The Parallel Universe

After an amazing effort by both Steven and Matthias in 2018, both employees were rewarded for their hard work with two well-deserved promotions. Steven was promoted from a Consultant to a Senior Consultant and Matthias was promoted from a Senior Consultant to a Managing Consultant. We decided to sit down with both consultants and ask them a few questions about what it is like to work at Parallel and how they feel after their recent promotions!

To start with, we sat down with Steven to talk about his promotion from Consultant to Senior Consultant on our Analytics UK Permanent division at the end of last year. 

So Steven, how do you feel after being promoted?

It feels pretty damn good!

How would you say your manager helped you achieve this promotion?

After a tough start to the year, my managers expressed the potential they see in me and my ability to turn things around. They took the time to do a sort of “audit” of my desk and coached me how to make the end of my year a successful one!

What training has Parallel offered you to support your personal growth to date?

Parallel offers regular training sessions. Now, these are not just for new starters, but for every level to train you in the right way throughout your career in the business. We all participate in regular workshops that both strengthen the things you are already good at as well as educate you on new and innovative ways of working.

Recruitment has its challenges – how do you stay motivated?

The key to recruitment – without sounding as if I am about to write a “Recruitment 101” book – is to always have a goal in mind and know what you want to achieve. Recruitment has its ups and downs, but if you have a target it’s a lot easier to keep going when it gets tough. The incentives here are also a big bonus – Selfridges shopping vouchers, lunch clubs, trips to places like Ibiza…

After talking with Steven, we sat down with Matthias, who was recently promoted from Senior Consultant to Managing Consultant on our Infosec DACH team: 

When did you start working at Parallel?

November 2016

What initially attracted you to recruitment and why did you choose to work at Parallel?

Recruitment was attractive because you have direct ownership and responsibility for your own “desk”. At Parallel, I am the “boss” of my own desk. You can influence how quickly you want to progress or how successful you can be.

How did you achieve your recent promotion to Managing Consultant? What is your advice to consultants that are looking to take the next step in their careers?

The promotion happened via the new responsibility of mentoring and guiding new team members into the cyber realm. There is a great deal of trust put in me to build out the cyber and information security team here. Being a good role model also helps!

As they say during the Oscars, is there anyone you would like to thank for your promotion?

My manager set clear goals and objectives for me to achieve to get to the promotion, so a big thanks to him for paving the way! Also, being motviated on a day-to-day basis by the people around me, including my manager, helped me a lot. 

What training has Parallel offered you to support your personal growth to date?

At Parallel, we have a great internal Learning & Development programme where there is individual coaching and in-class training on management. These factors along with being able to turn to our L&D function, whenever necessary, helped immensely. 

Recruitment has its challenges – how do you stay motivated?

All jobs have ups and downs - especially recruitment. It is all about staying level-headed, focused and maintaining a good work ethic. You need to keep your mind on the end goal and your long-term objectives to get what you want to get out of the job. The great thing about working here is that you have a lot of autonomy to create your success - you're in charge of your own desk. 

What advice would you give a graduate considering a career in recruitment?

You need to be willing to work hard and not be discouraged by knockdowns.

WELL DONE! A big thanks to both Matthias and Steven for sitting down with us to talk about their recent promotions and also a big congratulations on both of your promotions! We can't wait to see what each of you does next.