Associate Consultant Review

Looking back over the past 12 months, I can confidently say that I have thoroughly enjoyed my internship with Hays. The things that I've learnt and the skills I've gained have been far beyond what I ever anticipated. I know I'll look back on this year as one of the best decisions I ever made. Obviously there were challenges along the way, and there were times when I wanted to give up on it all - but I am so glad I didn't. It could not be more true that the more your put into a job in recruitment the more

Hays as a business is particularly good at ensuring that everyone feels valued equally. I think there is a general opinion that roles in recruitment are so strongly focused on commission that everyone is about themselves and doesn't care about feeling part of a team. From my very first day I've always felt like a key member of my team and the fact that everyone is so welcoming and happy to help really adds to this. Furthermore, we regularly went out on team events such as quizzes, sport nights and meals out - something which really helped to bring everyone together and keep morale high.

My supervisor was always very good at providing support and answering all of my many questions! As time went on and I grasped the position and learnt more about my desk he gave me a lot more independence - to the point now that many roles are completely mine to work and many clients are people that I specifically deal with. I think this has been a really important aspect of my time at Hays as it gave me the opportunity to fulfill my full potential on the desk I was working.

My desk is very niche and specialised so my workload has always been quite varied - saying that there is always something to do! However when it is busy it gets very busy - you have to be able to manage your workload and prioritise accordingly. Initially this was something that was quite daunting - but now I've found as time's gone on that these busy periods are normally the most exciting!

The responsibility that I've been given and scope of clients I've been able to work with has been great, and I've really felt as though I was a real asset to the team. There were also times when my manager was unwell or on holiday where I was completely responsible for the day to day running of the desk.

Coming into an internship with Hays, you can't possibly comprehend the extent of how what you'll learn will benefit you. From recruitment knowledge, to gaining expertise of my individual desk to general commercial awareness, I've learnt so much! Even being able to find my way around the City without a map has been a big learning curve for me! More than anything, I feel like I've developed a strong work ethic over the past year - a key skill that I will take back to university. In my 2nd year I spent roughly 15-20 hours a week in lectures and seminars and I thought this was hard. Having worked 8.30-6pm (and often longer) for the past year I've realised that a long working day is not that bad at all and if it's something I can manage well, then a couple of hours a day at university should be easy in comparison.

The general atmosphere in the office is great and there is a constant buzz where everyone is clearly working hard. However there is definitely a good balance between this and opportunities to get to know your colleagues and have a laugh - something that certainly helps when the day isn't going as well as planned!!

My internship and what was expected from me was clearly laid out at the beginning. From the first couple of weeks, I was set managable targets that allowed me to see exactly what I should be aiming for and striving towards. There were organised sessions set up with internal recruitment/ my manager at various stages to ensure that I was happy and on track.

From day 1, all interns and full time consultants have training sessions together, something that really indicated to me just how much Hays was investing in me. As time went on we also had in depth training days outside of the office that allowed me to really maximise on my potential and give me real training guidelines that I could then apply to my working day.

Future employment prospects within Hays seem to be extremely promising. It is clear from speaking to other consultants that the more you put into the job, the more you will be rewarded. This doesn't just revolve around commission (although this is important of course) but also promotion opportunities, holidays abroad, company prizes and a number of important social networking events.

The social scene within Hays has been amazing. Pretty much every Friday we go for team drinks/ nights out - an excellent opportunity to meet/ interact with consultants across the company.

Socialising in London is never cheap but is so worth it. Coming from a smaller uni city meant that I never really got to experience nights out on such a scale - so that has been an aspect of the experience that I have particularly enjoyed. I chose to commute from home rather than live in London - so I was able to save money that way.

The nightlife around where I worked is brilliant, plus it's been good to work alongside people who know the area really well - so they always know where to go for the best nights out.

Yes - lots of nights out, meals, networking events, celebration evenings, gym classes, music events and team sport to name but a few!!!