VWA Candidate Journeys: New Stories, Fresh Insights

"They are a proactive and thoughtful company who collaborate with their candidates to find the best fit roles."

In our second edition of VWA's Candidate Journeys series, we put the questions to another one of our brilliant candidates, Abbie Wheeler. VWA initially helped Abbie secure her first London job as a PA within a school. When the time was right, we were delighted that Abbie returned to us for assistance again. Second time around, we helped Abbie progress into an Executive Assistant role within a larger corporate environment.

Could you tell us a bit about your career background and the role you were seeking when you connected with VWA?

"I had worked various jobs and lived abroad for 2 years and was really trying to work out what industry I wanted to work in with the skills I had. My previous job was a Travel Consultant, where I loved the organisation and planning of the role but found the sales and intensity of making money quite tricky. I was ready to make a move to London, but found the job market a bit overwhelming, and was unsure where to start when I didn’t even know what job I wanted anymore. I knew I enjoyed organisation, planning itineraries, management and talking with people so thought I would focus on office administration roles. 

I connected with VWA as they had a lot of administration and PA roles on their website, and that’s when Samantha got in touch to help me out. I ended up securing my first job in London with VWA as a Personal Assistant which I loved and learnt a lot. After 2 years when I was ready to find a new role, I returned to VWA who were delighted to help me once more. I then found my next job that was a step up for my career and has progressed me into an Executive Assistant with a larger company looking after Directors."

What initially attracted you to VWA, and why did you decide to use a recruitment consultancy in your job search?

"Their website was very easy to navigate, and they had a lot of roles that were tailored to my interests and within the salary I was initially looking for. Job hunting is a job within itself at times, and I thought I should reach out to a few recruitment agencies to help get my CV out to further companies. 

Initially I thought recruitment agencies would help support my job search, so I didn’t feel so overwhelmed by applications and no replies. 3 years later, I now always recommend recruitment agencies (specifically VWA), as I believe they can get your foot through the door and build up a positive image for you ahead of first interview. I felt drawn to VWA due to the people. I spoke with Samantha first who was very personable and showed interest in getting to know me, my previous experience and what skills I could bring to a new role. She showed a real interest and enthusiasm at helping me find a new role and it made me feel confident that I had her support, and she would find roles suited to my skillset and character. Samantha took time to interview me and really focus on what my strengths were and gave me confidence about a realistic salary I should be aiming for. This made me feel like I could really trust VWA and that the people here were ready to help me find work. Further staff at VWA started sending me roles and they were all very bubbly and enthusiastic to work with me. 

I never felt pressure to say yes to an advert they sent and they also were positive to send me more roles or ask more questions about what I liked or didn’t like about a job spec. This was so different to other agencies I was initially in contact with as they wouldn’t keep in touch, didn’t take the time to find out who I was and what I was looking for in a new job."

How would you describe your experience working with the VWA team? Was there anything in particular that stood out to you?

"Oh honestly I cannot say enough kind things about VWA! I recommend this company to anyone and everyone looking for a role. They are such approachable, kind people who show a genuine interest in you and finding you a role that suits both you and the employer. Even when I found a new job through them, they checked before I said yes, to ask me what I liked about the company, if I wanted to keep looking, and then did a month check in after I was hired. They took their time to find a role that was looking for my skills but also suited who I was. They have long standing clients who constantly revert to VWA to look for new hires, and this also made me feel confident they were a great company who focused on quality of candidate and company. I was so happy and had such a good experience finding my first initial role with VWA, that when I was ready to progress, I went back to them to find my next job. Once again, I felt encouraged when I was looking for a new challenge and VWA were great at being realistic and matching jobs to my skills so I was progressing in my career.

Three things really stood out for during the process of working with VWA. Firstly, it was their first contact with me and arranging an interview before taking me on as a candidate. I really admired this aspect as they want to know your previous experience and your character so they can highlight this to the employer. It showed me that they are looking for people who are committed to the job hunt process and are determined to succeed and do their best. From my perspective it showed they had an interest in who I was, so they could match job adverts to my suitability and expectations.

