Role: Managing Consultant
Company: ThinkCV Ltd
Track Record:
What does your job entail?
I would define what I do as Career Development, in a nutshell I help people better their careers through CV design, coaching and interview preparation. I have had the opportunity to work with everyone from students to Senior Traders working in Canary Wharf.
Is it 9-5?
My job often takes me outside the standard 9-5, some early starts and weekends are all part of the self employed lifestyle. However I genuinely love what I do so it doesn’t always feel like work.
How did you get into this line of work?
That’s a great question, I always have had a dream to be self employed and to help people. However I hadn’t the slightest clue how I would go about it or what it would be in.
I think the clincher was finding out that I wasn’t at all cut out for a job that I had worked so hard to get. I had been offered what I thought was my big opportunity, and was so relieved and happy to get the chance to work with a great company. However several months in, I found I was getting so stressed and really didn’t enjoy it. My manager was very understanding and clearly saw that I wasn’t happy in the role. It was a difficult decision to leave as it was financially rewarding and I worked with some great people. Thankfully after a lot of elbow grease and self belief I can say that it was the right decision.
Outline your career to date?
I started my career in a HR Administrator role for a large company in Belfast for two and a half years before then moving onto a Sales Executive role for a Car Retailer. I stayed in this role for 8 months before leaving to start my business.
Tell us about your qualifications/training.
I have a BA Hons English with Education and had completed an ILM Level in Business + Management. I intend to continue my development in some capacity over the next year or two.
What qualities are required for your job – personal and professional?
To be successful in what I do, you need to be able to understand people. A lot of my clients are managers and executives, so I need to align my approach to suit their character and personalities. I have always found that I am able to read people very well, which helps when trying to decipher which approach to use in consultations and coaching sessions.
As for professional qualifications, I would say what ever it takes to be taken seriously by potential clients. I think reputation and referrals play a larger part in the formula of success in my business.
What are the biggest challenges and rewards of your work?
The biggest challenges I have faced have been adapting to technology in terms of marketing and increasing my web presence. However my brother is an expert Multi-Disciplinary Designer, he has been invaluable in designing my branding and website.
The biggest reward for me is seeing a client get a job offer, or seeing their confidence grow at the end of coaching session. It genuinely is the reason why I do what I do. Also having freedom of location and deciding when I work is very liberating. However I have found that I often work more as a result. It’s something I’m working on.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
My spare time usually is divided up amongst socialising, reading and going to the gym. I also make extensive use of my Spotify Premium Account.
Tell us an interesting fact about yourself.
Probably that I can listen to a song on the radio and within reason can play it straight away on guitar, I have been playing for about 13 years now.
Who has inspired you most in your life?
I would have to say a man called Yvon Chouinard. He founded and still owns Patagonia – a massive American clothing company, I read his autobiography last year “Let My People Go Surfing”and it really inspired me. Patagonia was one of the first companies to offer maternity leave and also a policy that let employees leave their desks to go surfing. He started the company from scratch and grew it to the point of being valued at around 600 million dollars, whilst spending as much time on the slopes snowboarding as he did in the office.