Alumni Ben tells us about his time on the BA (Hons) History course at Leeds Beckett, and how now working as a Senior Recruitment Consultant, he’s supporting the next wave of humanities graduates.

• Course: BA (Hons) History

Tell us a bit about yourself and what you've been doing since you graduated

I had my job lined up months before graduation due to the opportunities given to me on my course at Leeds Beckett. I opted for a career in recruitment due to the impetus of being a ‘people’s person’ and having good communication skills. I am a sociable person and enjoy speaking to different people from day to day. In the simplest form, my job now as a Senior Recruitment Consultant is to look to fill vacancies/find people their ideal job role.

What have been the highlights and challenges of your career so far?

The highlights of my career so far would be getting to know peoples background, experiences and their job desires and matching them with suitable jobs. I am also currently working closely with the Career Service at Leeds Beckett University to source the next wave of graduates who don’t quite know what they want to go into but have the work ethic and desire to kickstart their career, without being tied down by course-specific qualifications.

How has your experience studying at Leeds Beckett influenced you and your career?

The history course was interesting, and I loved learning the different topics and units it offered. The layout of the course in terms of exams and coursework was also really appealing to me as I thought it was manageable and had a good variety of assessments. I learned a lot whilst studying the course, including skills that were key in my degree and key in the world of employment. There was a lot of group and solo presentations where communication was important. This is the same now in my role at G&E Partners where I need to communicate well to get candidates and clients on board.

What advice would you give someone thinking about studying this course?

Through my knowledge in recruitment, I think the most important thing is not limiting yourself to a specific career path as a graduate and being open to the many different routes you can go down with your new qualification and skills. I had no idea I wanted to go into recruitment before discovering it and if I had limited myself then, I wouldn’t be where I am now. It’s also really important to be as proactive as possible whilst given the opportunities at university, attend as many networking events and interviews as possible, get involved in class discussions and presentations, as these are great opportunities to practice your skills and can also give you a better idea as to what it is you’re looking for. If you have the work ethic and drive to succeed, regardless of your subject background, many career routes are possible if you have the correct skills.