The One Thing We Wish More Candidates Told Us

“I’ll do anything.”

It’s something we hear quite often from people looking for work.

And we understand it. If you’re between jobs, ready for a change, or simply keen to get working again, you might not want to narrow your options. Being flexible feels like the sensible thing to do.

But here’s the thing: the more we know about what you actually want, the better we can help you.

It’s OK to have preferences

When you speak to a recruiter, you don’t need to tell us what you think we want to hear.

If you really don’t want a 45-minute commute every morning, tell us.

If finishing early on a Friday would make a big difference to you, tell us.

If you enjoyed dealing with customers in your last role but hated being stuck behind a desk all day, tell us that too.

These things aren’t you being difficult. They’re useful.

At Bennett Staff, we’re not just looking at your CV and trying to find the first vacancy that vaguely matches your experience. We want to understand what will actually work for you.

Because getting you into a job is one thing.

Helping you find a job you’ll want to stay in is another.

Think beyond the job title

Sometimes people come to us knowing exactly what they want to do next. Others have no idea.

Both are absolutely fine.

You might not know the job title you’re looking for, but you probably know more about your ideal job than you realise.

Think about your previous roles. What did you enjoy?

Was it talking to people? Being busy? Working as part of a small team? Having a routine? Solving problems? Learning something new?

Now think about the things you’d happily leave behind.

Perhaps you want more responsibility. Maybe you’d prefer a role closer to home. You might want regular hours instead of shifts, or a workplace where there’s room to progress.

Those details help us build a much better picture of you than a list of previous job titles ever could.

Tell us the little things

Some of the most useful information can seem completely unimportant at first.

Maybe you rely on public transport, so an 8am start in a particular location simply isn’t realistic.

Perhaps you need certain hours because of family commitments.

Maybe salary is your biggest priority right now. Or perhaps you’d accept a little less for a role five minutes from home.

You might be looking for your next long-term career move.

Or you might just need something temporary while you work out what comes next.

There’s no “correct” answer.

We’d much rather know.

And yes, you can tell us what you don’t want

This is important too.

A job can look perfect on paper and still be completely wrong for the person doing it.

If there’s something you know won’t suit you, being upfront about it saves everyone time. It means we can concentrate on opportunities that have a genuine chance of being right for you.

Good recruitment isn’t about sending your CV to as many employers as possible.

It’s about making the right introductions.

Not sure what you want yet?

That’s OK too.

You don’t need to arrive at Bennett Staff with your career mapped out for the next ten years.

Sometimes a conversation is all it takes.

Tell us what you’ve done before. Tell us what you liked, what you didn’t, what matters to you now and what you’d like to change.

We can take it from there.

As summer draws to a close and September approaches, plenty of people start thinking about making a change. If that’s you, don’t worry about having the perfect answer when somebody asks what sort of job you’re looking for.

Just give us the honest one.

Because “anything” gives us somewhere to start.

What you actually want gives us something to work with.

If you’re thinking about your next move, get in touch with the Bennett Staff team. Let’s have a chat about what you’re looking for – even if you’re still figuring that out yourself.