Job after PhD

Navigating Job Opportunities After a PhD

Hello everyone,

I’m reaching out to the professional recruiters and talent acquisition specialists for some guidance. I’m currently based in Denmark and completed my PhD in Organizational Behavior in December 2021. At the moment, I’m still engaged in research and teaching at the university. Prior to pursuing my PhD, I accumulated around six years of experience in HR and recruitment roles in the industry.

Now, I’m eager to transition back into an HR-related position in the industry. I want to emphasize that I consider myself flexible in terms of salary and would be open to starting in an assistant role to facilitate my growth within an organization.

However, despite applying for various jobs for the past year, I have received minimal responses. I suspect that my lack of recent operational experience may be a hindrance, and it seems that many companies are unsure how to value my PhD and research background.

I would greatly appreciate any tips or strategies to help me secure interviews. Do recruiters still read cover letters? Is it effective to apply unsolicited?

Any insights would be incredibly helpful! Thank you!

Not enjoying recruiting, feeling trapped. Please help!

Feeling Stuck in Recruitment – Seeking Advice!

I’m reaching out because I’m feeling really trapped in my current job and could use some guidance or just a space to share my thoughts.

I’ve been working in agency recruitment in Liverpool for just over two years now. Although I initially loved this career and had been eager to enter the field, I’m currently struggling. I didn’t attend university, which meant I broke into recruitment through previous sales roles where I performed well.

In my first six months, I excelled, breaking several company records and billing around £70k right away. However, since that initial success, I’ve faced numerous obstacles, from unreliable clients to slow-moving markets, which have significantly impacted my numbers. As a result, my current performance has been quite disappointing.

To make matters worse, I’m finding it increasingly difficult to enjoy my time at this company due to a high level of micromanagement. My manager constantly reaches out via emails, messages, and calls – often from early morning until late at night. It’s overwhelming, and I feel like I’m dreading every moment in this role.

Here’s the kicker: my partner lives in London, and I plan to relocate there later this year. I’m optimistic about finding a new job with better pay and a healthier work environment once I move. We’re casually looking, but I don’t have an exact timeline for my move yet.

I’ve been trying to ride it out in my current position, but it’s been a struggle. I’m feeling demotivated and perpetually anxious. While I’ve contemplated switching industries, I know I excel at recruitment, and my lack of qualifications might limit my options. Moreover, I need to maintain a higher salary to prepare for my move, making it challenging to transition smoothly into a new field.

Is it worth searching for a new role here, given that I might leave in the next 6-9 months? I feel incredibly stuck and stressed, and it’s becoming overwhelming.

If anyone has tips or advice on how to navigate this situation, I would greatly appreciate your input!

Is internal recruitment dead?

Is Internal Recruitment a Thing of the Past?
I’m considering transitioning from agency recruitment to an internal role, but I’ve heard that the internal recruitment market is struggling. Is this true? Am I making a major misstep?

To give you some background, the company I’m joining is expanding and has just created a new position within their recruitment team, which I’ll be stepping into.

Temps placements and the figures first 9 months

Temp Placements and My First 9 Months

I’ve been working at a temp agency in Ireland, focusing on the construction industry, and I’ve achieved 85 temporary placements along with 2 permanent placements in my first 9 months. Is this number typical for someone in their initial 9 months in temps? I come from a permanent placement background in the same field.

Am I the “Plan B”?

Subject: Am I the “Plan B”?

I’m reaching out for insights from seasoned recruiters regarding my current job application experience.

I applied for a position over a month ago and was pleased to receive a call from an internal recruiter who said my skills and experience matched the role perfectly. Here’s a breakdown of the interview process:

1. First interview with a junior manager and HR—I felt it went fairly well.

2. Online assessment—I don’t think I performed my best.

3. Second interview with the hiring manager—I felt I did reasonably well here too.

After that, there was a week of silence. Initially, it was supposed to be a two-stage interview, but then the recruiter informed me that they wanted me to have an informal chat with the director. When I asked if other candidates were at this stage, the recruiter said no.

