Head of Talent Acquisition secures exciting future with help from Career Evolution
When Bryan’s latest assignment finished in 2022, he found himself on the job market, for the first time since he had graduated. After taking a few months off to travel and explore some personal opportunities, it was time to start looking seriously for his next role. Bryan explains: “I had been so lucky to have been ‘in work’ straight from my studies, and I had underestimated the challenges of being on the market. I was looking for my next move at a time when recruitment had been deprioritised across many sectors, infamously known as an incredibly competitive environment anyway, and it took a lot longer than I expected to get things moving. Eventually, a great friend suggested I talk to Sue Thomas from Career Evolution, and he made the introduction.”
Although Career Evolution normally works directly with businesses, providing outplacement for their teams, Sue agreed to take Bryan on as a client. “From the first meeting, I knew I had found my ‘thought partner.’ Working with Sue left me energised, inspired, and knowing what I was going to do next. I had found my Guru.” – Bryan maintains.
Reach for the sky
Bryan’s background was in the recruitment industry/people leadership within travel and entrepreneurial start-ups, who needed to scale up, exponentially and rapidly. Sue collaborated with him to identify the actions, delivery, and output that he needed to undertake to find his next role – which was essential as “you’re either ready to ramp up and raise the bar with your recruitment (and need a Head of Talent Acquisition), or you don’t…”
“Sue proved to be a consistent thread and a solid touchstone for me throughout the process of finding my next role. Your resilience is really put to the test when you are looking for your next career move, but she was there throughout my best and worst days. Celebrating my wins and reminding me I could do this, even at times where it felt like things were more out of reach, than within my grasp.”
One of the areas that Career Evolution helped Bryan with was tracking and documenting what he was doing and helping him navigate the virtual world. “LinkedIn was a very important part of the process but it’s easy to forget what you have done; by tracking my activity I was able to keep focused, do my own analytics and hold myself accountable for making things happen, day by day.”
An excellent bet
Five months into the quest, Bryan secured his next adventure and a role with DAZN Bet as its new Head of Talent Acquisition.
“The stars aligned – a world class opportunity had presented itself and I knew my new home, already felt like ‘home’.” No stranger to travel or working globally, Bryan now divides his time between sunny Manchester, very sunny Gibraltar and even sunnier, Malta!
When asked how the support from Sue Thomas and Career Evolution has helped the most, Bryan concluded: “Sue’s support gave me the reason to get up and get on it. She provided me with laser sharp focus, which was laced with humanity. One of the biggest benefits was her impeccable knowledge and expertise – and of course the fact that I had someone to walk down the road with me until I found my dream job. Sue made such an impact and a difference to me, but she also made sure that I was making a difference to myself, personally and professionally every day. Now that is what I call – a Guru!”
