VC Talent

VC Talent VC Talent truly enjoy getting to know organisations on a deeper level and helping them to source the best talent to help them on their journey.

VC Talent specialise in placing technology and change professionals and have an exceptional track record of delivering end to end recruitment assignments in digital, technology, project, and change. We deliver tailored recruitment solutions across the UK for companies of all sizes, whether you are a start-up, SME or larger business our purpose is simply to deliver an uncompromising level of recrui

tment service. If you have any recruitment needs within digital, technology, project or change please feel free to reach out.

05/02/2026

Yesterday, there were blue skies, and life felt lighter.

Seasons are changing, and everyone I spoke with seemed happier.

This morning, the grey wasn’t so great.

Then I remembered all the things I’m grateful for.

I had just dropped my daughter off at school.

I’m blasting some tunes, driving to the gym, sipping on my coffee.

My eldest had gone to work, and my middle child was on his way to sixth form.

I have interviews happening today for some excellent candidates.

And later, I’m taking my mum for a blood test, and late afternoon I'm taking the dog to the groomers.

Now, for some, this might seem a bit boring.

But for me, it’s perfect.

I’m wishing everyone a lovely day.

Oh, and it was World Cancer Day yesterday.

The number of people living with cancer in the UK is at a record high.

Someone is diagnosed with cancer at least every 75 seconds across the UK.

Yesterday, Wes Streeting, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care launched a new National Cancer Plan for England.

I've linked a post from Macmillan Cancer Support in my first comment for more information on this.

21/01/2026

Whatever you do, don’t use a founder-owned, solo recruiter like VC Talent.

You really shouldn’t work with a solo recruiter.

Honestly, it’s far too risky to have someone who cares about your hire.

If you prefer chaos, inconsistency, and being treated like a number, avoid companies like VC Talent altogether.

Let me explain.

1. They give you dangerously personalised attention.

Solo recruiters insist on understanding everything. Your culture, your story, your challenges. They tailor everything. They listen. They adapt and improve.

If you prefer a templated process and a recruiter who barely remembers your name, steer clear.

2. You’re stuck with one accountable expert.

No handovers. No, “my colleague will pick this up”. No internal confusion. Just one person who owns the brief end-to-end.

A nightmare if you enjoy chasing 5 different people and building a new relationship every few months.

3. They prioritise quality of KPIs.

Solo recruiters don’t have weekly targets to hit. They don’t race to send CVs for the sake of it. They slow down. Think. Curate and deliver with intention.

Terrible if you prefer volume over value.

4. Solo recruiters protect your brand too well.

They tell your story with nuance. Treat candidates like humans. Don’t ghost.

If you like candidates complaining about your process, avoid solo recruiters immediately.

5. They can’t hide behind a big logo.

Their reputation is personal. Every interaction reflects directly on them. So they show up with integrity and consistency.

Awful if you prefer faceless processes and interchangeable consultants.

6. Often far better value.

No inflated overheads. Layers of management. Or paying for a brand name. Just expertise, time, and outcomes.

Avoid if you enjoy funding office plants, pool tables, trips to Ibiza, and KPIs.

7. They care far too much. About their clients and candidates. About the right fit for both.

If you prefer transactional relationships, this will feel uncomfortably human.

To summarise.

If you want high-volume, KPI driven, conveyor belt experience… stick with big agencies.

But if you want someone who treats your hire like it actually matters? Well…you know precisely who not to avoid.

Vik | Solo Recruiter | Enjoys recruiting, too much!

15/01/2026

A single piece of interview advice I'd like to give job seekers in 2026

Use the STAR methodology for behavioural or competency questions. Questions like "tell me about a time when" or "describe a situation when".

Basically, anytime you have to explain past experiences that align with the job description's requirements.

The number of people who are often better candidates for a role but fail to stay concise, stay on topic, answer the question asked, or demonstrate their relevance to the role is astounding. They lose the role to someone who articulates their answers better.

An interview panel will review the information they have to make a decision. Make their lives easier and win that interview by preparing some relevant answers in the STAR format based on what you see in the job description.

Think of relevant challenges, mistakes and accomplishments in advance. And put it into this format.

