A one month check-in with our PCN Academy
Over the past few weeks, our 5 Graduate Recruitment consultants have had an exciting introduction to all things Recruitment! From learning the ropes from their mentors, diving into candidate calls, familiarising themselves with our tools and getting to know the rest of the team — we couldn’t have asked for a better start to our programme. Before branching out into their specialisations, we caught up with Kevin, Gilles, Tafara, Sophie and Tahnee who share more about their experiences from their first month at PCN. Jump in!
Q1. What has been the highlight of your month so far?
Kevin: The highlight of my first month at PCN has been choosing my specialty in Fraud, Risk and Compliance.
Gilles: The highlight of this month has been to get on the phone and learn hands on what it means to be a recruiter. The theory behind recruitment is important, but at the end of the day as long as you don’t practice it you won’t master it.
Tafara: My highlight has been joining the PCN projects team.
Sophie: The biggest highlight for me has been to meet the team. Even though it has been a weird start to the grad program with a (fairly) empty office, we were still able to meet every single team member over video calls, which has been amazing. Additionally, I think it is super cool that us five Grads have become so close, and we are able to rely on each other during the first weeks.
Tahnee: Candidate calls!
Q2. What has been your biggest challenge?
Kevin: My biggest challenge has been managing all the applications that we use at once. I frequently find myself switching between them.
Gilles: Not having any background in recruitment, I struggled a bit at first to understand and remember the different processes used in the recruitment industry.
Tafara: The biggest challenge is getting used to a full schedule and managing time well.
Sophie: Getting familiar with all the processes and the ins and outs of the company. In the first weeks I experienced information overload, now I am trying to structure all of this and get to know as much as possible about PCN.
Tahnee: Candidate calls! 😉
Q3. What is it about recruiting that excites you?
Kevin: The opportunity to build a network of colleagues and friends in the city that I love and beyond!
Gilles: I would consider myself a person that has good social skills in comparison to my technical skills. However, I always considered social skills to be of less use than technical skills. In the recruitment industry this is not the case, my social skills are highly valued.
Tafara: Meeting and talking to all kinds of different people.
Sophie: Regarding recruitment, talking to so many different people with different backgrounds and experiences is what excites me the most. Every day is a challenge, and every call is different, which makes it such an interesting field.
Tahnee: Getting to talk to people and get to know their story.
Q4. How are you liking the PCN Culture?
Kevin: The Culture at PCN has been incredible since day one. The team has given me all the support I could ask for and have done it in a motivating, collaborative and fun way.
Gilles: I love the PCN culture! I get out of bed with a smile on my face and going to work is super enjoyable. Everyone is super friendly and genuinely caring. In addition, the 4-day work week enables me to work on personal projects which I would have not been able to if I only had a two day weekend.
Tafara: PCN culture is amazing and we have been embraced by everyone.
Sophie: The PCN culture has even been better than my expectations, already from the application process I noticed that PCN is not like any other company. The informal style of working and always making time to help others is what I love about PCN. Another thing I noticed is that some team members are very very competitive and sensitive regarding ping pong.
Tahnee: It’s friendly and open, so I like it a lot.
Q5. What has been your favorite part of joining the PCN team?
Kevin: My favorite part about the PCN team has been joining the four other graduate recruiters. It feels like the five of us are a team within a bigger team and I rely on them when I have questions or concerns.
Gilles: I really like the autonomy that I received at PCN. Although I’m the rookiest of the rookies, I was still handed responsibilities almost right away.
Tafara: Learning so many new things and getting to use what we have learnt in such a short period of time.
Sophie: 100% the people and the vibe.
Tahnee: All the new knowledge I’ve acquired in just a month. And, of course, the 4-day work week!
For more updates on our PCN Academy, keep an eye on our website or give us a follow on LinkedIn or Instagram!
Looking to join our team? Check out PCN’s Careers Page.
Looking to join our September intake of #PCNAcademy? Click here.
