It feels like only a few weeks ago, I was sitting in my chair at home writing my last blog. But now, six months from my start date, I am sitting in our new office, ready to write about the first quarter of being the FS Recruitment Apprentice.

What Have I Learnt Over the First Six Months as the FS Recruitment Apprentice?

On September 13, 2021, I started this apprenticeship knowing the bare minimum of what was involved working in recruitment in the Financial Services industry. These past six months have seemed to go by the quickest it ever has for me, and I find myself wanting to press pause sometimes to look back and see how far I have come in such a short amount of time.

On starting this apprenticeship, I knew there was an expectation of skills and abilities I would be learning during the 24-month rotational program. I was wary that it would be a multitude of information initially, but looking back, I am shocked and surprised at how much I have already learned.

Since my last blog, while I do not have a firm grasp of all the knowledge, I am becoming more confident daily, and I can do tasks without significant assistance. Including:

• Identifying what an ideal candidate looks like for a variety of different Financial Services positions
• Assisting the team source candidates for a variety of roles they are actively working on for clients
• How to contact candidates on a variety of platforms to achieve the highest interest/response rate

Fulfillment in my Job

Within my first six months, I am proud to say I have placed my first candidate! Being involved in the process from start to finish, conversing with the client and candidates consistently until a placement was made, gave me great satisfaction that I did not expect to feel. It was a fantastic experience delivering the news to the candidate that they had received a job offer!

I could not honestly tell you that I completely understand the day-to-day responsibilities of every role that I assist on, but this knowledge grows daily and I am grateful for such a supportive team on this learning journey. Coming from a background that is not financial services, there is still so much for me to learn, and I welcome it with open arms.

The Next Step as the FS Recruitment Apprentice

The next step of my journey is gaining more confidence in my ability to conduct calls for the best-fit candidates and put them forward for roles. I am also in the process of obtaining my Cayman Islands Society for Human Resources Professionals (CISHRP) HR Certification, with an international certification to follow! Between working full time and studying, I am busy! But I would not change it for anything.  It feels lovely to see myself grow next to professionals in this career field every day.

I hope to report that I have completed my CISHRP certification on my next check-in. But until then, I’ll go back to hitting the books.

Till next time, your 2021 CML FS Recruitment Apprentice Jada!