The STAR interview method

Situation – what's the challenge or problem? The background context. Keep this concise.

Example: "In my previous role as a data governance manager, there was resistance to adopting a new data business glossary
and data catalogue, as it seemed like 'extra work'."

Task – what's the goal? What did you need to achieve?

Example "My goal was to secure sponsorship from senior leadership and demonstrate the value of the catalogue to key business units."·

Action – what steps you took. Be specific and speak in the first person. "I", not "we".

Example "I built a business case, highlighting how common definitions would improve cross-departmental collaboration, and started with a pilot in the Marketing team, showing quick wins like faster campaign setup."·

Result– what happened because of what you did? Can you quantify this? Use numbers if you can.

"This increased adoption by 40% in the first quarter, leading to a consistent language for key metrics and faster onboarding for new marketing hires."

Keep your answer concise. Maybe up to 2 minutes.

Oh, and a bonus tip: find out in advance which dress code is most appropriate for the interview. This is just as important for video interviews as it is for in-person. If in doubt, dress smarter.

Vik | Tech Recruiter | 2026 will be a better year for job seekers

05/01/2026

Our New Year’s resolution for VC Talent

“We aim to be the best IT recruiter you’ve ever worked with.”

What does this mean?

For candidates we work with, this means raising the bar. Helping you to get more interviews. Sharing information that allows you to do your best in these interviews. Providing honest feedback.

For the businesses we currently work with, this means assessing our performance and working with you to understand how we can do even better.

Can we make our delivery even better? Quicker? Easier? How can we ensure that all candidates are fully qualified in both fit and commitment?

I mean, we’re already seeing more than 4 out of 5 submissions result in interviews. However, we can still deliver an even better service.

For businesses we haven’t worked with yet, I’d love the chance to be the best recruiter you’ve ever worked with. It wouldn’t happen overnight, but we’d do everything possible to make it happen.

Working hard, but by the end of the day, feeling like you've not done enough? With endless to-do lists, goals, targets ...
25/11/2025

Working hard, but by the end of the day, feeling like you've not done enough?

With endless to-do lists, goals, targets and many other pressures, it's tough.

Productivity is key, but the struggle is real.

Here's what I changed to help keep me sane.

I often felt awful at the end of the day, looking at my to-do list and wondering, "What happened today?"

Lots of distractions. Changes to urgent and important priorities. Personal stuff. Things happen.

Berating yourself helps no one.

I now put together a 'done list' as I accomplish things during the day.

The impact this has had has been crazy good.

I got this idea from Oliver Burkeman's book Four Thousand Weeks.

Here's a post from Oliver which explains it better than I can.

https://www.oliverburkeman.com/donelist

Vik | Tech Recruiter | Productivity Hack

21/11/2025

The worst innovation in recruitment in the past 20 years?

*** Making job applications too easy ***

What was meant to streamline the process has overwhelmed
recruiters, diluted candidate quality, and made it harder for great people to
stand out.

* For hiring teams, it’s noise
* For candidates, it’s invisibility
* For everyone, it’s friction

I love innovation and evolution, but I make no apologies for saying this is not good. Good people are getting lost in the mix.

I wonder, does anyone else feel the same?

I’d love to hear your thoughts.

18/11/2025

Three positive observations of the current UK IT permanent hiring
market.

1. More opportunities.
I’ve spoken with lots of candidates in tech, including many leaders in IT, Data and InfoSec, and they are being approached about more and more (real) opportunities.

2. Fewer applications.
I’ve had fewer applications for a lot of my roles. Not all, and perhaps it’s just the few that I’m hiring for, but it doesn't resemble the release of a new iPhone or PlayStation any more. Hopefully, less applications mean less competition, and not just that my advert writing skills have gotten worse, or people are simply not applying to job ads anymore.

3. People are getting multiple offers.
It’s been a while since I lost a candidate to a significantly better offer by another company. Usually, I’d have been a little disappointed. However, it is genuinely a positive sign that the market is picking up a bit.

This may be optimistic thinking, given the post-summer holidays and the period leading up to the Christmas holidays, but I have sensed a shift in the market.

It's starting to warm up, finally. Just hoping for a neutral Autumn budget that keeps the optimism going.

