From IT Professional To Recruitment Career: Q&A With Mike McEvoy

Mike McEvoy’s recruitment career has taken him from Recruitment Consultant to Founding member and Director of an award-winning IT recruitment agency. With two decades of experience in IT recruitment, Mike has had a fascinating career. It highlights how you do not have to remain stuck in the same career path throughout your working life, and that making a change can bring significant success.

I was pleased to sit down with Mike to discuss his recruitment career, his hopes for the future of VIQU, and the advice he would give to new recruiters.

What was your career before recruitment?

Mike: I went straight into working after leaving school at the age of 18. I was always interested in IT, and it seemed like a good career so that’s where I started.

It was an exciting time, all the preparation to do with Y2K was going on, I even worked Christmas and New Year’s Eve 1999 to make sure everything was in place for the new millennium. However, I was working shifts a lot and I’d lost interest in IT as a whole. I wanted a new challenge. For the next two years, I worked in sales, selling insurance products and then advertising space, but it wasn’t a career I wanted to stay in.

What attracted you to recruitment?

Mike: A friend of mine worked for an IT recruitment agency and told me more about what a recruitment career could look like. He told me about the opportunities, and the earning potential, so I decided to join his company. I had already worked in IT, so I had an understanding of the sector before becoming a recruiter.

Although the starting salary I was offered as a junior recruiter was below what I had been earning, with commission I could earn significantly more. The potential to earn more and be in control of those earnings by working hard was very attractive to me.

What has kept you interested throughout your recruitment career?

Mike: Your job is always better and more fulfilling if you work with good people, and I’ve worked with some great people and have some amazing customers. Additionally, the rewards in recruitment can be very good and my recruitment career has put me in a position where I’m happy with my level of lifestyle.

There’s also a lot of variety. Every day is different, and every day you have something new thrown at you. I become bored when I’m not busy, and in my current role, I’m constantly busy!

You’re one of VIQU’s founding members, what made you make that move?

Mike: I wanted a fresh challenge. I had worked at the same recruitment agency for 9 years and I needed something new.

Matt Collingwood and Ed Barnshaw were setting up a new company and I wanted to be part of it from the get-go. I wanted to put my name to something and being a founding member was a great opportunity. I believed in their vision and trusted them entirely.

10 years later, I look back on it and I think I definitely made the right decision. We’ve grown VIQU into a really successful business, and it was much better making that jump to a brand new company than staying somewhere safe.

What is your biggest career achievement?

Mike: You know it’s great to have won many sales awards, and attend numerous winners trips – however, for me, what has been achieved at VIQU over the last 10 years has been amazing. It is what I am most proud about. The team and culture we have created has seen VIQU win numerous awards, including 2 staff members achieving “Best In Industry” awards, and VIQU has been recognised as key partners to our customers. I have great pride when I talk about VIQU and what we have created.

What are you looking forward to now in your recruitment career?

Mike: Retiring? Honestly, it’s seeing how far we can take VIQU. It only feels like yesterday when we started and now, we’re coming up to our 10 year anniversary. I can’t wait for what the future brings us, there are some fantastic opportunities for growth, and I know we can do a lot more.

Only recently, VIQU invested in Consult Energy, a recruitment agency specialising in the energy, utilities and renewable sector. There are exciting opportunities there for expansion into a new industry and sector.

And what about in your department – the Key Accounts team?

Mike: I’ve got a great team of people working in the Key Accounts team. We are constantly doing more, working with some fantastic customers, and gaining new opportunities. By working with both Public and Private sector clients, we have formed some great relationships.

We have also recently hired a new Delivery Consultant due to the scope of opportunities and growth our Key Accounts are delivering, so it’s an exciting time for the team.

Any advice for new recruiters considering pursuing a recruitment career?

Mike: Firstly, for anyone considering a recruitment career, I would really press on them that it’s not an easy job. However, the rewards can be significant. You can create a lot of your own success by working hard, but the job doesn’t suit everyone, and it can be tough.

Secondly, you need to be a sponge. Listen to the advice of your managers and senior members of your team. They’re offering advice based on their experiences and it’s vital that you soak in all this information. Everyone in your team should want you to succeed, because if you do well, so does the wider team and company.

Next, is consider working in office and listening into people’s phone conversations. Find out how great experienced recruiters talk to customers and candidates. Pick up on the words and phrases they use and that will significantly help you when you are on the phone.

Finally, my main piece of advice is not to take things personally. People have bad days and it’s not a personal attack on you. Unfortunately, sometimes you can have uncomfortable conversations, but don’t let it get to you.

For more information on what a recruitment career looks like, check out our other interviews across our business here. If you’re interested in starting a career in recruitment, or want to join our team as an experienced team member, please get in touch with our Head of Talent, Melinda Queck here.