From School Leaver to International Recruiter
Sam's Story
"I had nothing to lose, If I didn't like it, I'd just try something else. And I'm still here."
Who is Sam?
Sam joined QCS Staffing straight from school, at a point when he had no idea what he wanted to do and no experience of working in an office. Nearly nine years later, he's based in QCS's US operation, recruiting a variety of disciplines for life sciences organisations across North America. He got there not through a grand plan, but by backing himself, staying consistent and seizing an opportunity when it came.
Where he started
Sam was still doing his A-levels when he first heard about QCS. Sam had done sales before in retail but had never worked in an office and didn't really know what recruitment involved.
He came in for the interview at 18, got offered the job and decided to start his career rather than go to university. He had never applied to university anyway. He knew he was going to work. He just didn't know what at.
"I had nothing to lose," he says. "If I didn't like it, I'd just try something else. And I'm still here."
The Journey
When Sam joined, QCS had around 50 or 60 people. He was part of a cohort of eight or nine new starters and describes the first week as overwhelming but exciting. The structured training was unlike anything he'd experienced in previous jobs and having a group of people all starting at the same time made a big difference.
Sam built his experience over the years and around three or four years in, a clear goal came into focus: a move to the US. The business put together a plan and Sam set about hitting the targets that would make it happen. A year later, he made the move.
"Something clicked," he says, reflecting on that period. "I knew what I wanted and I went after it."
The moment he knew
"Something clicked and I thought, okay, right, I'm pretty good at this now."
The US move gave Sam a concrete goal to work towards and sharpened his focus. Having something tangible to aim for changed how he approached his work. The results followed.
Now nearly nine years in, he is still learning. New roles come up in his discipline that catch him off guard even now. That, he says, is part of what keeps the work interesting.
"Doing it nearly nine years and even now I still don't know everything," he says. "There's always something new."
When it got hard
The most uncertain period of Sam's time at QCS was not knowing whether the US move was going to happen. The plan was in place but the outcome wasn't guaranteed. His response was straightforward: keep going and hit the targets.
He is candid about the nature of the job itself. Recruitment has high points and low points, and you need to be resilient enough to ride both. The quiet periods require mental strength. Then results come in and confidence returns.
"It is a stressful job at times, so there has to be a reason to do it," he says. "You have to be mentally strong. But when it goes really well, there is no better feeling."
He compares it to golf. You hit a great shot and feel like you have cracked it. Then the next one humbles you. The learning never stops and that is part of the appeal.
Where he is now
Sam is now based at our US office in the RTP (Research Triangle Park) in North Carolina. His days are built around sourcing candidates, speaking with clients and filling roles that span everything it takes to build a facility. It is fast-moving, people-focused work that requires confidence and the ability to connect quickly with new people.
Luckily, he is good at both.
His advice
"If you are confident, enjoy working with people and are driven to succeed, just go for it. I did, and it took me further than I ever expected."
Sam's advice to anyone considering taking the same path is direct. Be confident, be driven and be prepared to put in the work. The role is demanding but the rewards are real and the skills you build, in communication, resilience and commercial thinking, stay with you wherever your career takes you next.
He also points to something he didn't fully appreciate when he started: that you don't need to have everything figured out to take the first step. He certainly didn't.
"I didn't know what recruitment was when I walked in," he says. "Nine years later, I'm doing it on the other side of the world."
