THINK Charity

Here at Think Global Recruitment, we take corporate social responsibility very seriously.  With a vision of improving lives, we are always looking for ways to help others.

This year, we have already sponsored a number of events and last month, six, brave members of our team took part in a 135ft abseil off Murrayfield Stadium.  It was a great day and with a target of £600, they managed to raise £790.50 for the Stroke Association.  That is 132% of the original target and all for a fantastic cause!  Here's a photo of our team suited and booted in their abseil gear - hair nets included!

Over the next year (we have all split up into small teams) we are hoping to raise £2,500 for a charity called B1G1.  This is a micro-finance charity that supports people starting their own business.  It operates in many countries around the world and we have already donated enough money to provide 240 days of education support to disadvantaged children in Zimbabwe, hired a rickshaw for a month for 30 drivers in India, provided a lady in India with a sewing machine to set up a tailoring business and provided 1 life education program to a disadvantaged person in South Africa.  We will be running a number of events to raise money and more than likely take part in some silly activities (like climbing the dizzying heights of Edinburgh's rugby stadium and jumping off)...

We are really hoping to make a difference and improve some more lives this year so wish us luck!!

Moving Country - 15 Ways to Leave Your Mother

Are you thinking about moving abroad? We know that planning a move overseas is exciting and here at Think Global Recruitment our team has visited, lived and worked in many countries across the globe - so we know there's a lot to think about! With that in mind here are our top considerations on how to ‘leave your mother’.

Choosing your location

• Planning a move is a great opportunity to work out what your long term career aspirations are, and how your next step can help you reach them. Every overseas location will offer a different type of work experience. Talking to people who have lived and worked abroad can help. They might just suggest somewhere you wouldn't have considered ordinarily!
• Ask yourself if location or career progression is more important to you. While you might be attracted to one location for the career growth opportunities available there, the culture in another location might have a greater value for you.
• Pinpoint what is important to you in a location: Do you want to discover a different culture? What do you want to do outside of work? Are you keen to develop a second language – or is it important that at work your colleagues speak in your native tongue?
• How do you feel about being away from family and friends? There might be a location with direct and cheap flights home that will allow you to relocate without feeling disconnected.
  
  

Getting a job

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  Help your CV to stand out in the local job market. It's likely you will need to tailor your CV for the country you are applying to, as well as to specific roles. The information that prospective employers look for in a CV varies from country to country. For example Australian employers look for lots of details of previous jobs and certificates of achievement in a CV whereas the in USA employers tends to like a brief, to the point CV. Doing some research on how your target country (or countries) like a CV is a good start.

• Be mindful - it isn't all about the money, money, money! A prospective salary will always be important but consider everything on offer, the whole package. In this day and age remember that you are unlikely to make vast savings on your cost of living unless you are in a developing location. Keep in mind too that there will always be 'distractions' to spend your money on, wherever you are!

Taking care of the practicalities

• Usually your new employer will arrange your visa for you but you'll have to gather the accompanying paperwork and fill in forms yourself.
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  If you have financial ties at home consider how you will continue to meet these. It can be hard to rely on sending money home with exchange rates and other issues. Understanding the implications for your pension is smart too!
• Tell your current bank that you're moving, organise your direct debits and understand how much access you'll have to your accounts when you move. Having accessible savings and a credit card for emergencies will offer you peace of mind. It's a good idea to find out before you go what you will need in order to set up a bank account, including any fees you might have to pay.
• Some locations do offer tax benefits such as tax free salaries or low tax rates. Wherever you are moving to it's important to understand how much tax you will be required to pay and what the implications are back 'home'.
• Your health is vital so find out about healthcare and dentistry. It may be that your new employer offers these as part of your package – however it's organised make sure that you have a contact number and know where it is!

Making your new location Home

• Many of our accountants find that when they get into a role they quickly build relationships with colleagues and making new friends is a big part of building your new life. That said, it can really help to have a friendly face on the ground when you arrive. When Irish CA, Aisling, moved we put her in touch with an English girl who we had also assisted in moving to Hobart, Australia . She told us “she was so helpful, she helped me out with loads of stuff.”
  

• Reach out - if you can find a fellow country man or woman working in a similar field to you on LinkedIn get in touch. Leah, who we have helped to move twice, relocated in 2014 to the Isle of Man. She told us “there is a huge Filipino community so it's really nice knowing that your fellow countrymen are there when you are so far away, it's very comforting.” However independent you are having a link to home can be great.
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  Keep in touch – while your new job will keep you busy the folks back home will want to hear how things are going. Set up Skype and make sure you have the contacts for the important people in your life, as well as in your business network.
• Once upon a time getting on a boat and taking to the high seas was the only way to really find out anything about another country. In today's super connected world even if you can't visit there's so much you can find out. When we helped Leroi, CA move from South Africa to Abu Dhabi initially he admitted that the different culture was 'quite difficult'. Since then he's come to see the cultural difference as a highlight of his stay! His advice to anyone considering an international move is 'Do your research so that you have a bit of an idea of what to expect. Whilst seeing your new location on screen is no substitute for the real thing, Instagram, Twitter and Lonely Planet will all help you to find out what's going on at your destination - it's a good way to make some local connections too.

