About

Holly Archer spent five years studying for a degree in Applied Physiology and Sports Management, with a minor Advertising. She went on to achieve a 100 per cent track and cross-country scholarship to South Methodist University in Texas where she completed a Masters in Advertising.

Challenge

When Holly returned to Suffolk she took a role as a Digital Marketing Executive. However, she did not feel this was the right career step and she was looking for advice and support in finding a role where she would be able to fulfil her full potential. Sadly, Holly was feeling disheartened by her experience with other recruitment agencies. She found the online approach too formulaic and impersonal and felt she was being shoehorned into interviews and put forward for roles which offered no room for growth.

Solution

Joanna Bromwich, Learning and Development Co-ordinator at Pure, arranged to meet with Holly to find out more about her and to discuss her career ambitions. Having met with Holly face-to-face, Joanna felt there was a real disconnect between Holly’s CV and her actual experience. She helped Holly to adapt her CV to bring out more about her as a person, and her experience outside of work, which would reveal a lot more to a potential employer.

Holly said: “Joanna really listened to what I had to say. I felt reassured that together we would make sure that my next job would be the right one for me.”

When Joanna put Holly forward for the role of Global Marketing Associate at Cycle Pharmaceuticals in Cambridge, Holly was initially worried. She knew her experience to date meant she wouldn’t be able to tick all the boxes set out in the job description. But having met with the Nicki Giles, Financial Controller at Cycle Pharmaceuticals, Joanna knew that the company’s main priority was finding someone with the right attitude for the organisation. They were looking for someone with a passion for learning and had committed to invest in any additional training needed for the right person. 

Joanna said: “Holly was refreshingly honest about wanting to learn. Her attitude and approach made me feel this would be a good match for both client and candidate. I knew Holly had the right attitude for what they were looking for.”

Nicki Giles added: “Holly was very honest in the interview about what she did and didn’t have experience of. However, it was her passion and desire to learn which set her apart from the other candidates. She wasn’t the most experienced, but we felt the skills could be learnt whereas the personality and attitude need to be right.” 

Benefit

Now Holly is in a role where she is being mentored by someone with direct experience and knowledge, helping her to progress and learn.

Holly said: “I now love coming into work every day. I’m applying my education, but I also have the opportunity to be a sponge and to learn every day. Joanna made me realise the importance of understanding what a person can bring to a role is sometimes over and above their skills and experience. Pure really take time to match people to the right jobs.”