James Travis – a Recruitment Partner You Can Trust.
Hi I’m James Travis, and I have over a decade of experience in recruitment, specialising in engineering and technical roles. My career has been built on a passion for connecting great talent with great businesses. I pride myself on going above and beyond just filling vacancies. By taking the time to truly understand how many clients’ businesses really tick. Having that understanding of my clients has enabled me to successfully recruit for a wide array of positions – from sales administrators to right through to managing directors.
My approach is personal, tailored, and deeply rooted in building long-term relationships. Whether it’s helping a company find their next inspirational leader or supporting candidates in achieving their career objectives, I thrive on making meaningful connections that drive success for all involved. I’m not just a job filler but a genuine recruitment consultant who works in partnership with my clients to help them attract and retain talent in the highly competitive marketplace.
A brief career history…
Unfortunately I never had a clear career myself other than the fantasy that I was going to be a fireman (which isn’t the greatest plan when you’re claustrophobic & scared of heights!). I was a bit of a lad at school, more focused on having a laugh than anything else. I left at 16 with mediocre GCSE results and whilst I did briefly attend college, I’d dropped out by Christmas and was working 2 jobs in Meadowhall.
I worked several jobs in retail and hospitality, until one day I saw an advert for a Sales Executive. The wording of the advert caught my eye and I knew that I wanted that job. I interviewed with the MD and not only did I spend the majority of the next decade working for him, I speak with him at least once a week to this day.
I considered this my first “proper” job, and I still owe lots of my present day successes to what I learned during my years there “bashing” the phones. However, eventually I found myself wanting more and an interview that went awfully for me ended up being one of the best experiences of my life. I was definitely brought down a peg or 2 in an interview, and told that I was good but not half as good as I thought I was by the interviewer. They also recommended that I go and read Awaken the Giant Within by Toby Robbins.
After I’d stopped sulking, I ordered the book and I still have it to this day, packed with notes and lessons learned from its teachings. The book profoundly impacted me – it enabled me to finally quit smoking, I drastically reduced my alcohol and junk food intake and got into fitness and chasing my life goals. Inspired and determined, I returned to education, attending college and then University. Despite being over a decade older than most of my peers it was a great experience and this is where I met my amazing wife and decided upon recruitment as a career choice. A chap came into one of our lectures that was traveling the world recruiting & I thought it sounded like a great career move for me.
In 2014, I joined Linear Recruitment, starting on a white collar rail construction desk. Apart from having a great manager who taught me a lot, I struggled with the desk and spent the half of my year there looking for another job on another desk (any desk I thought). Weirdly I was offered a role in recruiting professional practice finance at Nicholas Associates, and what was even stranger was I took it. Within weeks I knew I was out of the chip pan and into the fire and after a few short months I was let go.
At this point I could have easily walked away from recruitment all together and gone to do something else, and my wife who’d just discovered she was pregnant with our first daughter was suggesting I do just that. Determined to make it work I secured a role at Brewster Pratap, within their engineering and manufacturing team. This was a turning point in my recruitment career and over the next five and a half years, I honed my skills, developed my expertise, and built a strong reputation in the market.
In 2021, I joined Nicholas Associates for the second time, this time specialising in engineering and manufacturing as I had done at BP. The role offered me a unique flexibility, allowing me to recruit for a wide variety of roles. The variety, coupled with the results I delivered, kept me consistently ranked as one of the top billers at NA throughout my nearly 4 years there. It was great to return to where I had previously failed and leave a legacy that will take some beating.
Recent changes at NA forced me to reassess my career and to weigh up my options. As I interviewed elsewhere, I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was the right time for me to go independent. The market is highly saturated and arguably more challenging than ever (certainly during my time in recruitment), and I realised I want more control over my work and the ability to shape my own path. That’s why I’ve taken the leap and launched Travis Talent Ltd – a business that reflects my values, expertise and passion for recruiting.
It’s been an incredible journey to date, and I’m excited to continue making a positive impact through Travis Talent.