Vik | Tech Recruiter | optimistic about the future of UK jobs

5 yearsReflecting back on 5 years ago. I'd suffered redundancy. And decided to set up VC Talent. I can hardly believe it...
14/11/2025

5 years

Reflecting back on 5 years ago. I'd suffered redundancy. And decided to set up VC Talent. I can hardly believe it's already been five years!

I've stumbled along the way, but I've also achieved some unbelievable successes. Personally, the last 12 months have been the toughest of my life.

Yet, on the whole, I'm immensely happy with my decision to embark on this journey.

It reminds me that our current situation is often based on choices you made 5 or 10 years ago.

Where you are in 5 or 10 years will be shaped by the decisions we make now.

So let's make sure that today's actions truly make a difference.

Will you be thanking yourself in 5 years?

Vik | Tech Recruiter | thankful

I am addicted to feedback. When searching for a new hire, I crave feedback. Good feedback. Bad feedback. Same for a new ...
31/10/2025

I am addicted to feedback.

When searching for a new hire, I crave feedback.

Good feedback. Bad feedback.

Same for a new client.

Same for someone I've placed over 10 people with.

My aim is to always keep improving and get better.

Early feedback is better than late criticism.

It helps me maintain a quality led approach.

And means my clients review fewer CVs.

It means the people I work with have easily more than an 80% chance of securing an interview!

(Based on current stats of 18 of the last 20 CVs submitted across various roles, getting interviews.)

28/10/2025

Aaarrgghhhh!!

I find working from home when the kids are off from school so tricky.

* The constant interruptions
* Complaints about nothing to eat (despite the fully stocked fridge!)
* Their friends coming in and out of the house
* Mugs and glasses left lying around
* YouTube blaring from their room
* Asking for lifts all the time

Don’t they realise, I’m working?!?

But then I remember how blessed I am to be able to work from home.

And one day I’ll miss this.

Remember this next time you get frustrated with interruptions during your next Teams/Zoom meeting.

Vik | Tech Recruiter | working from home and being positive 😁

21/10/2025

Why are some job seekers making 100's of applications and not getting interviews?

But some are getting multiple job offers?

So many people are struggling with the difficulty of sending out lots of job applications without getting any calls for interviews.

Here are a few common issues, along with suggested fixes.

1. Applying to too many roles with generic CVs and cover letters.

Fix it.

Apply to fewer, more relevant roles and spend a few minutes ensuring your relevant skills and experience match and are easily visible on your CV and cover letter.

2. Relying solely on online applications.

Fix it.

Build your network. Who do you know who could make an intro at the company? Connect on LinkedIn. Talk to them.

3. Applying for roles without the required qualifications often leads to rejection. There is a massive amount of competition. Getting noticed in crowded job markets is tricky.

Fix it.

Are you really qualified for this role? With more people competing for the same jobs, you're less likely to get an interview if you're not suitable.

Apply for roles you qualify for. Save time by not applying to others.

Going back to number 1, spend some time refining your CV to ensure it's clear that you're the right fit for the role.

4. Basic mistakes in CVs and cover letters.

Fix it.

Use a spell checker. Word is ok. However, there are a lot of others, often available for free, that are better. And get a few friends or colleagues to help check for mistakes.

6. A negative or nonexistent professional online image (LinkedIn) can harm job opportunities.

Fix it.

Use AI to give you ideas on how to improve this.

As a starting point, you could use a prompt like: "I am a (job title) and I would like to improve my LinkedIn profile to help with my job search. Help me craft a more compelling headline that goes beyond my job title."

The IT job market in the UK is challenging currently. It's not easy out there.

With a little bit of effort, you can give yourself a better chance.

Vik | Tech Recruiter | hoping for a brighter time for job seekers

20/10/2025

Happy Diwali, everyone!

For me, Diwali has always been more than just fireworks and great food, although I do love both. It's about hope, kindness, family and community.

With everything that's happening in the UK at the moment, it feels more important than ever to stand for unity over division and light over darkness.

Wishing you all peace, positivity and brighter days ahead ✨

Let's continue to spread light wherever we can.

Vik | Tech Recruiter | Believing in people over prejudice

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