My recruitment journey kicked off in a small UK agency, where the glamour was measured in rubber boots and hairnets, not poolside laptops or catered lunches (still waiting on those swimming pools by the desk—I promise, it’s only a rumour!). My task? Finding temp workers for a major meat factory. It may not have been a red carpet affair, but it taught me everything about grit, humility, and why a good pair of socks is crucial in cold storage.

Sometimes I marvel at the transformation in recruitment: today's “rockstar” recruiters flaunt flashy tech, free food, and, yes, occasionally more perks than a start-up CEO. But my real lesson came from meeting folks—often more qualified than me—who braved unknowns for the chance at a fresh start and a pay cheque. That quiet determination, the willingness to roll up sleeves for any role, inspired my lifelong advocacy for candidates—even when a boardroom full of execs is chanting “more, now, faster!”.

Ireland beckoned in ’06, and suddenly I found myself re-learning the ropes, this time at scale: hospitality, start-ups, and then stints in agencies where my job was to dream up new departments for clients ranging from tech to tractors. Yes, it was hard to leave Ireland behind, but Spain offered new challenges and sunshine (and let’s be honest, the odd siesta helps with candidate calls). Here, I got to work with future unicorn SaaS outfits and one of the world’s biggest corporations—still no astronaut hires, but my CV is ready if NASA calls!.

If I dust off my old recruitment logs, I’d estimate I’ve interviewed around 100,000 hopefuls, read 200,000 CVs, and lost count of the coffees consumed along the way. There have been dizzying highs, humbling lows, and some truly bizarre requests (ask me about the chickens someday). But looking back, I’m grateful for every twist and turn—because each step shaped not just my approach to business, but the person I am today.