Got home from work
Saw an ad on a job board that made me think….. I am a successful recruitment consultant, why don’t I work for myself?

This Morning
Started to long drive to work – The roads are defiantly much busier than when I started my career as a recruitment consultant 3 years ago. If I ran my own recruitment business, I could work more local or even from home.

Arrived at the office
To a memo about next month’s targets that really have nothing to do with getting some more temps out working, but that I have to work on for my company. These include admin on KPIs, a presentation on where the next load of clients is going to come from, a request from my boss that I go on a visit with a new consultant. Really all I want to be doing is putting more temps out. If I worked for myself, I could just concentrate on revenue generation. The advert said that Support Services Group would do all the boring admin and invoicing side of it and I would be free of KPI’s!

Morning meeting.

Today we are told that our advertising budget has been cut – this means that I can’t advertise for the candidates that I need to place to earn my commission. I am really fed up about this. If I worked for myself, with Support Services Group, I would be provided with access to candidates for as long as I need them.

Called in to see my boss at 12
The great news is that my commission has been increased to 20%, the bad news is that my threshold has been increased. I now have to make more placements before I can earn the extra bonus. Working for myself with the backing of Support Services Group would mean that my bonus would be 70% or more with no minimum billing before I start earning and no caps. Of course, there is no salary but even so, I am a successful recruitment consultant, always billing £8K on perms and when I was dealing with the temp market, billing £4K GP per week. Doing the sums on those numbers, this looks a really interesting proposition.

Dinner time
I call David and explain that I have seen the article and that I have been working as a recruitment manager within a UK recruitment business for four years. I have been thinking for a while now that I would like to set up my own recruitment business, not only because of the obvious financial reasons but because I want the freedom and autonomy to run my own recruitment business in a way that I know would be successful. He explains to me that his client is a recruitment business incubator (a what?!) – This means that they provide financial backing to start-up recruitment agencies to help them grow. Their aim is to sit down with a recruiter and draw up a list of everything they need in order to run and grow their own recruitment agency. His client does everything apart from the recruitment bit. But thats what i’m best at I would get a business 100% owned and branded by me, all the legalities taken care of, all the back office, admin and invoicing taken care of (this is interesting to me as I would like to work the temp market along with the perm market). They support me for as long as is needed and, as it is in their interests, they help me to grow and develop my company, potentially into a saleable asset. David also started out this way four years ago.

David said it would be great to put time aside to have a proper chat (I am standing in the middle of the office at the moment which is not the best place to have a conversation about a life changing decision like this!) He said I could call him on 07894 110336 anytime up until 9pm.

Grab a sandwich.

Afternoon
My head is spinning with thoughts of setting up my very own recruitment agency and I start to get a bit excited with thinking about company names and logos and websites (all of which David’s client Support Services Group will do for me).

I set up an interview between my client and a candidate and then finalise a placement that has been on the table for a week. I try not to imagine how I would feel if 70% of that fee was to be mine!!

The rest of the afternoon passes as normal, with some highs and some lows as is normal in recruitment. One of the particularly galling things is that, having worked with a client for months on a couple of vacancies, they then gave me another one which I know I could fill but I had to hand over to a colleague…if I was working for myself I wouldn’t have to do that.

Home at normal time and straight in to call David….

In the first instance, please apply to David Marshall from Electrical Recruitment Specialists either on line or on 07894 110336, email david@electricalrecruit.co.uk  

This is not a job but a genuine business opportunity. There are no set up costs associated.

Salary: £ TBC

Post Duration: Permanent – full time

The posts main function is to design electronic lighting controls (95%) and heating, ventilation and air conditioning controls (5%).

Essential knowledge, skills and experience:

• Experience in analogue electronic design and power control
• Experience in digital electronic design
• Experience in microcontrollers and embedded C/assembler programming
• Ability to take a new product design from a marketing brief, through the design prototype/design solution stage and into production
• Knowledge of passive infra-red controls, active infra-red controls and dimmer switches
• Degree in Electronic Engineering

Preferable knowledge, skills and experience:

• Knowledge of microwave detectors
• Knowledge of DSI and DALI protocol
• Knowledge/experience in PCB layout would be advantageous however this requirement would decrease over time if the company employ a dedicated person for PCB layouts.

The successful applicant will receive a competitive salary, depending on experience. There is a Stakeholder Pension Scheme, with employer contributions after a qualifying period of one year. The standard working week would be 37.5 hours, Monday to Friday, with 24 days paid holiday per year, plus bank holidays.

If you believe you have the knowledge skills and application to succeed in this engineering role please apply, including your CV, stating your current salary.

This role would suit someone from an electrical wholesale background that has a good understanding of control gear. Or someone who has been an installer looking for a change.

Person

• An understanding of electrical control gear and related products.  
• Technical or electrical wholesale background
• You will be dealing with customers via the telephone and email orders.
• You will need good communication & people skills.
• Computer literate.
• Good customer facing and negotiation skills

You will be the first point of contact for enquiries and orders. You will also deal with the day to day sales and orders of general installation products.

Training on the products will be given but a degree of technical understanding of electrical installation product and control gear is required.

This is position is permanent with a good negotiable salary £20,000 with company car. Please forward your CV to – info@electricalrecruit.co.uk

This role would suit someone from an electrical wholesale background that has a good understanding of control gear. Or someone who has been an installer looking for a change.

