Darren is a front-end developer specialising in HTML & CMS. His career kicked off when he started customising his friend’s MySpace profile pages (for a price) as a teenager.
Darren took his technical skills to the next level in college before landing a junior developer role, exposing him to branding and website content. He was later promoted to lead developer and spent another three years at the company.
In 2011 he accepted a job at Numero, developing websites and supporting implementation for major brands such as Kitbag, Argos, Matalan, J D Sports, Leeds Building Society, Rated People, GAME and most recently, Doddle.
After four years at Numero, he took on a product ownership role, as the firm was moving into a much more ‘agile’ way of working. He worked between the development, sales and professional services teams to coordinate various high-level development projects.
Eventually, the firm was sold and Darren took voluntary redundancy to move on to bigger challenges. We Are Adam, helped him find his dream role.
High Expectations
Experience taught Darren what type of recruiter he wanted to work with. So, he researched the type of roles that were out there, using tools like Reed and Monster, and targeted specific recruiters: those who came with strong recommendations and understood the tech industry.
He spoke to many recruiters, but few he wanted to work with further. So when he was recommended Adam by a peer, he quickly contacted us.
Working with Adam
We got in touch with Darren, and after an in-depth discussion, we went on the hunt for roles. Darren was impressed by our expertise and the care we put into our work:
“Adam was in tune with the industry and understood how my background and experience would translate into some great companies. Out of six recruiters I approached, Adam was the only one who seemed to understand what my ideal role looked like. Unlike the others, they took the time to meet me in person.”
Most of the other recruiters Darren spoke to were graduates or inexperienced. In contrast, he was delighted at how proactive and knowledgeable our team were:
“Adam took a personal interest in my job hunt. You could tell they were excited when they found roles or companies that seemed perfect. They were incredibly proactive. Rather than wait for the roles to come to them, they approached companies that fit in with my culture and ambitions. Other recruiters would try to put me in front of anyone and everyone whether the roles were suited or not.”
“They also took the time to get to know me. So they understood my personality and what I wanted from my next roles. They gave me honest advice about different jobs and companies, letting me know if they didn’t think they were suited to me. I loved their proactiveness, honesty and determination to find a role I’d be excited for.”
Darren’s Dream Role
We found Darren a position as Product Developer for a vibrant Northern Quarter startup.
Combining the more strategic product ownership responsibilities with coding and UX, it's a role that allows him to pursue his real passions.
Darren is now a part of a small team with big ambitions to become a £2bn company in three years. While he initially saw it as a short-term contract, he now works for the company full-time.