Secondly, they were realistic and patient whilst providing me job adverts. I was aware when I was first looking for a role I was in a quiet period of the job market, and VWA helped me know that this may take a bit of time but they will send through anything they thought was a good match. They don’t overwhelm you with emails and they check in, should they send through an ad to see if you’re interested. I appreciated that the jobs were tailored to my skillset and interests, and they did not push me if I said no.

Thirdly, after interviews VWA will call you to check in about how it went. This was such a nice relief to know you could de-brief after the interview and feel supported with what the verdict would be. It felt like through the whole process you were working with good people who were rooting for you to get the right role."

Did VWA support you in identifying roles you hadn’t previously considered, or help clarify the type of position that suited you best?

"During my interview process with Samantha, I explained my skillset and that I was open to various industries as I knew PA, organisation and office management were where my interests lie. Samantha was great at discussing different industries, why I was interested in them, and fine tuning the search area. When VWA emailed through job adverts they included a brief of each company which helped me identify new roles and companies I had not thought of. They were great at explaining the companies and giving me a good idea of what each job would entail. If I had any questions, they would respond to me quickly or reach out to the company to find an answer. I felt they were super helpful and really tried to expand my opportunities by providing various roles. 

Samantha recommended that I look for PA and office administration initially as a lot of my strengths and enjoyment from work were suited to these roles. My first VWA role was as a PA in a school and my second role VWA found me was as an EA in a larger corporate firm. I really enjoyed what I do now and wouldn’t have been able to narrow down my career path if it wasn’t for what VWA offered."

How did the VWA team help you through the recruitment process, from application to interview preparation?

"Every step of the way VWA supported me. From first getting in contact, they built a rapport with me and helped me with every next step until I found my role. They are great at keeping in contact through email and phone calls. Their email providing job specs along with interview preparation were well laid out, detailed and informative. They are very friendly over email and on the phone so I felt I could ask them all questions and they were ready to help. Their feedback calls after interviews were super helpful and allowed me to debrief and feel like I had people rooting for me during the process. They were efficient when gaining answers from companies and were so delighted when I received an offer. I think from start to finish VWA are team players and carry their candidates through to job offers. I felt so relieved to have them help me with finding a new role."

What aspects of VWA’s approach did you find most helpful, and how did it differ from other recruitment experiences you may have had?

"The contact and process of providing job adverts was a lot more focused on quality of candidate and if the role matched my suitability. With other agencies I felt like they didn’t get to know who I was and they rarely kept in contact with job offers. One company who I spoke to didn’t email me for 2 months then provided me a job spec after I already had secured a new position through VWA! VWA were vigilant and showing me options consistently and keeping me positive that new roles were out there. They actively support you through each step of the process and keep you updated on new roles or any feedback during interview stages. 

They are a proactive and thoughtful company who collaborate with their candidates to find the best fit roles."

How has your career progressed since securing your role through VWA, and what impact has the role had on your professional development?

"I have found my last two roles with VWA as I felt I had such great support and success with finding my first role and when I was ready to move on, they helped me once again to find another opportunity for me. By using VWA I have been able to find new roles that have strengthened my skillset and allowed me to achieve a career with growing responsibility and increasing salary. 

Searching for a new job can be tough and mentally draining, however VWA made it so much easier to access different job vacancies and get my foot through the door to an interview stage. It has massively impacted how comfortable I feel if I need to look for a role, as VWA offers you the support you need to not feel overwhelmed by the job market."

Would you recommend VWA to other job seekers, and if so, what would you say to them about working with VWA?

"Always, they are my top recommendation. From the first initial phone call to even after securing a role, I had their help and positivity every step of the way. They are a welcoming, helpful and determined company, who consistently strive to achieve for their candidates. I’ve had friends who have unfortunately not had great experiences with other recruitment companies, and I’m thankful I found VWA and they have taken me on as a candidate. VWA make you feel supported, they tailor jobs to what you are looking for and provide you job opportunities that will boost your career path."

If Abbie's experience resonates with you and you’re looking for your next opportunity, we’d love to help. Get in touch with the VWA team today or explore our live jobs board to find a role that matches your skills and aspirations.

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