Connor is a English Literature and Spanish graduate from the University of Southampton. He secured an Associate Search Consultant role at Thurn Partners in London, through Bright Network. 
First, please tell us a little bit about yourself.
“I couldn't say that my career path reflects on who I am but rather reflects on the skills I've developed during my education and work experience so far and how I've best learnt to use them. When I was younger, a few of my dream jobs included being Doctor Who, as well as being an actor, a member of JLS, a lawyer, an animator and a photographer, but I certainly didn’t consider Hedge Fund recruitment growing up.
That being said, I’m finding it exciting so far, so I’d say to keep an open mind to anyone thinking about what to do coming out of uni. There's no harm in trying things and no wrong in deciding they're not for you but you may get lucky and find a role you genuinely enjoy.
I wanted to learn a language and further my education in the humanities - I knew that finding a career path afterwards would be challenging but not impossible and the priority at the time was to keep pursuing my intellectual interests. I always had an interest in economics and finance, so that also sparked my curiosity when I initially saw the opportunity.”
What motivated you to apply for the role?
“I was motivated to apply for the role, as I was interested in the industry Thurn Partners recruit for and knew that they rewarded you based on the outcomes you produce through your work. A lot of places can be very corporate and political but this kind of business runs much like a meritocracy.”
What was the application process like?
“It was very quick and efficient. The interview stages made sense and gave a reflection of how well you might be able to adapt to some of the tasks on the job. The way Thurn interview you makes it feel far more natural than most places.
You have to do an in-person presentation and interview, which was quite nerve-wracking, but the team at Thurn are genuinely very friendly and I was encouraged by how well they conducted the interview and the sort of questions they asked.”
What are you most proud of about your journey?
“Initially, when you start there's a lot of pressure to get out there and meet some very senior people at some of the top multi-manager funds which can feel a bit scary.
I managed to overcome those anxieties and get out there conducting in-person meetings by myself. Once you get used to not over-thinking, it quickly becomes a habit and I already feel far more confident than when I started.”
What are your tips for people looking to follow in your footsteps?
“Be prepared to do a lot of work when you start and for things to seem quite chaotic at first. The dust will settle and as long as you keep putting in the time and being proactive in your approach then those big progression milestones quickly start to come along.
I’d say get out there and meet people in the industry as fast as possible and make those connections. You get the most value out of the relationships you build and how you maintain them, so putting effort into this from the start will help you to settle into the role sooner and it becomes a more efficient way of getting information and new contacts.”
What have you learned from going through the process?
“I’ve learned to be more confident in myself than I was before beginning the process. I think that a lot of the time when applying to roles, the frequent rejections can make you feel disheartened or "not good enough" somehow, but it's important to know that it's probably not a reflection on yourself but actually more of a reflection of how flooded the market is right now.
Keep going and eventually something will stick. The process was surprisingly fast, professional and fairly natural. Not shorter than I expected but every stage was progressed quickly once completed.
I wish I'd known that once you get into the right process with a company that genuinely wants to take the time to interview you properly and learn about your skills and personality then the whole job hunt isn't as bad as it may initially seem.”
Tell us about the future. What’s next?
“I'm looking forward to getting some traction in my position and making some deals next year. It's very tough during your first two years in this job but every stage is an improvement on the last.
The first four months are definitely a rollercoaster but I feel like I'm starting to get it and I’m excited to see the outcomes of all this learning in the new year. I'm eager to get to the point where I have a robust knowledge of the market and a proven track record of bringing in business for the company. At that point I'll have the skills and competence to push myself further and potentially get to train some new starters myself.
There's also the possibility for a few of us to move to New York and set up an office over there. How many places are you given the opportunity to work in such an entrepreneurial way at such an early stage in your career?”
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