Meet The Team: Lauren Henley

Lauren Henley

Office Administrator

lauren.henley@clarkewoodconsulting.com

What is your biggest professional achievement?

Hitting the ground running with my apprenticeship!

Lauren, 20, is the Office Administrator and the newest member of the team; joining ClarkeWood in June 2012.

She joined Clarkewood Consulting as a Business Admin apprentice, of which she is half way through completing. Lauren has aspirations to learn more about Marketing and the more creative side of business. In November 2012 Lauren was voted the Worcestershire Apprentice Councilor by her training provider.

How would you describe yourself?

Part silly and part serious.

Lauren has a keen interest in fashion and studied at the School of Art & Design in Barbourne, Worcester. During her time there she gained a Diploma in Fashion as well as Art and Design. While studying she worked as a fully qualified bra fitter and is trained to fit women who have suffered with Breast Cancer.

During the weekend you will either find her digging for treasure at a flea market or socializing in the evening in one of Worcester’s bars. She also likes reading, writing and being a bit of a tourist! Her favourite place to visit is either New York or Berlin, as they are busy places with lots to see and do.

How would your colleagues describe you?

Lauren has been a really fantastic addition to ClarkeWood. 

She is a hard worker fantastic zest for social media and has become the ClarkeWood Twitter guru.  She always manages to complete even the strangest of tasks she gets given with finesse.

She is our resident chuckler who enjoys the office banter and has an infectious laugh. A bubbly personality means that Lauren is a really great character to have around the office and has been a blessing at keeping the boys in check!

By day Lauren is our Vivienne Westwood, leopard print wearing social media queen. Then by night she is a party animal always up for social events and trips to Heroes.

If Lauren is anything to go by, I would highly recommend taking on an apprentice to any companies considering it and would look to do so again in the future.

How Long is Too Long to Stay in Your Job?

 Recently at Clarkewood we have been thinking…..

How long is too long to stay at one company?

Working in IT recruitment, it's common to pick up on trends emerging in the job market. With the average person spending 4.4 years in a job, we always see people who have worked in their current position for much longer than the average.

Furthering your career every 4 years, especially in a fast-paced sector such as IT, is vital to maintain personal development. The more jobs you invest time in, the more opportunities you will have to expand your skills.

Are you getting opportunities, access to the resources you need and recognition in your job role?

Why stay?

There are plenty of reasons why people stay in their current position, whether they receive job satisfaction or not. I’m sure we can all relate to at least one of these reasons with regard to our own career:

• ‘I’m sure my job will get better one day’

• ‘The current job market is full of doom and gloom, I’d be unemployed for months’

• ‘I’m comfortable in my position now so I don’t need a change’

• ‘Quitting a job might look bad on my CV’

In reality these aren’t good reasons for staying in a job for years. Sitting and waiting for a job to get better or being too ‘settled’ in a job role can result in a seemly unambitious person who is set in their company’s ways; thus leaving you virtually unemployable.

Why not?

Taking the leap to change career is a big, big decision and there are plenty of questions to ask yourself.

• Am I used to my fullest potential?

• Is my voice heard, can I raise queries and know they will be taken on board?

• How many times have I been promised opportunities and how many times has it actually happened?

If the answer to these questions are ‘No’ or ‘Not really’ then perhaps a career change should be considered.

There is also the issue of misplaced loyalty. Daily we speak to candidates who are facing redundancy from a company they have been with for sometimes in excess of 15 years.

With the Information Technology sector being the fasted developing and growing in the job marketplace, there really is no excuse to stay in a job for years.

So?

To answer our initial question, at Clarkewood we agree that around 4 years is a good amount of time to stay with your job. Any longer than that and you stand at risk of being unemployable and any shorter you could be seen as an unreliable, ‘job hopper’.

Changing a job every 4 years means you will expose yourself to new technology, different skills and opportunities plus making new connections along the way.

This is, of course, unless you work for a productive, progressive company where you feel though you are being used to your full potential and you are getting the benefits that a loyal employee deserves.

How long have you been at your job?

Meet the Team: Lee Clarke

Lee Clarke

Managing Director

Describe yourself in a few words:

I enjoy the good things in life and I am prepared to work hard to gain them.

Lee, 40, is the Managing Director of ClarkeWood Consulting therefore he has been in the business since the very beginning. Lee specialises in Contract IT positions around the West Midlands.

What is your biggest professional achievement?

Taking the initial leap to set up my own business, in one of the worst economic climates, and giving it a real good bash

After 15 years of working in recruitment, Lee decided to make the bold move of opening his own business. Through Lee’s hard work, ClarkeWood Consulting has successfully grown and furthermore has been running for just under 3 years; an admirable accomplishment in these financial times. Working with Lee is always a pleasant and unique experience due to his friendly, sociable nature.

What is your biggest personal achievement?

My four wonderful children, all of which I adore.

When Lee isn’t working hard he is a big family man and is usually enjoying quality time with his kids. He has four lovely children aged from 2 - 12 so there is never a dull moment when they are around!

If he isn’t working hard or enjoying time with his family, he is still full of beans and loving life! He states his business icons are Richard Branson and Hugh Hefner –  successful businessmen who still know how to have a lot of fun! Lee is the Grandmaster of Dad Dancing plus is always first on the dance floor; and doesn’t take himself too seriously! Already this year, for local charities, Lee has dressed up as a woman, completed a skydive and has been locked up in Worcester’s Town Centre wearing a convict jumpsuit. In his spare time he also enjoys Taekwondo, reading and watching films.

How would your colleagues describe you?

Lee has one of the strongest work ethics I have come across in a professional, let alone in a boss.

Leading from the front Lee always ensures that he maintains his work life balance in equal measure.

With a true innate passion and ability for what he does, Lee provides the team here at ClarkeWood with motivation and aspiration all rolled into one and manages to do so whilst maintaining a friendship with each one of us creating a fantastic work environment.