Ilya's Story

​Ilya's Story​ - University of Portsmouth to Principal Consultant

Carrington West Principal Consultant, Ilya Donets, takes us from his University of Portsmouth football Team Captain days, to growing his career here with us. In the following article published on the University of Portsmouth Sport website, Ilya offers his advice for post-grad employment and the benefits of sport. You can read more about Carrington West's partnership with the University of Portsmouth here.

Ilya was the captain of Team UoP Men's Football Club, whilst studying for his undergraduate and master's at the University of Portsmouth. He now works for Carrington West, a highly successful recruitment company and our Sports Club sponsor.

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Did you know what career you wanted to embark on upon finishing university? Did this change once you started looking for jobs?

I was hoping to get into employment that could either benefit my master's degree in GIS or alternatively my bilingual Russian skills. A combination of both would have been ideal and I was really keen to get into a Russian oil or gas company but the oil crisis in 2012/2013 made this near impossible. Plus, starting salaries for graduates were appalling so I decided to try out recruitment as a stop-gap until I found something else!

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How did you come across Carrington West in your search for employment?

I started working for a local Portsmouth recruitment agency and was there for about a year before being approached by Carrington West.

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How did playing sport at University help you in your career?

Playing sports and being a team captain certainly gave me a degree of confidence when looking for work. I knew that I was comfortable speaking to new people as at Uni I often went from one team to another and sometimes didn't know many players there as well as my own team. Even 10 years out of Uni I still think the initial sports I played there gave me a massive confidence boost I use daily at work and personal life!

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How does working life compare to university life?

Work provides a routine which is important for planning and organising your time. You know exactly when you're at work and not, how much you're getting paid, and what you can and cannot save or spend your money on. You can't bunk work like you'd do with lectures but you definitely fall into a routine quite quickly.

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What advice would you give to your former self when transitioning from university to work-life?

Take time to listen and observe and don't get involved in office politics. I'm always one for keeping your head down and cracking on with work. Recruitment can change your lifestyle and send you down a career path you have never heard of before so it's easy to get lost in the first few weeks or months.

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What are your plans for the future?

I am currently a team leader for our Highways Public Sector South East division and I am very happy in my role. I have stability, a clear career path, and an excellent work-life balance - which I would like to maintain for the future. Over the next few years, I would like to progress into a manager/director type role with Carrington West and oversee a larger team or perhaps an entire division.

Ilya is on the right path to achieving everything he hopes to in terms of his career. The skills that he learnt whilst being a member of the TeamUoP Men's Football Club has perfectly equipped him with the confidence, team spirit and personal development needed to be successful in a working environment. We would like to congratulate Ilya for how well he has done in his work life so far and can't wait to see what the future holds. 

If after hearing Ilya's story you are interested in finding out more about Carrington West, you can visit their website. Carrington West may be particularly of interest to you if you are considering a career in the following:

• UK highways

• Transport and infrastructure

• Town planning, water and environmental, utilities, power and telecoms

• Building and rail industries

• Recruitment

https://sport.port.ac.uk/news-events-and-blogs/blogs/sports-clubs/emplayability-month---ilya-team-uop-mens-football

​Do you think a career at Carrington West might be for you? Check out the opportunities we have available by clicking below.

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