Person

• An understanding of electrical control gear and related products.  
• Technical or electrical wholesale background
• You will be dealing with customers via the telephone and email orders.
• You will need good communication & people skills.
• Computer literate.

You will be the internal point of contact for enquiries and orders. You will also deal with the day to day sales and orders of general installation products.

Training on the products will be given but a degree of technical understanding of electrical installation product and control gear is required.

This is position is permanent with a good negotiable salary £16,000 – £19,000 Please forward your CV to – info@electricalrecruit.co.uk

On behalf of our client we are seeking candidates with proven experience of electrical engineering for heavy industry.   This could be within a variety of sectors e.g. steel, non-ferrous metals and minerals processing, water or power or manufacturing industries.   The position is based in the UK and includes overseas visits to projects and Clients as required.

Candidates should have extensive technical knowledge and design and engineering experience in a range of different fields of electrical applications, preferably including power distribution and control and automation systems, as the successful candidate will provide expert advice to the Division.  The ability to clearly express and explain complex technical issues, both verbally and in writing, is important.

The role requires the preparation of capital budgets, technical studies and reports for Clients.

Candidates should be able to manage and motivate a small expert team, providing direction and guidance as necessary, and to work independently as appropriate.  

Good communication skills are essential to interface with senior management and Clients.   Business development skills, financial awareness and the ability to maintain tight budgetary controls in a flexible and changing environment, are also attributes necessary for this role.

Technical Qualifications

Candidates should have an Electrical Degree or equivalent; Chartered candidates are particularly welcome

www.electricalrecruit.co.uk

We are seeking candidates with proven experience in utilities and fluid systems engineering for heavy industry.    This could have been gained from within a variety of sectors e.g. steel, non-ferrous metals and minerals processing, water or power.   The position is based in the UK and includes overseas visits to projects and Clients.

Candidates should have extensive technical knowledge combined with design and engineering experience. The ability to clearly express and explain complex technical issues, both verbally and in writing, is essential. The role requires the preparation of capital budgets, technical studies and reports for Clients.   

Experience in the environmental field of heavy industry would be advantageous.

Candidates should be able to manage and motivate a small expert team, providing direction and guidance as necessary, and to work independently as appropriate.  

Good communication skills are essential to interface with senior management and Clients.   Business development skills, financial awareness and the ability to maintain tight budgetary controls in a flexible and changing environment, are also attributes necessary for this role.

Technical Qualifications

Candidates should have a Mechanical Engineering Degree or equivalent; Chartered candidates are particularly welcome.

 www.mechanicalrecruitment.co.uk

We are seeking candidates with heavy industry experience of

direct and indirect water cooling system

compressed air

industrial gases and fuel systems

treatment and disposal of industrial effluent

Experience of planning and analysing equipment and operation systems for fluid and gaseous services would be an advantage.

The position is based in the UK and includes overseas visits to projects and Clients.

Candidates should be able to demonstrate in-depth technical knowledge combined with design and engineering experience and the ability to clearly express and explain complex technical issues, both verbally and in writing, is important.   Good communication skills are essential in order to interface with Clients and within the Division.

Candidates should be able to manage and motive a small expert team, providing direction and guidance as necessary and to work independently as appropriate.

Business development skills, financial awareness and the ability to maintain tight budgetary controls in a flexible and changing environment are also attributes for this role

Technical Qualifications

Candidates should have a Mechanical Engineering Degree or equivalent

 www.mechanicalrecruitment.co.uk

Now I recruit people for Electrical Engineer Jobs and Mechanical Engineering Jobs  in the Electrical  & mechanical Industry. I get asked all the time, what is the best route to take? Now, I can only give my opinion and after been employed in the electrical industry in some form or another for most of my life. There are many options available, from full time education to apprenticeships.

Appreticeships Lead to NVQ Level 3, City & Guilds Electricians Certificate for electrical engineering jobs. Full time education leads to HNC – Degree which is the best way for things like Electrical Design Engineer Jobs .

Personally, I think the way to go is through an employer who is happy to take you on as a trainee or mature student. This gives you the best chance in the future as you are learning the practical contracting and install side of the business as well as the theory.

I would also look for a company that covers a good scope of different contracts. I trained as an industrial/commercial electrician. This gave me the opportunity to work with 3 phase power, armoured cables and steel cable support systems. It is unlikely you will gain this experience if you work in the domestic sector. An industrial/commercial trained electrician can adapt to domestic installations. It can be more difficult for a domestic electrician to work on industrial/commercial installations.

It can take three to four years to become fully qualified. Many options are available for qualified engineers. There is further training available to reach electrical technicians standard. You could choose to go down the route of design or contract management. Although Many electricians choose to stay hands on. The electrical industry can present a new challenge daily. It may be a complete installation or a rewire. You may be testing a new installation or you may be testing and signing off.

Take care when you are deciding on the best business to start your training with. There are many websites that advertise electrical jobs. You will find some entry level roles on these sites but also look at electrical businesses local too you. Some of the larger companies will take on trainees on an annual basis. Other smaller companies may recruit as required.

You need to find a company that will support you throughout your training. A lot of the courses require you be in employment to continue your training. This can cause problems if you are suddenly not required.

Whatever route you choose to take electrical work can be a rewarding career choice Working in the electrical industry can lead to a long term career.