Gillian O’Neil joined our Glasgow team at Rutherford Cross to focus on permanent senior finance appointments, specialising in the placement of recently and newly qualified accountants. Here, Gillian shares her experiences of her recruitment career so far, and what it’s like to work at Rutherford Cross.
Tell us about your education and career prior to joining Rutherford Cross.
“After graduating with a degree in Sports Development, I went on to gain my Level 3 Personal Trainer and 200-hour Yoga Teacher qualification. I then worked full-time as a Personal Trainer for a year before moving to Australia and spending a year progressing my career in the fitness industry out there. I worked for a busy gym in Sydney as a Membership Services Manager which was my first proper sales-focused role; I thoroughly enjoyed the fast-paced nature of it and continued to work in a gym as a General Manager for 4 years after my return back to Scotland, before considering making the move into Recruitment.”
What attracted you to join Rutherford Cross?
“To be completely honest, like many, I had never really thought about Recruitment as a career; but after being approached for the Consultant position, I started to do my research. It soon became apparent that there were many elements of working in Recruitment that I knew I would enjoy. The fast-paced and dynamic working environment, the autonomy of managing your own desk, and the networking opportunities. I have always loved helping people, and I wanted to challenge myself with helping people in a new way – with their careers!
“I remember the interview process at Rutherford Cross well. During the stages, I had the opportunity to speak with a number of the team who I would be working with closely. I got to hear from them about their roles and what life at Rutherford Cross was like. It was clear there was a team of very experienced recruiters within the business already, and I knew that I really would be learning from the best. I also loved how warm and friendly everyone I spoke with was and I got a really great feel for an extremely positive working culture right from the start.
“Rutherford Cross is a values-led business, and that was also brought to light throughout my interview process. These values strongly aligned with my own and it was clear to me from speaking with the team that these filtered down through everything that they did. The team were all passionate about doing their best to live by these values, which was something else that really attracted me to the business.”
How would you describe working at Rutherford Cross and Livingston James Group in general?
“I can confidently say that I have never worked with such a great bunch of people, and for me that is a huge part of what makes the work culture so amazing. I am surrounded by a supportive team who always want the best for each other, who are always striving to achieve, and who are also just good fun to be around and can have a bit a of laugh!
“Over the past two years, we have continued to employ a number of new consultants to continue to grow our presence within the market across the West, East and Central belt, and also starting to break into newer territories up North. It is a really exciting time for us, and I see plenty of opportunities for us as individuals and as a Group.
“Learning and development is something that is also always encouraged for the team. Recently we have been taking part in a weekly ‘LJ Learning Academy’ which is something that I have thoroughly enjoyed and noticed the benefits from in my day-to-day role. Overall, I think our working environment at Livingston James Group is an extremely positive one, which is massively down to the team.”
What has your time at Rutherford Cross enabled you to do?
“My time at Rutherford Cross has enabled me to further develop skills that I feel are important not just for working in recruitment, but also in any area of life – communication, time management, adaptability and resilience, to name just a few! Since starting at Rutherford Cross, I have gained a lot of market knowledge and benefited from many introductions from my colleagues.
“I have had the opportunity to build a strong network within the newly and recently qualified space across the West of Scotland, host and attend a number of events, as well as set up my own ‘Ladies in Finance‘ networking group within this space. I am also on the ‘Wellness Committee’ which helps promote health, fitness and wellness throughout our team through various initiatives such as weekly yoga sessions and a monthly lunch-club. In the New Year, I am looking forward to combining these areas and running some events with a ‘health and wellness’ focus, which is another great thing about working at Rutherford Cross: always having the support and encouragement there to make these kind of things happen!”
Outside of work what do you like to do?
“I have kept my passion for fitness and still very much enjoy going to the gym, running and doing yoga. I regularly run in the local park-run on Saturday mornings and also teach a weekly yoga class in the office. I love to travel and explore new cities, cultures and cuisines whenever I get the chance – especially in the sunnier climates!”
If you are looking for a new accounting or finance role, or you are looking to hire into your finance team, please reach out to Gillian for a confidential discussion: [email protected].
To find out more about careers at Rutherford Cross and the wider Livingston James Group, please contact [email protected] or [email protected].
