Utilising recruiters

One of the things I discovered trying to change career is that your background really limits the options that you have not because you wouldn't be able to do a job, just straight up skills wise, but because a lot of jobs, when you go through that screening process, people are used to seeing an archetypal type of CV. And then if you haven't got that CV, they're like, "This person doesn't quite match what I'm looking for." So then it becomes less likely to get through.

I've worked in the tech industry for a long time. So I have a very familiar CV to anyone recruiting in the tech industry. They'll kind of go, "Tick, tick, recognise the names. We know who they are." They know who Monzo was, for example. But if I tried to get a job in, I don't know, a civil service maybe or a public institution, they might be looking for different brand names, different companies, different type of work experience that they're used to seeing on the types of people that they're recreating for. And I would look less typical, and therefore, I'd be less likely to get those jobs.

Make sure the bedrock is there, make sure LinkedIn is active, make sure you are a content creator through whatever channels that they are, create a point of difference around yourself to ensure that you are both visible and an obvious part of a potential employer's consideration set.

The good thing was that I wasn't dependent on it, because I hadn't gone through the interview process, I hadn't chased it. They'd gotten in contact with me. I didn't really have anything to lose, so I was quite relaxed about the situation. Whereas, I can imagine if I'd applied personally for it, I'd feel quite pressurised.

If you go into an interview and you feel it's all on you and how you have to perform and you have to do all the right things, I think that interviewer can read that vibe off you. Whereas, I was juggling holding a baby, walking the pram, taking phone calls. It just felt quite natural. It just happened that they were looking for someone with my skillset and I had my skillset. They'd already decided what they were looking for. They'd come across me, so I think that makes a difference, as well.

I feel like I have a very good LinkedIn profile, good outreach as well, quite a few connections... If you have a decent LinkedIn profile, you should be getting at least one message a week from some random recruiter asking you for this glorious opportunity that arises, right?