Our iGaming recruiter, Nyomi O'Dowd, is celebrating an incredible 10 years in recruitment this week—what a milestone! We recently sat down with her to reflect on her journey. Check out Nyomi’s interview below.
Can you tell us a little about yourself and your journey in recruitment?
I am Nyomi, I am 33yrs old and a mum of 2. I have a 12yr old Daughter and a 4yr old Son. My Family, friends and colleagues would probably describe me as LOUD but good fun! HAHA. I have been in agency recruitment for TEN years now, a whole decade (WOW, I feel old!)
My journey – Nine Twenty was my first agency role in recruitment. I started with Nine Twenty back in 2015, I joined the Sales & Marketing team where I spent a year recruiting mainly sales roles and did a lot of work within call-centres. I then moved on and spent three years learning and specialising in Technology recruitment.
After three years away, I returned home to Nine Twenty in 2019 and the rest is history (six years back), wow! Where has time gone…
Post Covid, I have been specialising in tech recruitment within the iGaming sector and can truly say after many years in recruitment I have finally found my niche, my passion. I love the industry and thoroughly enjoy what I do!
What initially attracted you to a career in recruitment?
Like a lot of recruiters will tell you, I sort of fell into recruitment, but I loved the idea of a fast-paced work environment and being able to help change people’s lives/ shape their futures and careers felt very rewarding to me. I also love a challenge! 😊
What has been your most memorable moment or success story in recruitment?
There has been too many to mention (I would be here all day) HAHA. However, my involvement with Incentive Games really stands out. For me, the journey with Incentive Games has been very special! I have grown from strength to strength with them and helped them grow from four staff to north of seventy over the past few years. Not only have I assisted in their exciting growth but have made friends for life. I attend their Christmas party every year and each year that passes, I have a tear in my eye because it gets bigger every time, a very emotional and rewarding feeling for me! To watch them grow and completely take over the market, with huge success has been wonderful to see!
What do you love most about your role?
Changing peoples lives and building relationships, I love that I get to meet new people every single day, but I also love that I am constantly learning and evolving myself.
What skills do you think are essential for success in recruitment?
I would have to say resilience is key! Recruitment is not a walk in the park but if you are passionate about the sector you recruit within and the roles you work, it is extremely rewarding once you overcome the challenges and hard days. I always say recruitment is like a roller-coaster!
How do you build and maintain strong relationships with candidates and clients?
I am very open; I wear my heart on my sleeve. I will always be transparent (even when tough conversations need to be had)! I take the time to get to know my candidates and clients, I also let them get to know me. Communication is key, I keep in touch and follow everyone’s journeys in their career. I think it helps that I am passionate about what I do, I believe that comes across…
What advice would you give to someone just starting out in recruitment?
If you are a people person, you love a challenge and you want to make commission – GO FOR IT!
Starting out in recruitment can be both exciting and scary, but success comes from a mix of industry knowledge, strong communication, and resilience. Maintaining honesty and ethical practices builds a strong reputation. By focusing on these areas, you will build a successful and rewarding career in recruitment.