Our thoughts on recruitment, construction, engineering, and everything in between
After more than 20 years recruiting in the built environment, and interviewing well over 4,000 candidates, I've come to believe one thing above all: the most undervalued career skill isn't technical expertise or industry knowledge. It's self-awareness.
Every year like clockwork, the same thing happens. We hit the end of financial year, and suddenly the air thickens with passive-aggressive calendar invites titled "Annual Review". It's Salary Season. And if there's one thing I've learnt over 20 years in recruitment and about 4,000 face-to-face interviews, it's this: Almost no one thinks they're overpaid.…
In footy, it’s the guernsey that matters. Not just because it says, “You’re in the side,” but because it says, “We back you.” And in recruitment, especially in Melbourne’s construction and property sector, it’s not all that different. After 20 years of interviews, briefings, debriefings, and coffees, I reckon I’ve got a pretty good idea who makes the cut.
It’s April 2025. I’ve officially been in recruitment for two decades! That’s 20 years of dodgy CVs, nearly 4,000 candidate interviews, around 1,500 client meetings, panicked Monday-morning phone calls, clients asking for “unicorns but on a budget,” and candidates ghosting like I’d asked them to help me move house on a long weekend…
Recruitment is a funny old game. I've spent 20 years placing high performers into top-tier construction and property companies, witnessing hiring trends come and go, watching businesses thrive (or implode), and listening to more job-hunting stories than I care to count. In that time, I've come to one unavoidable truth: people don't always tell the full story.
If I had a dollar for every time a hiring manager complained about ‘entitled’ employees, I’d be on a yacht right now, sipping something expensive. But instead, I’m here to tell you why leadership—not whining—is the real game-changer.
Potential. It’s that magical word sprinkled over resumes and whispered in boardrooms. Employers claim they want it, candidates say they have it, and recruiters like me? Well, we’re often the ones tasked with unearthing it like archaeologists digging through a desert of generic CVs.
AI is everywhere. From helping us navigate morning traffic to crafting Instagram-worthy captions, it’s revolutionising industries, and recruitment is no exception.
There's been a lot of noise on social media lately, debating whether Gen Z is wrong for changing jobs early and often, all in pursuit of higher pay. Some say this is the natural way of the world now—why shouldn't they be chasing the coin? After all, we all work for money, right?
One of the most common questions employers ask when I present a candidate for a role is, 'Why are they open to a new opportunity?' As a recruiter, I've learned that the reasons candidates give for seeking new roles often differ greatly from how employers interpret those reasons.
After more than 20 years recruiting in the built environment, and interviewing well over 4,000 candidates, I've come to believe one thing above all: the most undervalued career skill isn't technical expertise or industry knowledge. It's self-awareness.
Every year like clockwork, the same thing happens. We hit the end of financial year, and suddenly the air thickens with passive-aggressive calendar invites titled "Annual Review". It's Salary Season. And if there's one thing I've learnt over 20 years in recruitment and about 4,000 face-to-face interviews, it's this: Almost no one thinks they're overpaid.…
In footy, it’s the guernsey that matters. Not just because it says, “You’re in the side,” but because it says, “We back you.” And in recruitment, especially in Melbourne’s construction and property sector, it’s not all that different. After 20 years of interviews, briefings, debriefings, and coffees, I reckon I’ve got a pretty good idea who makes the cut.
It’s April 2025. I’ve officially been in recruitment for two decades! That’s 20 years of dodgy CVs, nearly 4,000 candidate interviews, around 1,500 client meetings, panicked Monday-morning phone calls, clients asking for “unicorns but on a budget,” and candidates ghosting like I’d asked them to help me move house on a long weekend…
Recruitment is a funny old game. I've spent 20 years placing high performers into top-tier construction and property companies, witnessing hiring trends come and go, watching businesses thrive (or implode), and listening to more job-hunting stories than I care to count. In that time, I've come to one unavoidable truth: people don't always tell the full story.
If I had a dollar for every time a hiring manager complained about ‘entitled’ employees, I’d be on a yacht right now, sipping something expensive. But instead, I’m here to tell you why leadership—not whining—is the real game-changer.
Potential. It’s that magical word sprinkled over resumes and whispered in boardrooms. Employers claim they want it, candidates say they have it, and recruiters like me? Well, we’re often the ones tasked with unearthing it like archaeologists digging through a desert of generic CVs.
AI is everywhere. From helping us navigate morning traffic to crafting Instagram-worthy captions, it’s revolutionising industries, and recruitment is no exception.
There's been a lot of noise on social media lately, debating whether Gen Z is wrong for changing jobs early and often, all in pursuit...