He came in as a senior digital graphic designer in 2016 and this year marks his third anniversary with the company.
James has an impressive experience as a creative and has worked across a variety of industries. Read about the highlights of his time at Proco below.
Where did you work before joining Proco?
I have over 20 years’ experience as a creative and have been employed in a range of industries. I’ve had the privilege of working with a number of amazing people and on some great projects for big clients, such as Apple, Microsoft, Cisco and Xero. Before joining Proco, I worked in a B2B tech agency in central London for over eight years.
What attracted you to Proco?
I joined Proco for a new challenge and was immediately sold on the company by the (then) Marketing Manager. Her vision, drive and desire to do outstanding work was infectious. It was evident to me that Proco was a great place to work, offering over 20 employee benefits, a relaxed working environment and tightknit team.
What do you enjoy about your role?
I’ve always looked for one thing in a creative role: problem-solving. I thrive on coming up with creative solutions while getting the most out of each piece of work. As a small marketing team, we work on a wide range of projects for internal stakeholders. Our team has a never-ending list of exciting projects, all promoting and developing the company vision.
I enjoy the autonomy of my role and the freedom to suggest projects or new ways of working to push the company forward.
Finally, and most importantly, it’s the people at Proco who make it a pleasure going into work. I enjoy the passion, dedication and humour of my team and across the wider company.
What are some highlights of your three years at Proco?
The benefits!
But seriously, while the perks are great, the projects are the highlight of my three years at Proco. In that time, I‘ve created and launched the Proco Group brand from logo creation, identity development, collateral rollout to website build. I’ve also rebranded Proco Commodities and taken that brand on a similar journey of rebuilding and repositioning with marketing collateral, new identity and website.
On top of this, other highlights include: three International Women’s Day campaigns, two new internal resource platform rebuilds, launching Proco Fast Track and diversity and trend reports.
Finally, helping to develop the work of my fellow in-house designers has been a real pleasure.
How has Proco helped you in your career development?
Proco is committed to supporting employees with training and development throughout their careers and the marketing department has been key in creating such learning and development platforms. Our work supports new starters throughout their onboarding process, consultants developing new skills and experienced professionals with the company’s new Manager’s Playbook.
Personally, I’m passionate about continuing my professional growth, whether it’s through online resources or off-site training to further advance my current skill set.
What advice do you have for prospective Proco candidates?
As Hilary Hinton “Zig” Ziglar said: “It is your attitude, more than your aptitude that will determine your altitude.”
Personally, I believe that it’s unlikely that you’ll be the best in your chosen field, but there’s no excuse not to strive to be the best version of yourself.
At Proco, if you have the right attitude, passion and drive, then you’ll succeed.
What are three words that you would use to describe Proco?
Relaxed, supportive, fun.
Has your idea of recruitment changed since joining Proco?
Definitely. The stereotypical recruiter—motivated by their personal financial gain—exists, but thankfully not at Proco. This caricature is the polar opposite of who we are and what we’re trying to achieve. Through our behaviour and actions, our goal is to realise positive outcomes for ourselves, our clients and candidates. This will only happen by building strong long-term relationships with these stakeholders.
Proco isn’t prefect by any means, but by listening to ongoing feedback, the company is headed in the right direction.
What do you think sets Proco apart from other recruitment companies?
Life in a recruitment company isn’t for everyone. It can be relentless at times and you can experience massive highs and worrying lows.
What sets Proco apart from other companies is the people, who genuinely care about the company, their colleagues and our services.
Like the sound of working at Proco? Discover our careers page: weareprocogroup.com/vacancy/
