Four decades of opportunity, resilience, and relationships in recruitment
Forty years in one career is a remarkable achievement. For Eileen Pacey, Regional Director of Select’s Northampton office, it represents a lifetime of helping people find their next opportunity, supporting clients through change, and building relationships that last.
Eileen joined Select on 29 September 1986, never imagining that the role she applied for would become a 40-year journey. From paper files and colour-coded cards to laptops and modern recruitment systems, her career has moved with the industry while staying rooted in the people at its heart.
How it began: a new challenge in Luton
Eileen first spotted a Sales Administrator vacancy advertised in the window of Select’s Luton office. She had been doing similar work for several years, but was ready for a new challenge. The application process was thorough: four interviews in total, with the final two taking place with Directors and lasting more than two hours each.
Her first day was spent training upstairs in the Edgware office alongside the Manager of the new Harrow office. She began her Select career as a Permanent Consultant, then took over the Temporaries desk at the end of the year.
The early Luton office
Eileen remembers how the advertising window was at ground level, while the main office was reached by a metal staircase one floor up. Inside, brown signage, brown carpets and magnolia woodchip decoration set the scene. Real plants were used as dividers, and a reception area allowed staff to greet walk-in candidates before taking them to a desk for an interview.
There were no computers on desks, but as staff could smoke in the offices in those days, there were plenty of ashtrays! CVs were hard copies, candidates and vacancies were tracked using colour-coded cards, and temporary bookings were recorded on A6 booking charts.
The testing area was at the back of the office, with daisy-wheel typewriters used for speed, audio typing, and shorthand tests. The kitchen was there too. The only computer was used for payroll and connected to Head Office in Crawley by a noisy, unreliable modem.
A career built on opportunity
Over four decades, Eileen has taken on a remarkable range of roles. She says it would be difficult to choose which one taught her the most because she learned something from every stage of the journey.
Her career has also taken her through eight distinct locations, including: Luton, Stevenage, Bedford, Milton Keynes, Amsterdam, and Northampton.
Today, Eileen is Regional Director of Select’s Northampton office. Her story shows how a career in recruitment can keep opening new doors, whether through management, business development, international work, franchising, or long-term client leadership – experiencing several different careers without ever really leaving Select.
Recruitment then and now
When Eileen started, finding candidates and advertising roles relied on visibility, conversation, and plenty of creativity. Vacancies appeared in office windows and on A-boards, while newspapers and notices in local shops helped reach the wider community. There were also “recommend a friend” approaches, with friends and family often helping to spread the word.
The biggest change Eileen has seen is the arrival of computers, which she thinks have been both a help and a hindrance at times! Eileen also commented on the major changes in legislation and the arrival of mobile phones as making significant impacts in her career.
Asked about the best piece of office equipment ever introduced, she suggests: “The laptop”
What technology cannot replace
“People - people buy people. It's building that relationship with both clients and candidates, providing the right service, and being prepared to face issues and deal with them rather than hiding away.”
That principle has remained constant, even as the tools have changed. Recruitment still depends on listening carefully, understanding what people need, and having the confidence to deal with challenges openly.
The human side of recruitment
Some of Eileen’s most memorable moments have come from the unexpected ways recruitment can connect people. One particular memory stands out; while she was Manager of Bedford, a local company asked Select to find a singer to lead carols and songs at its Pensioners Christmas Party.
Eileen immediately thought of her mother, who had a beautiful voice and sang in local choirs and amateur dramatic groups. Eileen placed her mother in the role, and the client loved her performance. It was a perfect example of recruitment at its most personal: understanding the brief, knowing the people around you, and finding a solution that genuinely fits.
Long-term relationships have been another defining part of Eileen’s career. She has worked with some clients for more than 18 years, and many candidates have also returned to her time and time again, often surprised that she is still there!
What has kept Eileen at Select?
“The people. The variety. The challenges. Placing people in their dream roles. Finding the right person for my clients.”
When she reflects on what she is proudest of, Eileen points to her friends and colleagues, as well as the many people she has helped and worked with over the years. For her, success has always been measured in relationships as much as results.
Lessons from a 40-year career
Eileen’s advice is simple and enduring: “Be true to yourself.”
For anyone starting a career in recruitment today, she sees a profession full of possibility. It offers variety, meaningful relationships, and the chance to make a real difference, although there will naturally be ups and downs along the way. Her advice is to:
Trust the process — have confidence in the system and your training.
Keep going through difficult periods — the highs far outweigh the lows.
Build your resilience — success will follow when you continue learning and moving forward.
Her one-word description of 40 years at Select is “ROLLERCOASTER!!” It’s the perfect word for a career filled with change, challenge, opportunity, memorable people, and plenty of unexpected turns. It also captures the excitement of a profession where every day can bring a different brief, a new conversation, or the chance to change someone’s working life.
As Eileen puts it, “It’s the best career”.
Thank you, Eileen
From everyone at Select, thank you, Eileen for 40 extraordinary years of commitment, warmth, and professionalism. And thank you to the colleagues, clients, and candidates who have shared the journey and helped make it so meaningful.
If Eileen’s story inspires you to explore a career in recruitment, find your next opportunity, or talk to our team, get in touch today.