Meet our Team
Fiona Wood has worked in the industry for over 10 years. Currently working within Linum as an Associate, Fiona shares her insight into the world of international recruitment.
Where did you start your career?
I started my career as a Junior Resourcer for the international division of a medium-sized recruitment company, managed by Neill & Francis. When they left to start Linum Consult, I joined some months later as an International Resourcer and Marketing Coordinator. My role has grown and developed a great deal since I first started in the industry: from the basic sourcing of candidates, to market research, writing articles, managing Linum’s social media channels, writing and advertising our positions, and any other ad hoc administration job that needs doing!
How have you seen the industry change?
The biggest change within the industry has probably been the growth of social media as a major tool for candidates to seek new opportunities, and for us to promote and develop our business. I’ve also seen how working from home has become the new normal. Candidates can have video interviews and join a company all without meeting their employer in person at all! Technology has improved massively in such a short space of time, it’s really remarkable.
What has been the highlight of your career?
The highlight of my career (so far) was being headhunted to join Linum Consult! I’d already worked with Neill & Francis for 3 years, so for them to ask me to carry on working with them in a more expansive role felt very encouraging and reassuring. It’s always nice to feel needed!
What advice would you give people who are new to the industry?
For anyone who’s thinking of starting out in the international recruitment sector, I recommend patience, lots and lots of patience! Many things can go wrong, things that are out of your control, and you need to develop the persistence and determination to see the process through to the end. I’d also advise researching your industry thoroughly to get a strong understanding of positions’ requirements and responsibilities to target the right candidates and conducting market research to better understand your clients’ needs. Knowing multiple languages is also immensely helpful.
For leaders in this industry, trying to manage your business or team during such dynamic periods of change can be very tough. I recommend establishing reliable and frequent communication methods – especially as more people start working from home. Having these systems already in place gives you a great head start to ensure that staff can remain connected to their colleagues, even when they’re in different countries.