Tech Recruiter Life: Charlotte Young On A Career In Recruitment & Life In The Java Team

Java team member Charlotte Young is a shining example of career progression at Understanding Recruitment, and since joining as a Researcher in 2018, has gone from achievement to achievement to work as Senior Recruitment Consultant. We meet her to find out her advice for those at the start of their recruitment career, the Java developer recruitment market, and what she enjoys about Life At UR.

What was your career journey before joining the world of recruitment?

I studied Geography at Cardiff University and working at Understanding Recruitment was my first ever full-time job.

What appealed to you about working in recruitment?

I was exploring various lines of employment-related to my field of study. When I realised how competitive it was, I reached out to someone I knew in recruitment to find out a little more as I heard he was progressing very quickly in his role and earning great money too! He passed my CV onto UR and after several interview rounds, I secured a position by Christmas of my final year of university!

"UR was a team of about 40 when I joined and now there are 75+ people! The company created values that are adhered to throughout interviewing new prospective recruiters and also has a collaborative working culture."

What do you enjoy about working here (e.g. people, skills, culture, what you’re learning)?

Everyone at UR is hugely supportive of each other. We celebrate successes as a team and we show compassion and support others when things don’t always work out the way we would like. We have a mentor/mentee system at UR where we, as recruiters, constantly learn from one another as well at AURA (our learning hub).

I’m always learning from my manager who takes the time to listen to my questions and coaches me to the right outcome.

Overall, UR places a huge emphasis on its values and it’s great to see an organisation that is an advocate for collaboration and setting high expectations with a strong reputation.

How has Understanding Recruitment evolved since you joined?

The first noticeable change is size! UR was a team of about 40 when I joined and now there are 75+ people! The company created values that are adhered to throughout interviewing new prospective recruiters and also has a collaborative working culture on the sales floor.

UR also hired in-house trainers who have now put together an extensive training programme for new recruits which has been great and joiners are getting off the mark very quickly!

What excites you about being part of the Java industry right now?

There is no better time to be a Java Developer than right now, as our 2022 Java Talent & Salary Report demonstrates – the job markets we work on have been very candidate-driven, with salaries higher than ever for tech professionals, and overall job packages increasingly including the likes of equity options nowadays.

It’s great to see new industries emerging (e.g. FinTechs, MedTech, Sustainability, Artificial Intelligence) with really exciting opportunities in Java. It’s interesting to see the industry adapt to the increased demand for more flexibility around working hours and working from home too.

What significant changes have you seen in the job market and hiring in the past couple of years?

In addition to becoming more and more candidate-led and demand for hybrid or fully remote working sky-rocketing, some sectors have been expanding at an extremely quick pace (e.g. MedTech, cybersecurity).

I also see that counteroffers are on the rise in the market, as organisations really do not want to lose staff – projects become business-critical, and it costs them more to re-hire someone else.

What’s a standout memory or highlight from your 3.5 years at the company?

My first deal was definitely a standout memory – I was actually abroad on holiday when I found out!

My promotions were the most important milestones for me personally, especially my first ever promotion. There was a lot of build-up and it was proof to me that I could really do 360 recruitment.

One of my clients is also the company’s biggest client which is also a highlight for me looking back on how far I’ve come.

What’s your advice to someone considering a career in recruitment?

I’d say good things take time and it’s all about not giving up – ride the wave and good things always come.

It’s cliché, but I’d also say to remember that diamonds are made under pressure! It can be very stressful at times working as a recruiter, but the reward is absolutely worth it!

Additionally, make sure the organisation you join really invests in your training. It’s important to ensure it has a comprehensive training and onboarding programme, as well as continuous bits of training throughout the year to make sure you are constantly improving in your role and using the latest tools to support you.

What are you most excited about looking to the future working at Understanding Recruitment and in the Java sector?

I’m most excited about growing out my own team and starting management – I have even already secured my first hire for the summer! I’m also really excited to continue helping my current clients and scale out my client base with some more exciting tech companies that are evolving quickly.

Thank you to Charlotte for giving a glimpse into Tech Recruiter Life and look out for more spotlights on other members of the UR team on our blog soon!