A Day in the Life of an Isle of Man Recruiter
Rachel Shepherd of Orchard Recruitment answers some of our questions on what it is like to work as part of a recruitment agency in the Isle of Man.
Are there many differences between looking for a job in the Isle of Man compared to the UK?
Yes, is the basic answer, and here’s why: The majority of Isle of Man employers consider all qualifications, going all the way back to the likes of GCSEs. So do take the time to fully disclose all qualifications in your CV, with the most senior qualifications at the top, and ensure you disclose all subject and grades.
“The process is quicker in the UK because recruiters operate differently and are not as in-depth with their registration process as we are on the Island.”
Don’t expect just a few minutes on the phone as you would in the UK – instead an in depth face-to-face meeting. In the UK, clients more often than not will want to hold an initial telephone interview. Here they just want to meet you. It demonstrates your commitment to relocating to the Island, which really matters to the hirers. It costs time and money for the HR Departments to go through the recruitment and work permit application process. They also will have had to consider Isle of Man Workers in the first instance, so will need a little convincing that you are ready to make the move. So, if you are offered an interview, be prepared to be asked to fly over to attend. We have a lot of local recruitment agencies per head, as well as a few UK agencies that cover recruitment on the Island. This means agencies can cross over and deal with the same vacancies from the same companies. Each agency has their own USP, so choose only a few agencies to work on your behalf, according to your requirements and skill set, not theirs.
What does the Isle of Man have to offer in terms of job opportunities?
Historically the Island’s job market has been dominated by the finance sector. However, there are also many opportunities in engineering, e-gaming, payroll solutions, hospitality and support services.
“Vacancies range from Managing Directors to Head Chefs, Accountants to Compliance Officers and from Nurses to Sales Managers.”
How easy is the process of relocating to the Island for work?
The emotional process depends on a few variables. Firstly, the individual may have friends and family here already and will have already visited many times and know the Island. The physical process of relocating is straight forward, but for work, I would say; don’t always expect it to happen as quickly as it does in your home country. This is because you have a number of things to organise – getting an Isle of Man bank account, a local phone number, your car re-registered and a place of residence that will demonstrate your commitment to the Island; not only to potential employers, but the Work Permit Committee.
What’s the Isle of Man job market like compared to the Mainland?
The complete hiring process from initial vacancy opening to job offer is actually much quicker on the Isle of Man - at least half the time. The current Isle of Man unemployment figure is virtually at zero – compare this to the UK, where most weeks we usually have at least one person come to us having just been made redundant.
What does a typical day look like for you?
We start our morning checking overnight emails before we leave the house, as we receive overseas enquiries from clients and candidates alike. We then manage any immediate issues before we spend time meeting and speaking with clients who want to discuss their recruitment strategy, with people job-hunting, others preparing for interview and individuals looking for career or relocation advice.
“Every day we spend a lot of time talking with people from all over the world – wanting to discuss job opportunities here, and asking us what Island life is really like."
We also have catch-up calls with our BDMs and Social Media Team, to ensure all sales and marketing functions are aligned in our various jurisdictions, as we have clients throughout Britain, the Isle of Man and even Brussels and Poland at the moment. Then there are the events we attend, promoting the Island and the wealth of job opportunities on offer!
Thank you to Rachel Shepherd for contributing this article. To find out more about how Orchard Recruitment could help you, click here.