​Following the success of the first interview, we have a second instalment from Barbara McKiernan, MD and Head of Accountancy Recruitment at VANRATH. She answers three questions she gets asked the most.

​

• What’s the best thing about your job?

A career as a recruitment consultant offers the opportunity to gain exclusive insider knowledge across a wide range of local businesses and industries; working with such different clients, delivering tailor-made solutions to their recruitment needs, means there’s never a dull day and I’m continually challenged and learning.

One of the most rewarding parts of the job is building long term relationships with candidates. I’ve been lucky enough to work with individuals throughout their career, helping them to make a series of career steps until, eventually, that candidate becomes a VANRATH client.

VANRATH is a particularly exciting company to work for: it’s competitive, fast paced and always evolving. We are currently in the process of recruiting new consultants to expand our engineering, legal and sales and marketing desks.

​

• What skills do you need in your role?

An intuitive understanding of people is key; the ability to identify a good culture fit between a candidate and client is pivotal in making a successful placement.

Multitasking is essential to get the most out of every day, and although it might sound obvious, the ability to listen and ask the right questions is important. It allows us to undercover those thoughts and needs that may be laying beneath the surface, and could make a big difference in allowing us to advise and guide the candidate or client.

​

• What advice would you give someone considering a career in your profession?

Recruitment is an exciting and profitable career path- high energy, resilience and a healthy amount of grit and determination will give you the best chance of succeeding in this competitive industry. The ability to professionally manage the expectations of our clients and candidates is a vital part of the role, and you can’t shy away from asking the hard questions; often the answers to hard questions can help us undercover the key motivators that will help us make a successful placement.

If you'd like to read more blogs like this, then be sure to stay tuned in to our Knowledge Centre and Facebook page where we post industry insights and career advice regularly. If you're looking for a new role, then feel free to visit our live jobs page.

Interested in a role in recruitment? Don't hesitate to call our office on 028 9033 0250 to speak to someone directly.

​