Recruiter, Harrison Callahan (Wyvern 2012) is exactly the right person for his job. His role as a leader with JS Careers’ Corporate Finance and Funds Management recruitment requires a lot of energy, and he has it in spades.

“I’ve been in this role for 10 years now, and it’s all about good relationships, which are based on trust and care. On top of that, you need the energy to feel comfortable meeting people, and calling them up out of the blue.”

Harrison works hard on relationship building in order to find and fill roles. It involves recommending to employers who best to shortlist for interviews, and coaching applicants in interview technique. The best clients he has are repeat business. The relationship builds slowly over months and years, which gains better results, making it much more enjoyable.

“A big part of my role and building relationships is to help people understand their motivations. When any of us are looking for a new position, we may be feeling uncertain or even unhappy. On the surface, we might say we’re looking for reduced hours or more money, which is completely fine and normal. During this process, I will try to spend time unpacking how a new role might unfold and help people project into the future. ‘Is this new situation really what you want?’ For some, it helps provide confidence. For others, it may prompt further consideration, as the potential move in the short-term may not match up with their long-term career aspirations. A large part of building relationships is being present, asking thoughtful, or even semi-thoughtful questions, and listening.”

After completing his commerce degree, Harrison knew pursuing further study or becoming an accountant was not for him. A Wyvern connection opened up this ideal opportunity.

“Tom Hutchinson (Wyvern 2000), Arch Wyvern at the time I was in Queen’s, would come to the commerce society events. I was on the student committee in my final year and really enjoyed working with different groups of people on projects across the College. I didn’t love as much the hardcore accounting or economics, I enjoyed the people side. Knowing that if you have really good relationships you can have influence got me thinking about recruiting, and Tom was great. He said I should go for it. I felt this job was a good fit, something I could do well, could do better than other people, which was a gut feel. I was hoping I might be able to make a career out of it, and that’s been the case.”

Coming from Wangaratta, Harrison heard about Queen’s from students ahead of him at high school, David Krones (2008) and Emily Frawley (2007), but it was Harry Hill (2008) who encouraged him to put Queen’s first on his application.

“I wanted to go to Melbourne and explore the world, meet new people, learn new things, and it was brilliant. By and large everyone was awesome. I stayed the full three years, got involved in everything and tried a bunch of different things. Then through the Wyvern Society and knowing Tom it helped me spring forward to this next phase of life.”

Sporting highlights have stayed with Harrison.

“2012 we won the football and that was really great, I was just happy to have a little bit of game time. Then in my second year I played in the soccer final and actually scored a goal. I think I told everyone how good I was for the rest of the week, and got told to pipe down a little bit. I know it was only a College premiership but to me it was like winning the World Cup and I was Lionel Messi. It was nice to feel like that for a few days.”

Harrison has found the collegiality of Queen’s hard to replicate.

“When you are older and out in the real world, you might participate in different community groups, workplaces or clubs but it’s actually really hard to find one you enjoy, where everyone is aligned and invested. Queen’s has been the most enjoyable, with high quality and openminded people. Being together with a bunch of smart, polite, nice people for a couple of years when you are all 19 and 20 and optimistic, was fantastic. I haven’t had a group that I’ve had that much fun with, or been as thankful to be a part of, since.”

Harrison is open to being contacted by fellow Wyverns and current students.

“I’m always happy to chat because people in the Queen’s community were great to me.”

harrisonicallahan@gmail.com

Harrison (left), in Malaysia with Sulayman Tun-Ismail, Charlie Vickers-Willis, Will McAloney and Tom Scudamore (all 2012).