Exciting news hit last week for our newest Guru to the team, Bianca Williams, who was selected to represent and compete for Great Britain in Relay at the Athletics World Championships this month in Oregon, US.
Bianca joined Digital Gurus less than 3 weeks ago, fresh to recruitment. The last month has consisted of comprehensive training from Senior Recruitment Consultants, building a LinkedIn presence and gaining rapport with clients and candidates. So how does a pro-athlete juggle a brand-new career, training for the World Championships, and life with a 2-year-old? I don’t think Bianca quite knows yet, but with winning a part of her DNA, we know she’s going to smash it!
Digital Gurus are committed in supporting employees as flexibly as we can, so when Bianca shared the exciting news – of course we agreed that Bianca was able to work remotely in the US; after all, Bianca joined our Tech US Tribe, so it’s great to have a Guru touch down on US ground.
Before Bianca dashed off to the airport, we jumped on a call to get to know more about her background, why she wanted to start a career in recruitment and to learn more about the Tech US Squad. Here’s what she shared with us:
“I knew I was ready to start looking at what was next for me after I retire from Athletics, which isn’t soon, but after 10-years of competing professionally, I wanted to gain experience in the corporate world.
I fell into recruitment after talking with an agency who specify in placing pro-athletes into business roles. They showed me how flexible, social, and exciting recruitment is, so I gave it a try. Joining Digital Gurus has been a great decision for me so far, as they’ve been so accommodating with my Athletics career. I’m so grateful that they've allowed me to work overseas after only 3 weeks in the business! I’m sure that most companies wouldn’t be so open to it.”
“I’m working with the Tech US Tribe, supporting Digital Gurus’ International growth. I’m in the Product Squad along with Will Wise, an ex- Pro Basketballer, who joined the same time as me! We recruit for roles like Product Managers and Product Owners for organisations in the US.”
“It’s hectic, that’s for sure, as I train 6 days per week. A typical week for me is: Monday, work in the daytime and train in the evening, then Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays I train in the morning and work in the afternoon, and Wednesdays I work a full day in the office. As I work in the US time-zone anyway, it works out pretty well.
Juggling 2 careers at once is intense, but I have regular catch ups with John Terry, our Associate Director for Tech US, (not the footballer!) which helps me keep on track.”
“Working US hours will help me manage my time effectively. I’ll be able to train in the mornings and speak with clients and candidates in the afternoon. The benefit of me being based in the US for 3 weeks means I’ll be able to catch up with people and not have to worry about a huge time difference. My diary will be easier to manage in some ways.
John Terry asked how DG can support me and said that taking time off could be an option, or we can ‘ride it out’, and see what happens. So, I thought that was pretty cool. The first step will be getting out there and looking at my timetable, then adjusting to work around that. I’m confident it will all fall into place.”
“I’ll still have my 121s with John Terry, probably early in the morning US time, and later in the day for him. I also have training sessions booked in my diary that Senior Consultants have arranged as I am still so new to recruitment. I’m working on a few roles at the moment which have kept me busy - as you can probably guess, I’m a very competitive person, but I still have lots to learn.”
“I’ve never been to Oregon for a start, so I can’t wait to explore. In terms of my career, I can’t wait to potentially meet up with clients over there and work with them to find the best candidates for their roles.”
“The competition, missing my baby and juggling both careers. I want to make it work, and I know I can as long as I stay super-organised. I’m very optimistic and determined to prove myself. I’ll be staying in a hotel for the first week, and then the holding camps after that, so a strong WIFI connection will be essential!"
It was great to catch up with Bianca and we wish her the best of luck at the end of the month – we’ll be cheering her on from the other side of the pond and we have our fingers crossed she’ll bring those medals home! We look forward to celebrating her amazing achievements and hearing all about it.
