have to disagree. From my experience, those who are motivated by customer service, being the best you can possibly be and doing a great job for your candidates and clients, the rewards will follow. And there are lots of rewards on offer – significant bonuses, holidays, weekends away, premier league football, champions league football in Europe, trips to the races. I could go on. Here at Cast UK, our preferred internal recruitment method is recruiting people who have experience within our specialist areas (supply chain, procurement, logistics, buying, merchandising) as well as having a passion for success. This enables you to understand the roles we recruit from an early stage and establish your credibility with both candidates and clients. In my current role leading our supply chain and buying team across the FMCG and retail sector, I am looking for people with a desire to achieve and make a real difference. If the above story resonates with you and you would like to have a chat about a career in recruitment, please get in touch. Peter Hobson, Managing Consultant E: peterhobson@castuk.com T: 0161 825 0825
