As part of our campaign looking at the importance of finding a job you love, Pure’s Director and HR recruitment specialist Caroline Batchelor caught up with candidate Lisa Cowdrey. Having placed Lisa in the position of Learning and Organisational Development Manager at global science and chemicals company Johnson Matthey plc, which has offices based in Cambridge, Caroline took the opportunity to find out why Lisa loves her new role.

Why do you love this job?

I love it because I get to help people reach their fullest potential every day.

Why do you love working with Pure?

I love working with Pure because the team really understand what I’m passionate about. They always take the time to understand what my drivers and motivations are before introducing me to new career opportunities.

What do you think is the most important thing candidates should consider when trying to find a new job?

The most important thing is to understand why they want from a new position and what they are looking to find. If you don’t understand what you want from your next career move, you’ll go for things which don’t necessarily fit with your values and passions.  

What was your experience of being selected for this role and settling into a new position?

This role was initially for a fixed-term contract, which made it an interesting recruitment experience for me. I could see it would provide me with the new opportunities I was looking for. I wanted the chance to learn more, to explore my talents and to really test my skills.

Once I was in place, as always, there was also an initial period of adjustment to understand how a new organisation operates. I’m now nearing the end of my original fixed term contract and my boss has offered me a permanent role. If you are brave and push yourself out of your comfort zone and are not afraid to push others outside of theirs too, you might just get that permanent role you’re looking for. 

What can managers do to make sure that their teams love their jobs?

In my experience, people love working in teams that are empowered by their managers to make a difference. People want to be part of a team that has unwavering faith as a whole and in each other. They want to feel a real connection to the roles they’re performing and to understand where they fit in with the wider vision. It’s a manager’s role to give the team this vision and the confidence and the power to achieve it.

What are your top tips for people looking for a job they will love?

• Work out what it is that really excites you about a job
• Know your worth (and the current market value!)
• Check company reviews – do other people love working at your new potential company?
• Understand your own values and look for companies which align with them
• Be yourself – you can’t be anyone else, so don’t even try! You can’t love a job if you are having to pretend to be something you are not.
• Think about what gets you out of bed in the morning before saying yes to anything.
• Talk to people! You’ll often find if you can express what you value, what you want to be a part of, and what you’re looking for, someone in your network will be able to help you find it.

If you are looking for a job to love, contact our team for help and support in finding it. Our expert consultants are here to help you find the right match.