Candidate Testimonial: From Conversation to Career Opportunity – Ken’s Story

When Ken first spoke with Hartley People, there wasn’t a suitable role for his background at the time.

Rather than ending the conversation there, the Hartley People team took a deep dive into his experience, what he was looking for at the next stage of his career and why he wanted to build that next chapter in the South East.

That relationship eventually led to an opportunity with an established arts organisation in the South East. Even though the role wasn’t an obvious match on paper, Ken’s experience internationally, creative background and leadership skills made him a strong fit.

As with Ken’s case, effective recruitment isn’t always about matching a CV to a job description. It’s about understanding the person, building relationships and recognising the right opportunity when it comes along.

“Sometimes the right opportunity isn’t the one with the job title you were originally searching for.”

Starting with a Conversation

Ken’s first interaction with Hartley People came before there was a specific role that fitted his background.

“What I appreciated was that the conversation wasn’t simply, ‘We don’t have anything for you right now, so we’ll call you if something comes up.’ They took the time to understand my experience, but also what I was looking for at this stage of my career and why I wanted to stay in the South East.”

With an international career behind him, Ken understood that finding the right opportunity locally might take time. What stood out was the open and realistic advice he received from the beginning. “I never felt that they were trying to push me towards a role simply because it was available.”

Having worked internationally with professional recruiters and headhunters throughout his career, Ken had a clear understanding of what a strong recruitment relationship should look like. What stood out about Hartley People was the approach.

“What stood out about Hartley People was their willingness to look beyond the obvious match between a CV and a job description. My background is quite international and not necessarily typical for the South East, so they took the time to understand not only what I had done, but what I wanted to do next and why I wanted to build the next stage of my career here.”

Looking Beyond the CV

When the opportunity with an established arts organisation eventually came up, it wasn’t necessarily the obvious next step based on Ken’s previous job titles. But once he understood what the role involved, the connection became clear.

Much of Ken’s career had involved bringing together creativity, strategy, people and different stakeholders to make complex projects happen. He had worked with artists and creative communities, led multidisciplinary teams and managed projects across a variety of countries and cultures.

The matched role offered an opportunity to bring that experience into a new environment, while also allowing Ken to work closer to home. “They [Hartley People] recognised a connection that wasn’t immediately obvious on paper.”

Looking back, Ken says the opportunity was exactly what he had been searching for. After more than 20 years working across advertising, technology and international creative businesses, he wasn’t looking to simply repeat the same career path with another international agency or global brand. He wanted to take his experience somewhere new, contribute in a different way and feel more connected to the place where he lives.

“I didn’t want to simply repeat the last 20 years with another international agency or global brand. I wanted to take that experience and use it somewhere where I could contribute in a new way, continue learning myself, and feel more connected to the place where I live.”

A New Chapter

Today, Ken says things are going really well in his new role. What excites him most is the opportunity to enter a new environment where his previous experience allows him to contribute from day one, while still giving him the chance to learn.

He is particularly looking forward to working more closely with arts community and bringing his international experience and perspective into that environment. “After more than 20 years in advertising, technology and international creative businesses, that is quite refreshing.”

Recruitment That Looks Beyond the Job Title

For Ken, the experience demonstrated the value of having a conversation with a recruiter, even when there isn’t an obvious vacancy available. His advice to other senior candidates is simple: don’t assume there has to be a perfect job available today for a conversation to be worthwhile.

“A good recruiter shouldn’t just look at your last job title and search for the same one somewhere else. They should understand what you can bring, where you want to go next, and recognise an opportunity when those two things come together.”

That’s exactly what happened in Ken’s case. There wasn’t an obvious vacancy when he first spoke with Hartley People. Instead, the team took the time to understand his experience, stayed in touch and, once the right opportunity appeared, connected the dots.

Sometimes the right career move starts with a conversation before there’s even a job to apply for.