As a recruiter, building a relationship with my clients and candidates is one of the most important aspects of my role – in order to find the best possible opportunities that are out there. Ironically, I realise that a lot of you don’t know about me or my own background, so this blog post is my chance to do that.
Born and bred in the Midlands, a career in fashion has always been in my blood. I was raised in a Hindu family who had their own clothing factory. Tragically, I lost my mum at the age of 17, so myself, my two older brothers and younger sister really came together with my father to build our own support system.
Going through something so tragic as the loss of a parent is an experience that defines you, and losing that maternal figure at such a young age forced me to become wise beyond my years. This built the strong-willed, determined woman that I am today- traits I ensure to put into my own business.
When it came to deciding my own career decisions, whilst encouraged to join the family trade, I wanted the opportunity to travel down my own path, and chose to study in order to give myself a deeper knowledge of the fashion industry. After looking at many fashion courses I decided on Manchester, and joined the class of 1991 in Clothing Management at Manchester Metropolitan University. It was a different time – Asian women weren’t as encouraged to study as they are now, so it was a real fight for me to be allowed to do this – but of course I got there in the end!
Once leaving university I was keen to get straight into work, and my first entry level fashion job was in buying, which I happily did for two years. The steadfast woman who I am – I was keen to keep growing in my professional roles, and an opportunity in fashion recruitment came along. From when I started this in 1996, I never looked back – and knew the marriage of fashion and helping people was the perfect job for myself.
I started my own company in 2005 – after marriage and having two daughters I was keen to have the opportunity to become my own manager; as well as having the flexibility of working at home when in charge of a busy family of four!
When it came to creating business for myself, I was fortunate to already have a contact book filled with details of fashion companies in Manchester, but it was also up to me to nurture these relationships in a competitive field, and I’m proud to say I’ve achieved this for the past 14 years. I’m not looking to become the biggest fashion recruitment agency in Manchester, what’s more important to me is providing a key one-to-one service, and finding the best roles for the best people.
My experience comes from being surrounded and immersed in fashion for my whole life. I work with a range of clients, be it recent graduates or CEO’s. Status to me is unimportant, as I treat every individual the same and give them an equal amount of my attention. From my years in this field I’ve become trusted by my clients, which include some of the biggest industry names in Manchester – and have also worked with businesses more further afield, in London, Dubai, and China.
With no signs of slowing down and an increasingly difficult and competitive industry ahead, it is my personal promise to you that I will help you seek the right role, guiding you to the best possible opportunities in the North West and beyond.
TOP TIPS FOR APPROACHING A RECRUITER
Look at the opportunities I have available. Whilst it is my job to help you be placed in the right role, it’s useful for me to know where you could see yourself. If there isn’t currently anything that seems right – tell me what you’re looking for and we can work from there
Be honest! Over the years I’ve worked with hundreds of individuals of all personalities, shapes and sizes. In order to keep growing I need to gather feedback, both positive and negative, so tell me if there’s something you like or dislike about my service.