The chat with the director lasted about 10 minutes, where he asked me some standard questions related to the role. I felt okay about it, though I know I could’ve done better.

Following this, there was another 3 days of silence. I reached out to the recruiter, who called back to let me know they were finalizing details and that he would be passing my case to his team while he went on leave.

Now that the long holiday weekend has passed, I’m feeling increasingly anxious with no updates—Tuesday came and went without news, as did today.

I’m starting to worry that I might just be a “Plan B” in case their top candidate turns down the offer. How common is it for companies to keep another candidate “on hold” like this, and how likely is it that this situation applies to me?

Thank you for your thoughts!

Tips for keeping a recruiting business steady through market swings?

Strategies for Maintaining Recruiting Business Stability During Market Fluctuations

Hiring trends often mirror market conditions, and it’s not uncommon for various sectors to experience periods of boom and bust. I’ve noticed many discussions here about which industries are currently thriving or struggling.

I’m interested in learning how to keep a recruiting agency afloat during lean times. Given that the availability of talent and client needs can be quite unpredictable and largely outside our control, it poses a significant challenge.

Do you diversify your operations by working in multiple sectors? Do you set aside savings during profitable periods to buffer against downtime? How do you avoid having an empty pipeline? What strategies do you employ to navigate these cyclical ups and downs?

Uk recruitment market

UK Recruitment Market Update

Hello, fellow UK recruiters! I’m curious about how you’re all experiencing the current market. My colleagues and I are facing significant challenges lately. I specialize in financial recruitment, and although I had a successful year last year despite the tough conditions, this year feels like a drought. Should I consider seeking a new role, or are others feeling the same struggle? I’d love to hear your insights!

Will a recruitment agency tell on me?

Will a recruitment agency notify my employer?
Hi recruiters, I made a mistake today by applying for a job through the recruitment agency that my boss uses. Should I be concerned that they’ll inform my boss? Do agencies have privacy policies in place to protect job seekers?

Going through resumes with AI

Streamlining Resume Review with AI

Hello everyone!

Recently, our team has been overwhelmed by the sheer number of resumes we receive for each job opening on platforms like LinkedIn and Indeed. Managing this volume has become increasingly time-consuming for our small team, and outsourcing has proven to be quite costly. As a company in the AI sector, we decided to develop an in-house tool powered by the OpenAI API to help address this challenge.

Here’s how it works: we start by uploading the job description, which GPT analyzes to generate a set of evaluation criteria. Next, we upload the resumes and allow GPT to score them based on those criteria. We then calculate a total score to create a shortlist of candidates.

So far, we’ve found this approach to be incredibly effective. The detailed insights provided by GPT, including brief summaries of each candidate, have been particularly beneficial. This success has inspired us to consider launching it as a standalone side project.

We’re planning to make it publicly available soon, and I’d love to know if others would find this tool useful. Would it be alright to share it here once it’s ready?

Help me

I need some guidance.

I’m currently a Senior Recruitment Consultant at a generalist agency, and I’ve been here for three years. While I enjoy working with my colleagues and have a good rapport with the Managing Director, the company can be quite frustrating at times.

Lately, I’ve been working remotely due to road closures, which has saved me around £300 a month in transportation costs. The new job I’m considering would require me to commute to the office every day, which is about a 35-minute drive, compared to my current office, which takes 45 minutes to an hour.

My current base salary is £27,000, and I earned £50,000 last year through commission, primarily with fees capped at 15%. I’ve received an offer from a startup executive search firm that comes with full financial backing, offering a base salary of £30,000 plus commission. Their fees are typically over 20%, but their commission structure entails higher thresholds for reaching the more lucrative commission tiers.

The new company has made a strong effort to attract me, taking me out for meals and promising career advancement and greater earning potential. However, I’m hesitant to leave my current role, especially given the uncertainty in the UK job market and my mortgage obligations.

My current employer has significantly supported me in purchasing my home, my dream car, and has been understanding during some health challenges.

I would really appreciate any advice. Normally, I’d seek input from someone at work, but I can’t do that for obvious reasons. My partner has left the decision entirely up to me.