Meet the Team: Tom

What’s something people would never guess about you?

If you’ve never met me in person — that I’m 5” 4’… if you have met me in person — that I’m actually 6” 7’ and just spend a lot of time kneeling down.

*one of these is a lie.

How did you get into recruitment?

A chat with Jim Hunter about a Traffic Manager position with one of his clients led me to take a recruitment job instead.

Who did you want to be as a kid?

Michael Knight or Dr. Peter Venkman.

What is your most unusual talent or skill?

I can crack my knuckles to command.

How do you spend your time outside of work?

Going camping with the wife and kids as often as possible. Trips to the cinema. And long dog walks.

What achievements are you proud of?

Driving a brand new car from Manchester to Wales, hours after passing my driving test, having never driven on a motorway before. I made it the entire way incident free… then crashed into the cottage I was staying in as I tried to park.

What were you like as a kid?

Noisy.

What’s the most awkward thing that happens to you on a regular basis?

Forgetting the names of every parent at school drop-off repeatedly.

What movie or TV show do you rewatch often and why?

Home Alone… it doesn’t even need to be Christmas.

What’s your music taste?

Eclectic. Right now, I’m listening to a lot of Caamp, but my Spotify covers every sub-genre you can think of, from French Hip-Hop to New York Gypsy Punk.

What’s the last thing you’ve read or a podcast you’ve listened to?

Currently working my way through the entire back catalogue of Roald Dahl books with my eldest. Believe it or not, I’ve never listened to a podcast!

What’s your guilty pleasure?

Time to revisit that Home Alone answer, I think…

Who is your celebrity crush?

Natalie Portman or Jeremy Corbyn.

Tell me about your favourite memory from your life…

I should probably say the birth of my kids or something like that, but truthfully, it’s probably the time I woke up from a nap at nursery to find a pair of new blue sparkly jelly sandals that had been dropped off by my Dad. Nothing personifies happiness like a pair of surprise jelly sandals.

What’s the wildest thing you’ve ever done?

Probably best if I stick to things I’ve done sober here, so let’s go with a parachute jump when I was 17. I lost a shoe halfway down, and then tied my arms together with the lines as I was trying to gather the shoot once I’d landed.

If you could travel to any year in a time machine, what year would you choose and why?

1955 — I’d get my hands on that sports almanac before Biff Tannen goes full Donald Trump.

What are three items on your bucket list?

Mop, sponge, soapy water.

What’s your favourite food of all time?

Roast potatoes.

What’s the weirdest thing in your closet?

A Fat Willy’s Surf Shack T‑Shirt I got on a holiday to Cornwall when I was about 10. I was still squeezing into it in my early 20s.

What game or reality show would you like to be a guest on?

Master Chef — I’m not the best cook in the world, but I’d give it a good shot, and my cooking is better than my pottery/sewing/baking.

What was the silliest mistake you’ve ever made at work? 

Sending a surprisingly sexually explicit clip from This Morning to a client instead of linking to a portfolio.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

“You should really cut that mullet off before you start secondary school”.

What’s your favourite thing about working in recruitment?

Camaraderie.

What advice would you like to give to our candidates searching for jobs?

If you’re free for freelance work, I want to know! And send me your portfolio with every email.