From Industry Specialist to Recruitment Consultant - Megan Johnson's Journey
We are always looking for people from any industry and level, whether experienced recruiters or not, to join our growing team in the North of England. But it is a common misconception that people believe they need to have experience in recruitment to join our team. Principal Consultant Megan Johnson's career story will prove that you don't have to have any prior recruitment experience to have a successful career in recruitment.
Megan Johnson, Principal Consultant – IT at Nigel Wright Group – previously BD Manager at Amari Plastics
What was your role?
Prior to my time at Nigel Wright, I worked as a Business Development Manager for a leading UK plastics distributor. I travelled around the North East and Cumbria working with clients in the industrial, manufacturing and sign and display industries. I had hundreds of different products available to sell and spent a lot of time driving and travelling to different sites.
What were your frustrations?
It was my first role post-graduation and whilst I enjoyed my first few years in the role there were limited development opportunities. The only progression opportunities required me to move out of the North East and I wanted to spend more time at home. I had hundreds of potential products to sell and limited official training and development.
What ultimately led you to change jobs/leave?
I wanted a career with more opportunities for progression and a structured training and development programme. Whilst the company I worked for was great and I loved my time there, I was not being stretched and challenged enough. I knew I wanted to stay within sales and business development but wanted to try a new industry without being pigeon-holed into industrial sales.
Why Nigel Wright?
I originally came into Nigel Wright to meet one of the consultants in Sales and Marketing looking for a new role. I had been recommended Nigel Wright prior by family and friends who had positive experiences. I was asked if I had ever considered a role in recruitment, to which I replied I had not but I was interested in the opportunity to learn about Nigel Wright and the role of a recruitment consultant.
I joined Nigel Wright for a number of reasons. One being the market leading training and development on offer. Starting a new career can be daunting without support. I wanted to join a well-established brand in the region with a great reputation, but importantly, who have ambitious plans to grow.
What is the culture like here?
The culture is very important. I joined a fantastic team in IT and we are very team-orientated and supportive. I have enjoyed working with consultants from across the business, learning from and cross-selling with other teams. We work hard but have a relaxed work environment and socialise as a team.
How important are the values?
Integrity is a key value to us at Nigel Wright and it is one of the main reasons I believe we stand out as a recruitment consultancy. We go above and beyond to ensure we are honest and accountable to our clients, candidates and internal colleagues.
How has your prior experience benefited your recruitment role?
My background in business development and account management benefited my transition into recruitment as I had exposure to a wide variety of organisations and a high level of commercial awareness. I had experience of building relationships with clients and suppliers as well as managing my own diary and being accountable for delivery. Recruitment requires understanding business requirements and how to solve the recruitment challenges of our clients, whilst providing a high level of service.
Interested in joining our team?
If you’re interested in becoming a Recruitment Consultant, we’d love to speak to you. Nigel Wright Group is the number one regional recruiter for professionals across the North of England and we are currently looking for Recruitment Consultants to join our team. Visit our careers microsite to find out more and to apply to join our team as a Recruitment Consultant.