From Letting Agent to Life Sciences Recruiter - Luke’s Story

"I’ve done it, so anyone can. You're never going to know until you make that leap."

Who is Luke?

Luke spent 17 years working as a letting manager and estate agent before joining QCS Staffing as a Delivery Executive. It was the only industry he had ever known, having gone straight from school into the role at 18. Today he is building a career in life sciences recruitment, placing candidates into roles that genuinely change the direction of their careers.

The old career

Luke genuinely enjoyed parts of life as a letting agent. Meeting different people every day, the face to face nature of the role and the variety of getting out to see different properties all appealed to him over the years.

"I liked dealing with different people all of the time," he says. "Getting to go out and see properties, and each day being different as well. I quite enjoyed that aspect of it." But 17 years gave him a front row seat to an industry changing in ways he found increasingly difficult to align with.

The tipping point

There was no single dramatic moment. Luke describes the decision as gradual, shaped by years of industry change and a growing sense that the job no longer matched his own values.

"It was more just the industry had changed a lot," he says. "A few different things, a few different changes within the government and the sector as a whole, and then just a few things that were going on morally that I didn't really agree with."

He had seen plenty of colleagues over the years leave the lettings world for recruitment, which made the idea feel less like a leap into the unknown and more like a well-worn path.

Why QCS

Luke did not seriously look into other industries. Recruitment stood out because the core skill, speaking to people every day, felt directly transferable, even if the format would be different.

"I kind of homed in on recruitment, I felt that’s where my skills were transferable," he says. "It would be where I would be speaking to people on a daily basis.”

After 17 years in one industry, walking away from the only career he had known was daunting. He was nervous, by his own admission, and not everyone around him expected the change.

"It was very daunting to be honest with you," he says. "I literally come out of school and went into estate agency from 18 years of age. So it was pretty daunting to me. I was very nervous." Some friends were surprised. His parents and partner were not, having watched his frustration build for some time. They were supportive throughout.

The transition

"It was kind of like learning two things at the same time. But the training, and the support from everyone at QCS, really helped with that."

Luke describes the early days as learning an entirely new industry and an entirely new sector at once, since life sciences recruitment came with its own steep learning curve on top of the job itself.

Simple things that come naturally to people already in an office environment were a genuine adjustment. He had not given a presentation since school and had barely used Microsoft Teams before joining.

"I hadn’t given a presentation, probably since school," he says. "And then I had to give presentations among other things. But over time you just pick up these things."

There were moments of doubt, particularly when his first deal fell through after he returned from holiday, and during a slower patch within his first six months. But Luke is clear that those moments are part of the job rather than a sign he had made the wrong choice.

"There was a point where I wasn't getting many deals and things coming through and everything just felt a bit slow," he says. "I think people do have moments in this job where you get a little bit negative or downbeat. You just have to try and come through it the other side."

What transferred

For Luke, the clearest transferable skill was simply the ability to build relationships with people day in and day out, something he had done for 17 years without realising quite how directly it would apply to recruitment.

Who has helped along the way

Luke points to his manager Lawrence as a significant source of guidance and support throughout his time at QCS. Bobby Andrews, a more senior member of his team, has also been a supportive presence. But it's Ben Pope, the colleague he sits next to day to day, who stands out most for his knowledge an willingness to help.

"Lawrence has guided me really well and been really supportive," he says. "Bobby is the more senior one in the team and he's been supportive. Another one is Ben, who I sit next to. He's really helpful, really knowledgeable and a really nice guy as well." A number of Luke's placements have ended up being with Ben, a partnership that has worked well for both of them.

Where he is now

Luke's day-to-day looks almost nothing like his old job. Where lettings was reactive by nature, chasing tenants, chasing landlords, never quite ahead of the workload, recruitment has given him structure and a sense of control he never had before.
"I'm much more organised and proactive rather than reactive," he says. "I'm not constantly chasing my tail. I feel a lot more organised and calm."

He also speaks candidly about a deeper sense of purpose in the work itself, something he says was harder to hold onto by the end of his time in lettings.

"I feel like we actually make a change to people's lives," he says. "It's great delivering great news to
someone that they have just got a job.”

What he’s proud of

"Helping candidates secure a role that could genuinely change their lives or change their career. That's something I couldn't have done before."

Luke is particularly proud of a recent run of placements at one of QCS’s largest clients in Ireland, where he placed four candidates into entry level roles, several of whom were on visas and starting their first proper job in Ireland.

"A lot of them were from overseas originally, and it was just a great opportunity for them," he says. "Every single one of them was chuffed. I knew all four of them were going to accept and be really pleased. So that was really nice”.

His advice

Luke is open about not naturally being someone who embraces change, which makes his advice to others feel particularly genuine.

“I’ve done it, so anyone can. You're never going to know until you make that leap.”

"I'm someone who was actually really scared of change, in all honesty," he says. "But if you're really not happy and not sure that you want to do what you're doing, then just go for it. As scary as it may be, go for it, because the team here are great and everyone's really friendly and welcoming."

Sound like something you'd try? We're always looking for people like Luke. Speak to us today!

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