Icon Meets…. Amy Corr NRF CertRP

Icon Accounting got in touch with Amy Corr NRF CertRP who is a Strategic Clients Consultant in Manpower.  Amy successfully completed the NRF RP Graduate Programme in 2014 and has used the skills learned to forge a successful career in Recruitment. Manpower was quick to recognise Amy’s potential as soon as they met her and hired her and they haven’t looked back since! Amy kindly gave us an insight into her career development to date and how the NRF Graduate Programme has helped her progress in her role to assist and support all her candidates.

• How did you get into recruitment initially? By chance!! I applied for an admin role that Manpower Ireland had advertised in Nov 2013 and was called in for a meet and greet to register my details. The recruiter I met with thought I would be a good fit for a role that they currently had open as the receptionist. Having been unemployed for 2 years and recently just finished a job-bridge internship I was keen to get working – the recruiter sent my details to the HR Dept and within two days I had an interview and a job offer, which I gladly accepted. I worked on the reception for 6 months. I had made it very clear that I didn’t want to stay as receptionist and that I was looking to move onwards and upwards and when a Recruitment Resourcer role became available on the Strategic Team I registered my interest and was offered the position. I had being doing Resourcing for the team while I was on reception so I knew it was something that I was interested in and something I could do. I’ve been on the Strategic Team since then and I am taking on more responsibilities as I go on. I will be with Manpower 2 years in November 2015.

• What do you think makes a good recruiter? Million dollar question! A good recruiter is a good listener and has good people skills. I know some people have the opinion that a Recruiter has to be a great sales person but that couldn’t be further from the truth for me. I rather get to know the person try and find some common ground. This makes the conversation flow better and you really get to know what the person is looking for.

• What advise you give candidates to ensure they excel in interviews to land that job?! That depends on the type of interview they’re having. I have tips for everything from phone calls to Skype, face to face, to panel interviews. Generally it’s prepare, prepare, prepare! Get to know the company you are going to interview with, be early and know the role. More importantly know your own work history and how it relates to the job your interviewing for.

• How did you find the NRF Programme in Recruitment Practice helps your role as a recruiter in Manpower? I’m always eager to learn so when the opportunity came up to the NRF I jumped at. It helped as I’m more knowledgeable when talking to candidates about employment law and even little things like making sure my job advertisements are politically correct.

• What do you think is the biggest challenge facing the recruitment industry at present? Changes to the current approach. The power has shifted to the candidate - they have the skills, employers have the requirements - means that the current approaches Recruiters are using won’t be as effective. The growth in options which are available to candidates will increase hiring speed and an overall improvement in the candidate experience. Employers and Recruiters will need to accept the fact that if they fail to provide what their candidate is looking for, they risk losing them to someone else.

• In your opinion, what is the best part of being a recruiter?! The different roles I get to work on and the different people I talk to on a daily basis. Also, nothing beats that feeling when you ring the candidate to tell them they’ve been successful – it’s even better when they accept!

• What advice would you give to someone wanting to start their career as a recruiter? Understand that a lot of your day is spent on the phone and that only other Recruiters will understand the daily struggle of not hearing back clients and candidates alike. Be prepared to start at the bottom and work your way up and that sometimes you will be working on a role that you probably didn’t even know existed.

• What is your biggest motivator? When I first started my biggest motivator was just working as having a job is really important to me. At this present moment I’m a 2 months shy of having my first baby so that right there is my biggest motivator.