Making the Move from Operations to Executive Search Research

Research Associate, Claire Feld discusses her experience joining Livingston James Group, sharing highlights from her latest move from our Group support function into our executive search team.

Group Admin and Operations

In September 2022, I began my career in recruitment after graduating from the University of Strathclyde with a First Class Honours in Philosophy, Politics and Economics. What initially drew me to Livingston James Group was the purpose-led and value-driven environment in which the business operates. I firstly joined the business as the Group Admin and Operations Assistant and have recently been promoted to Research Associate.

Joining the business in the Group support function gave me a great grounding within the recruitment industry and exposure to a large variety of processes within the business: compliance, event management and business support to consultants across the Group, to name a few. I learnt a huge amount working alongside Francesca, who is in charge of Group Operations, and found the experience very insightful.

Making the Move to Research

Research has always been an area I have been keen to pursue a career in, and thanks to the support of the Group and the focus that is placed on professional development, I was promoted to Research Associate earlier this year. I have really enjoyed the transition and have already learnt so much by working so closely with a number of skilled Recruitment Consultants and our Head of Research, Kirsty.

I have really enjoyed the new perspective that the role of Research Associate has given me on the recruitment process, and the added responsibility of dealing with both internal and external stakeholders. Kirsty has shown me both how important it is to, and the process of, sourcing high calibre candidates and developing deeper insights into the market to share with consultants and clients, ensuring first-class delivery. My experience as Group Admin & Operations Assistant, coupled with the skills I gained throughout my degree, have allowed me to feel confident in the thoroughness with which I can map the market and utilise the tools at my disposal.

I have found it extremely rewarding to be an integral part of the recruitment process and building potential candidate pools. As a Research Associate, I am lucky enough to learn a little about a lot of different businesses and industries, and I look forward to building on this knowledge as my career in recruitment progresses.

If you are interested in joining our team as a Consultant or a Researcher, please send a copy of your CV to [email protected] for review and assessment, or visit our careers page for more information.