What did you want to be when you grew up? We’ve heard all the generic ones – ballet dancers, astronauts, firefighters, vets – but it’s not too often you hear children outlining their dreams of becoming an RAF Fighter Pilot. The environment that Will Youle now finds himself in is a little different from the cockpit of an F-35B– we like to think our offices are cool, but we have to admit they’re not that cool.
Too tall to fly fighter jets, Will finished university and went into sales for a couple of years before joining develop. Six years later, he’s seen us grow from 10 employees to more than 50, and he’s grown with us – from Trainee Consultant to Head of US Development – this isn’t something he takes for granted.
“I’ve had the opportunity to learn and grow here,” he began explaining. “I’ve had the chance to lead several teams, from Retail Change and Transformation with Joey before the pandemic, then our German function, and now I’ve got this amazing new opportunity in the US ahead of me.”
Having launched our Miami team towards the end of 2021, it’s now time to cement our presence in the city. The lease is signed, the business visas are in place, and flights have been taken. Will and Zach are now in Florida and ready to continue doing what they do best – finding talented Software Engineers for the city’s best and most exciting companies.
As idyllic as Miami may seem, making the decision to leave London behind wasn’t necessarily a straightforward one. The UK is where Will grew up, graduated, and got his start, but there was one thing that got him hooked on heading to the States – opportunity.
“In comparison to London, Miami isn’t the finished article,” he said. “London is still growing, still booming, but it’s more consistent. Miami is exciting because the market is expanding so quickly at the moment, and its growth isn’t defined.
“Our job over there is to help candidates in a younger, and therefore more challenging market. It’ll be part of our role to provide education and offer a more consultative approach. To have the freedom and be given the initiative to grow a team in Miami is incredible, and I’m really excited to take the success we’ve had in the UK and Germany and replicate it in a new area.”
Despite the new surroundings, it’s business as usual for Will. He might walk past palm trees on his way to work now and the views from the office might be a little sunnier, but once he’s at his desk he’s still finding talented people their next opportunity. Will has built his career in recruitment because it’s an industry he loves.
“Recruitment is a never-ending job. You could literally work 24 hours a day, seven days a week if you wanted to because there’s always something to do – not that I’d recommend doing that! But it’s typically the case that the harder you work the more you earn, which I love because you don’t have to have a degree or a decade of experience to learn, grow, and get rewarded financially for your work.
“It might not be for everyone, but it’s a really special industry,” he says.
As cliché as it sounds, we aren’t any old recruitment agency. We’re an inch-wide, mile-deep agency with a strict focus on our niche software engineering markets. Although Will is now heading up our US function, he started in our UK Java team and worked solely in that language and location – it’s an approach to recruitment that allows our Consultants to be complete experts in their fields and has driven our success.
While it is a technical market to be involved in, Will explains that that’s one of the best parts of the job.
“Technology is an exciting industry to work in because it only gets bigger and bigger as time goes on. It’s bursting with innovation and always changing.
“Tech roles are massively in demand at the moment, which of course brings its challenges. It’s a lucrative business, but that means tight competition, so as a Recruitment Consultant you have to up your game and be genuinely good at recruitment, rather than just sit there being an order-taker.
“If you nail that though, you’re essentially selling a product that is in incredibly high demand so there’s a huge benefit to you, the Recruiter.”
The progression routes we have to offer at develop are something we’ve always been proud of, and Will’s story from working in the UK Java team to leading us into the Miami market is testament to that. Will’s excited about what the US has to offer develop, but we’re more excited about what Will, Zach, and our growing Miami team have to offer the US.
We’re providing the shake-up that the Miami market needs.
Our team is always expanding, and we’re excited about the next stage of our growth – so come and be part of it. To learn more about career opportunities at develop, get in touch with us.