New Starter: Michal, Our IT Recruiter

We spoke to new starter, Michal about his role as an IT Recruiter at YourCode.

Can you tell us a little bit about you, inside and outside of work?

I like to travel across the world, I’ve just come back from vacation in Georgia! I like to visit places that aren’t perhaps ordinary holiday destinations; I’ve been to India and Africa. I’m interested in people and cultures. I like to be conscious of the world around me so I always follow the news to stay informed of what’s going on.

In work, I’m very driven by results. I like to focus on the results of my work but I’m also creative in terms of generating new ideas on how to achieve certain goals.

Why did you get into recruitment the industry?

I always imagined I would work in HR but the way I imagined HR when I was studying was very different to reality. Fortunately, I secured an internship at a recruitment company and I realised that working as a consultant is what’s really going to be good for me. The dynamic is very different when you manage your own schedule and that flexibility is very important to me. 

I’m most definitely a people person, I’m amazed by people and I enjoy interacting with them on a daily basis. It’s important to me to have strong, open relationships with coworkers, clients and candidates to be able to communicate freely. I find it very rewarding when somebody thanks me for my help.

What is an IT Recruiter? What will you be doing in your new role?

I think my new role will be rather similar to my previous role as I was operating in the IT sector there too. I imagine I will begin to acquire my own clients soon and will spend a lot of time contacting candidates, ascertaining whether they are open to new opportunities and describing the positions I think they are suited to. Hopefully, I will be successful!

How did you come to be an IT Recruiter at YourCode? What has been your career journey so far?

I am currently still studying sociology. I’ve finished all of my modules but the Covid situation forced me to work full time and I’m still finishing my thesis.

I gained some great experience at my paid internship with a recruitment company; I learned how corporations work and how to approach client relationships. I’ve worked at two different companies since, and I particularly enjoyed completing quite a few important projects and acquiring very good international clients in my most recent position. I wanted to find a place where I can work for years and when Josh contact me on LinkedIn, I jumped at the opportunity he was offering.

What advice would you give someone interested in a career in recruitment?

First, there’s a big difference between working for the end client and working in an agency. It’s important to get to know these differences to decide which is best for you. 

It’s also important to be able to organise yourself and your time well because as a recruitment consultant you will be doing lots of things at the same time, you will have to follow a lot of pipelines and contact lots of clients and candidates. If you make a mistake, for you it might be one missed meeting in one hundred but for the client, it’s the one meeting they had scheduled with you and it is a big deal so you have to be very disciplined.

If you think it’s for you though, recruitment is amazing, I personally love it!

What advice would you give someone interested in a career in technology and IT?

IT is a very interesting industry right now, I believe. The advice I would give would be to try to look for commercial experience because there is a big demand for IT professionals and three months of commercial experience may make it easier for you to find your next project. Even if it’s not the ideal project, I would suggest taking any opportunity for commercial experience

What key skills are essential in your position?

As I’ve mentioned, organising your time is perhaps the most important skill. Also, be easygoing; sometimes candidates or clients can be in a bad mood and you cannot take it personally, simply do your job and try to build good relationships. Professionalism is also important, you have to be professional all the time, even when communicating with someone you have a good relationship with.

Why did you want to join YourCode? What attracted you to the company?

In YourCode I saw neither a big corporation nor a small start-up company, both of which come with their own disadvantages. YourCode was a great opportunity as something in the middle. I wasn’t looking for a company as large as previous companies I’ve worked for with hundreds of recruiters, but at the same time, I also didn’t want to risk working at a start-up company where everything can change within a couple of weeks. I also saw a great opportunity to work in an international culture and improve my English. In my previous position, I was responsible for international relationships because of my English. In my first interview, Josh did a really good job convincing me to take the opportunity and really set my mind, he seems like an amazing person.

What are you most looking forward to in your first few weeks at YourCode?

First and foremost, I’m looking forward to having contact with clients, I think that’s what I like the most. I’m excited to acquire new projects by myself and ensure everything is running smoothly. I’m looking forward to it, I cannot wait to contact new companies and showcase my candidates. As much as I’m looking forward to contact with clients, I’m also looking forward to contact with candidates and receiving feedback from them. I’m definitely excited about the opportunity for growth and working in an international environment.