Suga's Blog - Life as a Recruitment Consultant at Nigel Wright
Following Nigel Wright’s expansion into Yorkshire with a new office in Leeds, Senior Consultant Suga Mahmood shares how Nigel Wright has supported her in her career development, what she enjoys most about working for us, what life is like as a Recruitment Consultant, and much more.
How did you first learn about Nigel Wright? Why did you join? How has the company changed?
I was introduced to Nigel Wright through a recruiter – a previous colleague of mine. It’s fair to say I was nervous about a job change having not been in my previous role for too long. I didn’t want to move for the sake of moving and wanted to find my “forever job.”
From meeting 1 with my boss to conversations with other employees in the business I was drawn in more and more. Everyone was just very normal! I didn’t feel like I was being interviewed and conversation was very natural. No gimmicks. No hard sell. I realised this was an organisation who has created a superb reputation in the North East and wanted to extend this success to Yorkshire. I wanted to be part of this.
Now that I’m entering into month 2 – the team in Yorkshire are doing fantastic and we are already looking at a bigger office space!
How has Nigel Wright helped you in your career development?
The level of respect shown since day one from everyone in the business has been almost overwhelming. It might seem surprising but this has been a confidence booster. It’s enabled me to review the process in which I work and bring to the Yorkshire market a new more consultative, value added approach. It also helps that you’re trusted to do your job!
What do you enjoy most about working at Nigel Wright?
I’m working with amazing people. Not just in Yorkshire but across the wider business. I can see the passion for winning, working together as a team and that makes me want to be better. I love that!
Recruitment is also a very pressured role and my experience of good consultants is that this pressure comes from within; they want to do a good job and succeed. Both values that resonate throughout Nigel Wright. Lots of businesses talk about team culture and collaborative working but is it really? Only a month in and I couldn’t feel more part of the team here. I feel like I’ve been here a lot longer than I have and that’s definitely a good thing.
What do you find most rewarding about working as a Recruitment Consultant?
I love this question and actually dedicated a LinkedIn post to this along with why this could be the right career change for you!
Do you have any tips for working parents in the recruitment industry?
I realised during COVID, just how much I had missed out on with my boys and how much they valued the little things like school pick ups and breakfast together.
Recruitment can be hard and as parents we naturally feel guilty. Guilty because we want to do a good job and that might mean some sacrifices down the line. But, these don’t need to be huge or to the detriment of your family. The key is finding an employer who you can trust and vice versa and be open about your circumstances. This was one of the most important things for me. I needed to be able to work from home – so I wasn’t constantly fighting time to be in the office at 8 am. Nigel Wright asked me what would work for me and how they could help support me. Before I’d even joined I knew they recognised the support I would need and this helped further seal my decision to join. I’m able to block time in my diary when needed and work around my boys comfortably. This only makes me want to do a better job.
What would you do for a career if you weren’t in recruitment?
I’d like to think I’d be a lawyer within Criminal Law!
Is a career in recruitment what you thought it would be like?
It’s better than what I imagined which is why ultimately it’s all I’ve ever done. I enjoy meeting new people and helping people, and the fact I could do this every day and potentially make good money whilst doing so was a win for me.
What inspires you on a daily basis?
My children are my biggest inspiration. I want to do well for them and I want them to see you can achieve what you want once you put your mind to something despite your circumstances.
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.