As we’re always interviewing other people we thought it might make for a change to interview ourselves! Each month we’ll pick a member of the Escape team for a 60 second interview. So this month, let’s meet Claire……
Name: Claire Miller
Job Title & Team: Head of Accountancy & Finance Division
What do you do? I have re-joined Escape Recruitment to lead and develop our Accountancy & Finance team. As a team
we specialise in the recruitment of finance professionals across Scotland ranging from transactional through to qualified management, however my personal focus is on the delivery of senior finance and executive appointments.
How did you get into Recruitment? My first job was a PA to a Finance Director of a renewable energy business. This job was varied and included everything from keeping the FD organised through to the preparation of financial reports and analysis. Following redundancy I approached a number of agencies to seek help in finding a new role and was offered my first position specialising in Accountancy & Finance recruitment. Thirteen years later here I am!
What did you want to be when you grew up? I grew up wanting to be a Paramedic/Emergency Doctor and was a member of the British Red Cross all through my teenage years, however on attending my first emergency call while on voluntary duty with the British Red Cross I soon realised I had a phobia of blood so that put an end to that! Thankfully I had gained good results in Higher Education so was able to pursue a career in business administration with a finance bias.
What was your first job? My first job was with Asda when I was 16. I had plans to pass my driving license as soon as I turned 17 and had my eye on a car I was desperate to have. I had struck a deal with my dad that if I could save for the deposit, he would buy me the car and I could pay him back. After 12 months of going home smelling of pizza I finally got my car!
“I love the fact I can be partnering with a FTSE Listed client one day and the next day I’m working with the Chief Exec of a start-up manufacturing company”
What are you working on now? My remit is to build and develop our Accountancy & Finance division so at the moment I am doing a lot of networking across our client base to introduce our new team. I’m delighted to be partnering with a number of clients across Scotland at the moment, including a Senior Financial Controller appointment in West Lothian, a Finance/Change Manager in Aberdeen and Senior Manager/Partner level appointments in Edinburgh.
What do you love most about recruitment? For me, it’s the variety! I love the fact I can be partnering with a FTSE Listed client one day and the next day I’m working with the Chief Exec of a start-up manufacturing company who needs advice on their ongoing recruitment strategy. Every company has a finance function of some shape and size; and I think there is nothing better than sitting with my client, getting an understanding of their requirement and tailoring an approach that meets their specific needs. Keeps life interesting!
What’s your top tip for jobseekers? A lot of applicants make the mistake of only having the one CV that they submit to every vacancy and wonder why they are not short listed for interview. My top tip would be to prepare a competency/achievement based CV that is detailed and tailored to the vacancy you are applying for, ensuring you use similar language to the employer of choice and avoiding any internal lingo of your current employer.
….and finally: What 3 words would your colleagues use to describe you? Dedicated, tenacious, knowledgable
Well we asked them and here’s what a few of them said: Driven, enthusiastic, energetic, knowledgeable, focused, very excited!
Related pages:
Escape: the blog 