Wherever you choose to move there is a whole team at Think Global Recruitment who can support you every step of the way, and we're only ever a phone call away.

Abigail’s Journey

It's our 15th birthday and in celebration we're looking at the journey of the lady who started it all – Abigail Stevens. Here we talk to her about the journey she's been on since Think Global Recruitment started in July, 2000.

How did you get into recruitment and how did you get to the point of setting up Think Global Recruitment?

I lived and worked in Australia for 3 years and when I came back, I visited Edinburgh for a few weeks. I fell in love with the city and haven’t left. After a while the agency I was temping with, while looking for a job in marketing, offered me a job in recruitment, when I asked what was involved they described it as ‘like running your own business’. I was sold.

Celebrating Think Global Recruitment's First Placement, 2000

After a year with that agency, I was headhunted into an international accountancy consultant role where I was quickly promoted upwards. At an assessment for management buy-out, I was identified as a good candidate to work my way up to Director and be involved. However, this highlighted my entrepreneurial strengths and after weighing up my options, I decided to set up by myself instead.

I had the passion for international accountancy, myself and my team were smashing targets and I realised I didn’t have the passion or much input into other business areas in the company. That’s how Think Global Recruitment started.

Have your offices always been on George Street? From the very start we’ve been in this building. We started on the second floor at the back then knocked through and doubled it, then moved upstairs where we had a view of Edinburgh Castle. Now we take up most of the top floor with views of the Castle on one side and down to the Fourth on the other side of the building.

How has the technology used in recruitment changed since you started? Right from the start we have tried to innovate and stay ahead of our competitors. When we set up we bought three computers (many of our competitors were still using card indexes) and created our own database of accountants and prospective employers.

TGR Stars Softball Team 2004

We used to fax CVs out, couldn’t send mail-shots with attachments. Sifting through manual directories was a big part of our job. Now we have video interviewing, Skype and social media making the world smaller for us and the accountants we place.

Which technological advancement has helped you the most? It probably isn’t what most people think! LinkedIn is great but that helps our competitors as much as it does us. We like to be innovative and use sources and methods others do not use.

Email with attachments, the death of faxes and affordable and improved mobile phones and flights have probably helped us most.

Chartered Accountant Ireland Wine Tasting 2007

Picnic on Think Global Recruitment's Balcony 2009

It’s an international business – where do you most enjoy visiting? Australia, New Zealand and the Far East… However, I really do love travelling almost anywhere.  Every location has something special going for it that will improve the accountants we work with lives.

Bollywood Charity Fund Raiser 2008

What’s been your favourite hotel over the years, has that changed? If I’m away for more than three nights I always prefer self-catering. When I was visiting London, Sydney, Wellington and Edinburgh regularly we used to book Ascot Apartments. The apartments were decorated in the same style throughout the world and they let me keep a suitcase of bulky or liquid essentials, in every one, that was good. It felt like home.

Christmas Market Carboot Sale Charity Fund Raiser 2008

Favourite cuisine and most unusual food tried? My favourite food would be Thai. I’ve tried the Aussie meats such as crocodile and kangaroo and emu but I have to admit, I am not keen to eat anything that looks like what it was before it died!

Think Global Recruitment Taxi 2001

How many miles do you cover in a year? I get on a plane more often that I do a car. It varies but by the end of the year it will be over 40 journeys.

What’s your favourite airline? Emirates at the moment. Their staff have been known to frequently approach as I take my seat and say “Hello Miss Stevens you are our most frequent flyer on board today”. Even on an A380.

Worst moments? The attack on 9/11 the human impact of it all and then the impact upon the business that came after that. The recent Worldwide Recession, having opened offices in Sydney, Glasgow and London and the requirement to restructure was very sad at the time, but the one thing that kept the business going and to emerge again and become the largest, longest running specialist international accountancy recruitment consultancy.

'Abigail' Herald Newspaper 2001

Think Global Recruitment famous for its parties over the years!

And best moments? There are many. Our first placement – Edgar went into the Channel Islands. Getting pictures from people in their new destinations; that's when you can really see that you’ve improved their life. Sell out conferences, my number two, Ali returning to the business six months after he left. When clients say that we're the best supplier for both quality and quantity and that they really appreciate your service. This happens very often, but still makes me feel great, it’s all worthwhile!

Recently uncovering people who we helped find jobs as juniors who are now at the most senior level in the same company we placed them in more than ten years ago is really nice.

Over the years there have been so many highs; year ends, watching people develop in their careers, everyone’s first placement, when they’ve improved their first life.

And our staff day in August will probably be one of them too! We are taking the entire company away to a surprise location to celebrate our 15th Birthday. All they know right now is to have their passport up to date!

15th Birthday Cake! 2015