My Client Server Story: Leon Cummins Posted 8 months ago by Leon Cummins

Client Server: What were you doing before Client Server ?

Leon Cummins: Immediately before joining Client Server as an associate consultant, I was working as a Settlements Officer at an asset finance lender. Prior to jumping into this position, I had spent the majority of 2022 traveling Australia & Europe largely solo, and had just completed a Bachelor’s Degree of Commerce from UOW.

 

What initially interested you in recruitment ?

What drew me to recruitment was the earning potential and the prospect of talking to people all day. I graduated from University in 2022, with a major in Finance and no real idea of what career I would pursue, only knowing that it would be one where I could make a lot of money. Whilst there are no doubt many lucrative avenues in the world of finance, unfortunately my graduate position as a settlements officer wasn’t one. Looking around at my options, I became drawn to sales and the idea of commission based work, where your earning potential directly correlated to your output. Naturally, recruitment was then an easy choice as being a socially outgoing person, the idea of talking to people all day interested me highly. 

 

Why tech ?

I’ve always been interested in the technology sector. To me, tech is a vast, mysterious world that brings to mind complex ideas and products. Whilst I don’t have an educational background in tech, it’s a field that has always excited me and I look forward to learning more about the industry as I continue to work with excellent tech companies across Australia.

 

How have you found things so far at Client Server ?

In my 4 months at Client Server, things have gone very well. It’s a small team and we get along very well. It’s definitely been a big change from prior work environments, and I've learnt so much about recruitment already, and continue to learn each day.

 

What have you learnt about recruitment that you weren’t expecting ?

I came into recruitment very green and didn’t know much about the industry and role at all. So although essentially everything was new to me, there were some things that surprised me more than others.

• Business development is hard
• The value of long-term relationships. Recruitment is definitely a long term game. Creating and maintaining long term relationships is extremely important to success in this space
• That it’s a massive industry. Hiring talent is something that is incredibly important and that there’s a direct need for external agencies

 

What have been the most difficult challenges and how have you overcome them ?

The need for tough conversations - Telling candidates that they haven’t got the role, or that they weren’t successful will always be tough. By being direct and honest throughout the process it makes these conversations easier.

Finding candidates - The crux of recruitment, and the separator between good and great recruiters. How do you find quality candidates right for a role? Constantly thinking outside of the box & just putting in the work when it comes to using LinkedIn and other recruitment tools has helped me. Additionally, good admin, keeping to-do lists & keeping notes will make sure you don’t miss out on potential candidates

 

Do you have any advice for anyone who’s thinking of jumping into tech recruitment ?

Don’t be overwhelmed by the tech jargon - Coming from a non-tech background I know just how daunting it is when starting out and seeing a million unfamiliar terms and acronyms. Spend some time initially, researching and learning what you can online, but the best way to learn is by asking the candidate!

Play the long game - Build long lasting relationships with clients and candidates. Make sure to check in/follow up with people you’ve spoken to in the past. You never know how that relationship will be beneficial in the future

Be honest & direct with candidates and clients -  This is a job where communication is everything. Make sure you are clear and precise with your language and intentions.

Be prepared to put in the work - Come into work switched on, be prepared to stay back late or miss lunchtime because the more you put in, the more successful you will be.