The Right Move Should Move You Forward: Jeyni’s Story
For many candidates, a job search starts with a reason to leave. For Jeyni, it started with a clear idea of what would be worth moving for.
She was performing well in her position and wasn’t looking to escape anything. She wanted greater challenge, more responsibility and the opportunity to join the calibre of organization she had set her sights on.
That shaped our approach from the start. Our job was not to convince her to leave. It was to find a move worth leaving for.
A Focused, Candidate-Led Search
From the outset, Jeyni and Sev were in regular contact about what she wanted from her next step. That ongoing conversation meant the search was built around her goals, not simply around whatever roles happened to be available.
Rather than circulating her CV across the market, we kept the search deliberate and targeted. When the right Legal Secretary opportunity came up with one of our clients, the alignment was immediately clear. The role offered:
- A more challenging legal support environment
- The opportunity to keep building her experience
- Exposure to the type of work and organisation she had specifically been seeking
- A genuine step forward, rather than simply a change of employer
Jeyni interviewed, the fit was there, and the client wanted her.
But securing an offer was only part of the job.
Why Representation Matters at the Offer Stage
Once a client has decided they want to hire a candidate, there is an important window between “we’d like to hire her” and “she has accepted.” This is where good representation and strong teamwork makes a real difference.
Jeyni had a salary figure in mind that she would have been happy with. However, based on her experience, the scope of the opportunity and the client’s clear interest in securing her, Sev believed there was room to achieve more. Working closely with Jeyni, she gave her the confidence to stand firm and recognize the value she would bring.
On the client side, Hazel led the negotiations with their priorities firmly in mind. She helped the client see how a stronger package would reflect Jeyni’s experience and reduce the risk of losing the candidate they wanted to hire. With Sev supporting Jeyni and Hazel advising the client, the focus was on reaching an agreement that gave both sides confidence in the move.
The Outcome
Jeyni accepted the offer and has now joined her new organisation as a Legal Secretary.
What we value most about this placement is that it was never about persuading someone to move for the sake of it. It was about understanding exactly what would make a move worthwhile, staying close to the candidate throughout, finding the right opportunity, and then advocating for her value when the offer came.
Recruitment shouldn’t end when a client says, “We want her.” Sometimes, that’s when some of the most important work begins.
In Jeyni’s Words
“My experience working with Sev was such a smooth and uncomplicated process. It didn’t feel like she was throwing whatever position available at me. She listened to my needs, understood my goals, assured me we’d find something & she delivered. We managed to secure an opportunity offering everything I was seeking & more without a haste. Extremely grateful to have worked with Sev in my job hunt.”
— Jeyni
Sev is a Technical Recruiter at SteppingStones Recruitment, specializing in the delivery of engineering and technical talent across Web2 and Web3 environments. She works closely with technology-led organizations to support complex hiring requirements across varying stages of growth.
Hazel holds a Bachelor’s degree in English & Linguistics from UCD and two Master’s Degrees from Dublin City University in Psychology and Work & Organizational Psychology, respectively. Hazel is passionate about education and describes herself as an eternal student. She has published an academic research paper in the Journal of Cancer Survivorship and is a keen researcher.