This is an unusual story but also a very satisfying one for our 2 consultants involved.  Philip had been out of work for 18 months and was constantly being rejected.  The main reason for this was that he had invoked a grievance procedure against his previous employer for unfair dismissal.  The initial contacts we'd had with Philip lead us to believe that he was a genuine person and so we invited him in to hear what he had to say.  His story was totally credible (we did have some inside knowledge about his circumstances) and we decided to actively promote him.

One of our best clients who trusts us totally decided he would see Phillip based on our recommendations.   Philip was appointed and is now ensconced in his new role and all parties are very happy. The story has an even happier ending too as Philip was totally exonerated having been unjustly maligned by his previous boss.

Seeking a career move John contacted our consultant Kerrie Brindle to see what we could do for him.  Having listened to his circumstances, Kerrie recommended the candidate to use our career map to help him plan his next move and to ensure that the option he took was right for him.  Having completed the map and reviewed it with Kerrie, she was able to find him an opportunity which promised to meet all of his aspirations and he had no hesitation in taking the appointment.

Shirley Parsons Associates placed Lucy with a major Utilities Group as an Occupational Health Manager. We found Lucy through our extensive network via a series of referrals. Lucy told us that things weren't working out in her present role and she was keen to find something different and challenging. Our consultant met Lucy to discuss in depth what she wanted out of her career and how she would fit into various working environments. Having worked closely with the client, our consultant knew right away that Lucy would fit into the role and the team with ease. After a successful interview, Lucy was offered the role in December 2008, less than a month after we had originally approached her.

Bill summarises what happened: "In January 2008, I left my previous company and contacted Shirley, who I'd known for 10 years by then. I told her what I was looking for and settled down to take some time off. Three months later after much research on my behalf Shirley came up trumps, helping me land a job that ticked all the boxes.  I became Policy & Compliance Manager for a major Construction Group, responsible for group SQE Policy, management systems, risk management, OH and compliance strategy. There is a great ‘feel' about the company and it's an excellent place to be".

Bill is another example of the personal benefits of using a talent broker like Shirley Parsons Associates - not only does the job tick all the right boxes for him, but it has the right feel that can only be matched from personal client- and candidate bridging and liaison.

We met Enda in February 2007 following an approach by him and spent time understanding his situation with his present employer.  We kept in touch on a regular basis and eventually found him a good opportunity with one of our clients. Although above budget, we were confident about the match and encouraged the client to interview him based on our understanding of the quality of the match.  Enda joined soon after as Director of Health and Safety.

Calum had a great CV, good enough that it kept getting him through to interview stage. However, after several interviews and not a single decent offer, Calum was losing momentum and enthusiasm – two vital elements in a jobseeker’s success.

Then he came to Aylesbury to see us. Our Divisional Business Manager Gerry Pearson saw Calum to gain a personal understanding of his motivations, abilities and qualities that cannot be gleaned from just a CV. From this more informed perception, Gerry put Calum forward for a role with one of his clients in the construction industry.  This may not have seemed a perfect match from the information on his CV alone.

He gave Calum specific and general interview coaching and pointed out where he could improve his performance and the reasons that he was not doing himself justice. The client was very impressed at interview and Calum was hired shortly after. Both client and candidate are still very happy with the match. Calum's move illustrates the importance of meeting people face-to-face.

Angela had taken time out to bring up her children and was seeking entry back into the world of work within the H&S industry.  Recognising a potential match, Shona, one of our Divisional Business Managers already had a brief from Nottingham County Council for someone just like Angela.  Angela was duly introduced and is still happily in the position.

Eric explains how we helped.  "Ownership changes with my previous company compromised operations and H&S took a back seat.  Somewhat frustrated, I turned to Shirley Parsons to help me find another job.  It didn't take very long and within 3 months I joined the L&Q Housing Trust in 2008 as Head of H&S.  I've since recruited a new H&S team with the help of Shirley Parsons and we're now implementing a five-year ‘sensible' H&S strategy.

James had a BSc in Building Surveying and was working with a large Consultancy as a Construction Health and Safety consultant.

James wanted to move into a CDM-C role and approached us to discuss how he could do this.  We said the first step was to speak to his current employer and discuss how he could get involved in CDM projects.  His boss wasn't keen for James to develop this way, so James came back to us. We suggested he attend the APS meetings as an opportunity to network and to find out more about opportunities out there for him.

In the meantime, a large Construction Consultancy in the City had recently recruited a couple of CDM-C's.  Through regular contact with the client, we mentioned James' details.  Because we know the client well, we asked him to meet with James as a career mentor initially, rather than a formal interview. We knew that James would fit well into the organisation and hoped that once the client had met him he would also recognise this even though he wasn't actively recruiting.  It worked and James joined them shortly after as a Consultant.  He has since been promoted to Associate Director.

Anthony was due to retire from the Fire Service after 30 years service. He wanted to get into a commercial environment but felt companies were put off by his enforcement background. This is when he approached us. We met with him to go through what he was looking for in his next role and to discuss the type of roles that may be of interest.  We worked together to identify roles that were suitable for him. We were working with a Housing Association who was looking to expand its Health and Safety team and recruit a Fire Officer.

The client was very clear about the type of person that he was looking for and he didn't want someone who took an enforcement approach, he wanted someone who took an enabling approach. We sent the candidate's details to the client and initially the client discounted him. We then met with the client and went through our meeting with Anthony and explained how we had structured our questioning around Anthony's approach to his work, asking for examples etc. We recommended that the client meet Anthony, on the basis of the culture fit and his approach. He was interviewed and promptly offered the role. He has fitted very well into the organisation and is now working on national fire strategies for the business.