There are always opportunities just around the corner and little did Sophy know that working in a factory whilst studying at university, was the start of a very successful career in recruitment.
After she graduated with a BA Hons Degree in English, Sophy joined the temporary staffing agency that supplied workers to the factory and helped with registering candidates and taking bookings – this is when she found out what recruitment was all about and she soon ‘got the bug’.
Sophy enrolled on a graduate programme at an education recruitment agency. There she ran a very successful Coventry & Warwickshire desk and soon progressed from Trainee to Senior Recruitment Consultant. Despite this success, Sophy had always wanted to progress to a management role. This is when she joined Sugarman Education, as part of Affinity Workforce, and made her mark in the sector.
“I was looking for training and development jobs within recruitment as I wanted to move into management. When I went for the interview at Sugarman, I was honest about my ambitions and how I wanted to progress and this is something that they offered me,” explained Sophy.
It was with Sugarman Education that she continued to develop, taking on a Team Leader role. Within 6 months Sophy continued to impress and make her mark within the company. She was promoted to oversee two other teams before then taking on the role of Divisional Manager. Now she takes on the role of Divisional Operations Manager of Affinity Workforce Solutions (AWS), part of the management team supporting Monarch Education & Sugarman Education – a role she was promoted to whilst she was on maternity leave.
“I think to be given this opportunity whilst on maternity leave, shows how committed the company is to giving women the opportunity to progress and develop. The AWS SLT is made up of predominantly women which just shows the sign of the times and represents well in the market.”
As part of her new role, Sophy oversees the quality of service across Sugarman Education and Monarch Education as well as the managed service provision with Multi-Academy Trusts.
Reflecting on the 5 past years at AWS, Sophy said: “I do owe a lot to the CEO, Esme who has supported me throughout my time here so far. If you work hard, you will reap the rewards and I am a prime example of that. I have learnt so much, developed my skills and I have achieved my goals. I work with an amazing bunch of people who I can continue to learn from.”
Sophy’s passions lie not only in recruitment but with the development of staff. She loves nothing more than to see individuals progress into different roles.
“There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing the people you have managed and mentored be successful, achieve their goals and develop their careers. Keely, who I managed when I joined Monarch, is now one of our prestigious ‘Double Monarch Millionaires’. She has done fantastically well and continues to do a great job.”
Sophy knows better than anyone the qualities you need to be a successful Recruitment Consultant. As well as being chatty and having the drive and passion to be successful, she also believes you have to be compassionate.
“You have to love working with people to be in recruitment, but you also need to have compassion to be successful in the sector. You need to be able to listen to your candidates, care for them and put their needs above anything else.
“I remember working with an NQT who was nervous before an interview to secure a permanent position in a school where she has covered staff sickness. I arranged for one of our experienced candidates to prepare her for the interview. She rang me in tears because she had been offered the job and was so grateful I had arranged the session. That phone call will honestly stay with me for the rest of my life. This is why we do what we do.”
Going above and beyond for the candidates is something Sophy has always instilled in her teams and she wants to continue to encourage this ethos as part of the training and development of our consultants. Sophy is currently recruiting for Recruitment Consultants across Monarch and Sugarman Education and she is keen to inspire others to the sector.
“For me, you don’t need experience within the sector to join our teams, you need to be passionate, determined and eager. This could be the start of a great career in recruitment; the opportunities are there to make their mark in the company. We offer extensive training and support so you can develop.”
Are you interested in joining our recruitment teams? Take a look at our vacancies here.
