Michelle’s Story: From Uncertainty to Opportunity
After more than seven years in the same role, Michelle unexpectedly found herself facing the threat of redundancy. With a company acquisition underway and restructuring almost inevitable, her future suddenly felt uncertain.
Rather than wait for events to unfold, Michelle chose to take control and opted for voluntary redundancy.
But like many professionals who have been settled in a role for years, the modern recruitment landscape felt completely unfamiliar.
Things had changed.
- LinkedIn and social platforms had become key tools for job seeking
- Job boards had multiplied- where do you start?
- Hiring processes had evolved
- CV expectations were very different
- Candidate competition was fiercer than ever
Understandably, it was a daunting and uncertain time.
Drawing on my 27 years of recruitment experience, including time spent hiring from the employer side of the table, I worked closely with Michelle to help her reposition herself confidently in the market.
Together, we:
✔ Rebuilt and optimised her professional profile
✔ Created meaningful social content clearly communicating her availability, career goals and aspirations
✔ Developed a strong, realistic, ATS-friendly CV designed to showcase both her experience and exactly what she wanted from her next role
✔ Focused her search on the right opportunities, in the right locations, with the flexibility she needed to balance work and home life
The results within just two weeks were remarkable:
➡ Over 4,000 views on her LinkedIn availability post
➡ Direct approaches from industry specialist recruiters
➡ Interest from competitor organisations within her sector
➡ Two firm job offers
➡ A further opportunity still under discussion
Most importantly, Michelle now had options.
The Outcome
Michelle accepted a role local to home, offering hybrid flexibility and even a slight salary increase.
But the bigger result was something less tangible and far more important.
She regained her confidence.
She regained control over her future.
And she regained certainty around her career and job security.
“I had great support from Glen, as I really didn’t know where to start. Searching for jobs had changed so much since the last time I had the need to look. He helped me modernise and change my mindset on what stands out. His approach revolved around making me discoverable and attractive to potential employers and recruiters in my industry (MRO sector). He also helped me formulate a plan, and focus on what I wanted from my next role. Glen mentored me right through the whole process, including interviews and job offers. His input was invaluable and I thank him for his professionalism and sharing his expert advice with me.” Michelle
Stories like Michelle’s are exactly why recruitment will always be “people centric” and whilst technology will continue it’s ever evolving journey, it’s important to remember hiring is not just about filling vacancies. It’s about people and their livelihoods and helping them navigate uncertainty, overcome change, recognise their value, and make informed career decisions with confidence.
Helping Michelle through this process inspired me to look at how we might be able to expand our help, and whilst we can’t practically assist everyone on the candidate market, it has driven me to create something new.
I want to introduce our new free initiative – The GCA Supported Talent Programme.
Finally, thank you Michelle for allowing us to share your story, everyone at GCA wishes you well in your new role.
I have over 27 years of experience gained in specialist recruitment for the global automotive aftermarket and allied sectors, at all levels. The hiring landscape is changing at lightning speed, and I’m noticing that more and more candidates are in need of extra support and advice to understand how to approach job seeking in a world where it’s not just about applying to an advert.
Alongside the support I already give candidates day to day as part of the recruitment role, I’ve been inspired to develop a more advanced programme to assist those who need extra support. Designed to help candidates look at hiring through the eyes of a recruiter or hiring Manager, I’m offering key pointers to aid career and job searching prospects for those really in need. Having worked with several jobseekers, Michelle included, who have struggled to navigate the job search space, this initiative is all about how to help them get noticed by Recruiters like myself.
Glen Shepherd, Recruitment Director
Want to learn more?
Welcome to our Supported Talent Programme
