When I joined Thompson & Terry Recruitment as a fresh graduate in 2019, I certainly didn’t expect that exactly seven years later, I’d be independently leading the business day-to-day. 

It’s been an exciting, sometimes challenging, but ultimately incredible journey, and one that has been shaped by opportunity. Opportunity was exactly what I was promised in my very first interview with T&T, and ultimately, it was one of the biggest reasons I chose to join the business over other graduate opportunities that were initially offering a higher salary. 

Seven years later, I can confidently say that decision was the best career decision I could have made. 

What have I learned in my first 3 months leading the business? 

Leading a business is no small feat. 

I wasn’t completely naïve to what it involved, having spent 7 years working within a small business and directly alongside our former MD, Ben, I had seen first-hand the amount of work, dedication and, quite frankly, the rollercoaster of emotions that comes with running one. 

But watching someone lead a business and actually being the person responsible for leading it are two very different things. Suddenly, I was the person making the day-to-day decisions, supporting the team, thinking about the bigger picture and ultimately taking responsibility for the direction of the business. At the same time, the ‘comfort blanket’ of having Ben there to turn to was gone. 

It has undoubtedly been a learning curve, but it has also been one of the most rewarding periods of my career so far. 

How was I prepared to make the step up? 

The simple answer is that it didn’t happen overnight. 

Looking back, my progression at T&T has been less about promotions or job titles and much more about gradually being trusted with greater responsibility. From relatively early on in my career, I was given exposure to parts of the business that I perhaps wouldn’t have experienced as quickly elsewhere. I was encouraged to have an opinion, make decisions, learn from my mistakes and understand not only my own role, but how the wider business worked. 

There were plenty of times when I was given responsibility before I necessarily felt ready for it, but crucially, I always had the support, structure and leadership around me to succeed. Over time, that responsibility grew, and so did my confidence. So, when the opportunity came for me to take the lead day-to-day, it was obviously a huge step, but I wasn’t starting from scratch. In many ways, the previous seven years had been preparing me for it. 

That said, one of the biggest learning curves over the past three months has been understanding every moving part of a small business, not just recruitment. When you’re responsible for the bigger picture, you quickly realise just how many plates there are to keep spinning. 

Realising that leadership doesn’t mean having all the answers 

If I’m completely honest, before taking on the responsibility of leading the business, the imposter syndrome definitely kicked in. Could I genuinely do this? What if I failed? Did I know enough? Would I have the same influence on the team that Ben had? 

Three months on, I’ve realised that I was probably asking myself the wrong questions. For me, leadership isn’t about knowing everything or trying to do everything yourself. It’s about building the right team around you, trusting people to do what they’re brilliant at and creating an environment where everyone can thrive. 

In just three months, we’ve welcomed Izzy and Ellie into the business, and both are already having such a positive impact while working towards their own goals. Nicky has also been an incredible support to both me and the wider team, she consistently goes above and beyond and has taken on an increasingly important role within the business. 

Watching the team develop has probably taught me one of my biggest lessons so far; a leader’s success isn’t just measured by what they personally achieve, but by what the people around them are able to achieve too. Our people have always been our biggest asset at T&T and stepping into this position has only reinforced just how important that is to the success of a small business. 

As a business, our values have remained completely the same. We’ve continued to place the very best candidates in the roles we are working on, we’ve received incredible feedback from existing clients, built relationships with some amazing new clients and had some real success stories so far. I am beyond excited for the next chapter and seeing where T&T will go. 

What I’d tell 21-year-old me: 

If I could go back and speak to the graduate who walked into T&T 7 years ago, I’d tell her that choosing opportunity over the highest starting salary was one of the best career decisions she could have made. I certainly didn’t expect that opportunity would eventually mean leading the business, but perhaps that’s the whole point. You don’t always need to know exactly where an opportunity will take you. Sometimes, you just need to recognise when you’ve found the right place to grow, someone who genuinely believes in you, and grab the opportunity with both hands. 

E: aoife@thompsonandterry.co.uk
T: 01235 797 177