Meet MCS Monday- Introducing Paula McCalmont

1.   Can you tell us a bit about your background

My educational background is in Communications with Public Relations. Throughout school and university, I worked in retail which was perfect for me. Hello, discount! After I graduated, I was a bit lost on what I wanted to do next, as so many people are, so I decided to run away to Australia. I traveled to Australia for a few years working in multiple roles including data entry, retail, and sales. I landed several of these roles through recruitment agencies and this was when I was first exposed to the world of recruitment and my interest in it was sparked.  

2.   Why are you passionate about recruitment?

As I said, I landed several of my roles in Australia via a recruiter, however, some of my early experiences with recruiters weren’t great. I was in a new country, with little knowledge of the job market and the companies and I felt overwhelmed about how to find a new job. Sometimes recruiters wouldn’t have open communication and didn’t share with me all the relevant information or keep me updated on the status of my applications, so I felt like I was in the dark.

Therefore, I am so passionate about excellent communication and making sure this doesn’t happen with the people I work with. I want people to have a better experience than I had, as I remember how it feels to be in that position. In my job, there is nothing better than listening to what someone wants in a role and finding that perfect job for them. I keep all my clients and candidates updated every step of the way and believe that having an ongoing, open dialogue is the key to successful working relationships.

3. What do you think the biggest pain points are in the tech sector currently?

To me, the biggest pain point right now is the lack of diversity. Research shows there is an 80/20 % split in terms of males vs females in tech jobs. Whilst things are improving, progress is slow, and the industry is still a long way off where it needs to be. I would love to see more women in senior roles in tech companies and more funding being given to female-founded tech start-ups.

I think one of the most important ways to improve the diversity of the tech sector is to nurture the next generation of young women by encouraging and supporting girls to get involved in STEM subjects from an early age in school and clearly communicating the multiple career pathways available in tech.

4.   Where do you see the tech sector going in the next ten years?

 I don’t see the tech sector slowing down at all. I see tech continuing to boom and there being a high demand for jobs and talented tech professionals in the future. I think we will continue to see people working remotely and more people looking for overseas roles. More companies will have a global team rather than just one state or country. Remote and flexible working will continue to open more opportunities for both people and companies to find the perfect job or the perfect employee. With location no longer a limit for many tech professionals, companies will need to make their company more attractive, and take into consideration the employee value proposition, including what benefits they offer, if they are to attract the talent they need to succeed.