Developing a career in the building products industry: The story of a job search, Kingspan and an iPad!

A couple of weeks ago we were delighted to announce that Iftakhar Saeed was the lucky winner of our iPad competition. His was the first name drawn out of those who signed up for our e-newsletter ‘Pin Points’.

The Pin Board blog caught up with Ifty for a chat about his career in the building products industry as well as his new iPad...not that he has had much of a chance to use it yet, but at least Mrs. Saeed is happy!

The win has capped an eventful and successful couple of months for Ifty as he has just started a new sales development role with Kingspan Insulation, the globally respected manufacturer of premium and high performance insulation products for the construction industry. Pinnacle Consulting placed Ifty in this role and it was a good opportunity to discuss the process of finding a new job from a candidate's point of view.

Looking for a new job can be a stressful time and it can also be an exercise in time wasting – mainly yours, so choosing your strategy is crucial to keeping your sanity and finding the best opportunities. Time wasting was something that Ifty was keen to avoid, so he decided to select just one recruitment consultancy to find him a new position. 

“After four years’ working within the sector I developed a great affinity to the building and construction industry and decided to develop my career within it. I found Pinnacle Consulting after an Internet search. Their website was clear, informative and, more importantly, relevant to my requirements. I contacted them direct and was also given a clear, informative and relevant reception. After meeting them face-to-face I quickly recognised that they were friendly and professional and their aim was to find a role that was right for me. They are recruitment specialists in the building products industry and this was clearly evident in their approach. They were exactly what I was looking for and it was a pleasant change from some of my previous experiences, so I appointed them to act on my behalf."

Ifty is presented with his new iPad

This is something that we were delighted to hear, as Pinnacle is built on integrity and long-term relationship building.

Another area that convinced Ifty that Pinnacle would be his chosen consultancy was how easy it was to deal with them. Ifty commented, “I was delighted that when I met Pinnacle it was not just a paper-pushing exercise for them and I did not have to complete about 30 forms just to start the process. They were interested in getting to know me personally, my background, my skills and what I was looking for. Their whole team was involved in finding me a role, which was another important factor, as it widened the job search by utilising all their contacts."

When Ifty was asked what had frustrated him in the past with other recruitment agencies, he stated that unhelpful feedback, lack of communication and presenting him with roles that did not meet his expectations were all very annoying. “Pinnacle always got back to me with insightful feedback and advice, both before and after an interview, or just generally to update me on their search and what they were doing for me. They were very focused and provided quality rather than quantity, which suited me fine. I felt that I could trust Pinnacle to work on my behalf with my best interests at heart."

Ifty was placed with Kingspan after about 12 weeks into his job search and was pleased that the whole process was hassle-free. He is currently enjoying his new role as part of Kingspan’s exciting growth plans and is also pleased that Pinnacle provided a useful insight into the culture of Kingspan and what they expected of their employees. “The staff at Pinnacle clearly have a good understanding of Kingspan and this was very valuable to me in my decision to accept the role, as well as my interview preparation."

It is always good to hear that people are happy with your service - finding people the right job is what we're all about and our reputation depends on it.

Although we can’t promise you a new iPad, why not contact us today on 01480 405225 for an informal but professional chat about your career path. And, as for Ifty - after two successes in recent weeks, he is hoping the third might be something that Mrs. Saeed does not take ownership of!

You can still sign-up for our e-newsletter Pin Points and receive building industry news and views as well as recruitment advice direct to your inbox.