From The Blog

Each month, we’ll feature one of our team members in a brief Q&A, so you can get to know us all better! This month we’re meeting Maz who specialises in recruitment for the publishing and events industry.

How did you get into recruitment?

It’s a funny story actually. I’d just moved down from Scotland to London and I was working in charity fundraising. Chugging. And Ben [our colleague] approached me on the street to recruit me into a role he was working on. So I came into the office and ended up being recruited into recruitment.

Tell us about the sectors you recruit in…

I’m on the media desk, we work with B2B media firms and publishers. B2B media firms will have trade publications, such as Railway Gazette, but most of the work we do is on the events side of those businesses. I focus on the sales positions largely, so looking at sponsorship of events and delegate attendance.

Why do you think your clients and candidates like working with you?

I think two main things. We, as a company, are very thorough, which works well for candidates and clients. A client will know any candidate they see will fit them well, that we’ve met them and briefed them. And with candidates, they feel well prepared and we have a good understanding of what they want in their next position.

The other thing is, we’ve been going for 25 years so we have a great understanding of the sectors we work in and for candidates we’re able to give them more general career advice, even if they’re not making an immediate move, we’ll build long term relationships with them.

What specifically about working with you do you think they like?

I’m hilarious. Obviously.

Seriously though, I think listening is a really important skill in any role, making sure you really understand what a client or candidate wants in detail, including company culture, ambitions, location and everything else.

Now to get to know you! If you never had to work again and money was no object, what would you do?

Ooh, I think I’d be a food critic, but also professional tennis player, so I’d be on the pro tour during the day and in the evening I’d be going to amazing restaurants and writing them up and hopefully all the exercise would cancel out the ridiculous amounts of food I was eating!

What is your guiltiest pleasure?

Disco music

Who would play you in the film of your life?

I’ve no idea why, but Catherine Zeta Jones keeps coming into my head.

What’s the worst job you’ve done?

At uni I worked in a little 24 hour supermarket and often worked the night shift and, frankly, it was carnage. People would just come in and take whatever they wanted off the shelves and walk out or chat you up or whatever. So, that was fun.

What’s your favourite book?

Too hard to go for an all-time choice, so I’ll go for my favourite book from the last year or so, which is The Sellout by Paul Beatty, it’s a satirical comedy about race in America.

And your favourite song?

Bad Girls, Donna Summer

If you were stranded on a desert island, what’s the first thing you’d do?

I’d take a nap. To get over the stress of it all. A long nap.

And finally, what’s your favourite colour?

Black and I’ll stop wearing black when they make a darker colour.