Firstly, I appreciate Ian agreeing to see me despite knowing that my field of study and career aspirations were not in his particular area of expertise. And despite this, we still managed to have a very fruitful session that taught me a lot about how to first approach thinking about what kind of career I was best suited to, what initial steps I could take along that process, and how to approach a successful job search more generally. We had a great discussion about what I had been up to in my CV and what I really wanted to do off the back of that experience. Refining the answer to that question with Ian was not only helpful in my job search, but also in interviews, after being asked how my previous experiences led to my choice to apply for certain jobs.
During that discussion, Ian examined my CV and gave me great advice on how to improve it, making the timings and content more specific. He was then extremely proactive in searching for potential opportunities, making calls on my behalf regarding specific vacancies, which provided me with key contacts at recruitment agencies more specific to my desired employment area. Despite our meeting being brief, Ian managed to make great headway on my behalf, showing great knowledge and networking skills. Perhaps most important for me however, was seeing the manner in which Ian conducted his research and enquiries, which provided great experience that certainly helped me in conducting the rest of my job search.
Being fresh out of university and entering the search for that first step in a career can at times seem quite overwhelming and it can be hard to pin point where to start. Ian was great at condensing the mass of information that can be found online and forging a clear plan of action, which provides a new job hunter with direction and confidence. All in all, Ian showed great enthusiasm, which instilled within me a tremendous sense of proactivity and optimism, and he showed a genuine care in my own success, all of which I found to be hugely important.
I know that mum was very grateful to Ian for his help. In fact, she spoke very highly of him to her friend Carolyn McCall, who happens to be the CEO of Easy Jet. From this interaction Dame Carolyn McCall was so impressed by what she heard about Ian, that he was personally invited over for a meeting regarding recruitment. Although, Easy Jet do their own internal recruitment process, there is no doubt that Ian would be given professional consideration if they sourced externally.
Thank you, Ian, for all your help it is something that will not be forgotten.
Chris and Maria Moore
