Meet James, Athona’s Permanent Recruitment Consultant for our Psychiatry team. We recently spoke with James to get to know more about a typical day in his life, how to build strong candidate relationships, what he enjoys most about his role and more! Keep on reading to find out more information on how James’s time in recruitment has been since joining Athona in November 2022.
What were you doing before working at Athona?
Prior to joining Athona in 2022, I was working in a sales environment, managing a team providing underfloor heating to some of the UK’s biggest plumbing and building merchants.
Why did you want to become a Recruitment Consultant for permanent psychiatrists?
Having worked in sales for almost 6 years, I was keen to challenge myself and take the leap into recruitment to further build on my sales skills. Mental health is a very personal subject to me, so the opportunity to work closely with psychiatrists really struck a cord as it’s something I’m very passionate about.
What do you enjoy most about your role?
I enjoy being able to build relationships with psychiatrists and getting an insight in to what it is they are doing to help their patients. As well as this, I also enjoy having the opportunity to fill vacancies and indirectly support people struggling with their mental health which is very rewarding.
What does a typical day in your life look like when working at Athona?
A typical day working as a Recruitment Consultant at Athona consists of speaking with psychiatrists, meeting with mental health hospitals and working with my fantastic team to help support our doctors and clients with their ambitions and vacancies.
What is the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome working in recruitment?
The biggest challenge and risk I’ve faced was when I left my previous job as I was very comfortable and secure there, but I wanted to try something new and it definitely paid off! I can’t recommend Athona enough for anyone that’s in a similar situation that I was – it’s the best decision I’ve ever made!
How do you build strong relationships with each of your candidates?
I am always available, prepared and organised which I find goes a long way with candidates. I always try to put myself in the doctors shoes too, as I feel like this helps me to take my own emotions out of the picture to make clear and concise decisions to ultimately give the candidate what they desire.
So James, what would you describe are the best benefits of working with an agency?
Working with an agency and a good Recruitment Consultant can help you not only find your ideal role, but negotiate everything in between including salary and working hours to turn that role into the complete package.
Are you currently looking to take your next steps in recruitment? We currently have a wide variety of roles in our sales teams with room for progression and career growth. Check out our current internal vacancies here or get in touch with our Internal Recruiter, Alva to find out more information on some of our open positions.
T: 01277 246 889
