☕️ 365 Days of Growth | A Quick Catch-up with Jess
We Are Celebrating 1-Year at Trace & Launching Trace South East.
I've linked a few old LinkedIn posts to help!
The Leap of Faith
In February 2023, I joined Trace to spearhead the launch of a second office dedicated to the South East region. With my experience running my own recruitment business, I was eager to join a company with a clear vision for expansion. What attracted me is how the recruitment landscape is changing, especially outside of London. I'm here to share my insights on finding those hidden finance gems – stay tuned for future posts!
Building the Foundations
Launching Trace South East meant ensuring it embodied the same values and high standards as the established London office. It was also important to introduce my long-standing professional network to Trace, broadening opportunities for both clients and candidates. Their overwhelmingly positive reaction energised me even further!
In June 2023, we were thrilled to welcome Nakita Kaur to the team. Her hard work and talent earned her a promotion to Recruitment Consultant. Here's how she describes what drew her to Trace:
"I was drawn to Trace Recruit because of their dynamic environment, commitment to excellence, company morals, and importance on genuine relationships. I was inspired by the opportunity to work alongside passionate individuals dedicated to innovation and personal growth.”
We accomplished so much, including opening our central Reading office – ideally positioned to serve the region's thriving business community. Reading's rapid growth as a tech and finance hub drives increasing demand for skilled professionals.
To support this further, we welcomed Scarlett Heaton to the team. Here's why she decided on Trace:
“The things that made me want to join Trace were the supportive and inclusive environment, where everyone genuinely wants you to do well. The approach to recruitment being around building long-lasting relationships and being the trustful recruiter with high credibility”.
2023 - What a Year!
We've grown to a team of three already in our first year, and we're still expanding! This year has been incredible. I couldn't be happier working for a company that genuinely empowers, guides, and invests in its people. They even let me bring my ideas to the table (not always winners, mind you!).
Any new venture has its learning curves. But that's the fun of it, right? Adapting, navigating change... finding that sweet spot is all part of the challenge, and it keeps things exciting! One thing I'll confess – and Gareth can vouch for this – IT support is definitely not my forte. Turns out accidentally changing the whole company's email signature to the Reading address wasn't my brightest moment!
A stand-out memory from 2023, and a huge personal achievement for me, was tackling the ArcelorMittal Orbit with my colleague Ellie Prideaux! We abseiled down that thing to raise money for St Mungo's, a homeless charity Trace supports. Never tried abseiling before and being 80 meters up was honestly terrifying – but we raised over £1200 and what an experience!
Gratitude and Looking Ahead
I would like to thank Alistair Moore, our Chairman who initially called me out of the blue (yes, a cold cold)! At the time of his call, I was running my own business and not searching for a new role, but after a 30-minute conversation and Alistair telling me all about Trace and the exciting growth plans, we agreed to meet for coffee. Before I knew it, I was in an interview process and met Founders Andy Lee & Gareth Cowan & Gemma Smith, Director of Interims.
I would like to express my gratitude towards Andy Lee & Gareth Cowan, Founders of Trace. Without their trust, support, patience, encouragement, and guidance, I simply couldn’t have done what has been achieved this year. You have both made this huge professional transition for me, one of the best career decisions I have ever made, thank you so much for the opportunity.
Looking ahead, there will naturally be challenges to overcome. What won't change is our commitment to what Trace South East stands for – a personalised, thoughtful approach to recruitment. It's about carefully building teams for our clients, forging strong relationships, nurturing careers, and helping everyone in the industry reach their goals.
Honestly, I'm not the most frequent blogger. But if you've made it this far and are thinking about your next career move, reach out! After 25 years in this business, I absolutely love what I do – more now than ever!
Want to learn more about the Trace South East team and what sets us apart? Visit our About Us page. We're always on the lookout for great talent.
We are currently looking for a Senior Consultant/Manager to join my team