Lessons learned

“I’m not one, but I’m striving to be an expert. Because if I can’t read the data then I’m wasting time. I need to know what’s working and do more of that!”

Carolyn Hyams is the digital marketing director of leading recruitment brands Aquent, Vitamin T and Firebrand. For an impressive 16 years, she has been instrumental in shaping these brands to become more than just recruitment companies. With all three specialising in digital marketing and creative recruitment, Hyams learned early the value of being an early adopter and standing out from the crowd. When you speak to her you can tell that she truly embodies the bold, transparent spirit of these modern recruitment brands. The recruiter profiles of Firebrand’s team not only list in what professional areas they specialise, you’ll also find out whether they like house music or English tea.

Surprisingly, Hyams doesn’t come from a marketing background and was even offered her initial role as strategic marketing manager for Aquent Asian Pacific without any experience at all. She explains, “I used to train people in computer graphics and after I trained them I would put them in touch with people and read the whole thing. “I had no idea what I was doing when I started, but I honestly believe that a lot of marketing is common sense… So basically, I thought, ‘I can help creative people find jobs they love. It really appealed to me’.”