From Associate Consultant to Director: Kevin Donaldson
posted 13 Jan 26
In this edition of our Consultant Career Story, we speak with Kevin Donaldson, Director in Search’s Construction & Property division.
Kevin joined as an Associate Consultant in 2016 and progressed into leadership and then Director level in just seven years.
Here, he shares how he built his career, what makes Construction & Property such a strong market for ambitious consultants, and his advice for those considering a role in recruitment.
Can you give us a brief overview of your career before joining Search, and what led you into recruitment and ultimately to Search?
Like many people in recruitment, I fell into it. After leaving school, I joined the British Army as a Royal Engineer and spent several years abroad, including training tours in Canada and an operational tour in Afghanistan.
When I decided it was time for a change, I spent a few years working overseas in Ibiza and Zante before returning to the UK. I wanted a role that would challenge me, reward effort, and give me a long-term career path. Recruitment ticked all those boxes, and I joined Search in September 2016.
You progressed from Associate Consultant to Director in just seven years. What do you feel contributed most to that progression?
I say this to Associate Consultants all the time: if you are willing to put in the time and effort, you can progress quickly. Early on, I stayed back an extra hour each day to call candidates and pick their brains about their work, tools, and terminology. It helped me build market knowledge fast and sound credible with clients while I was still finding my feet in sales.
I also became very focused on goal setting. My promotion targets were clear, so I worked them back to the core daily activities that would get me there. As a consultant, that meant bringing on accounts and candidates. As a manager, it meant doing that while developing consultants to deliver.
I have also benefited from being surrounded by high-performing colleagues, as well as the strong leadership of Managing Director, Paul Kynaston.
Can you give us an overview of your sector focus and the types of roles your team specialises in across Construction & Property?
The team offers a full turnkey solution, from General Labourers through to Construction Directors and everything in between. We have consultants who run specialist desks across M&E (Mechanical & Electrical), Civil Engineering, Build, and Fit Out.
We have offices from Brighton to Aberdeen and provide both blue and white-collar staffing for temporary and permanent roles.
What excites you most about working in Construction & Property recruitment, and why is it a great sector for ambitious consultants?
Construction is one of the most resilient sectors you can work in. No matter what technology does, our clients still need people to lay bricks, drive machines, and build projects. There is consistent demand, which creates real opportunity.
It is also a people-focused industry. A lot of business is done face to face, which means ambitious salespeople with strong relationship skills tend to thrive here.
How would you describe the culture within your team?
The team is competitive, driven, and hungry for success. Success to them looks like high earnings, career progression, and recognition. We have a work-hard, play-hard environment, and that is driven from the top.
We celebrate wins because we work hard for them, and everyone wants to push themselves to the next level.
What qualities or skills do you look for in someone joining your team?
Organisation is key. The sector is complex, so managing multiple clients, shifts, and compliance processes takes focus and structure.
You also need strong communication skills, honesty, empathy, and a genuine interest in helping others. The best people combine compassion with drive. They care deeply about doing a great job while delivering results and growing their business area.
What qualities or skills do you look for in someone joining your team?
Resilience is essential because recruitment has highs and lows, and you need to be able to handle both. When interviewing, I also look for genuine drive. Ambitious people will absorb everything from the best around them and then push those skills further. That is the mindset that flourishes here.
What advice would you give to someone considering a career in recruitment, or specifically in Construction & Property?
Learn the sector. Understand the qualifications, the tickets, the tools, and the terminology. If you spent an hour a day for six months asking candidates good questions about their work, your calls to clients would immediately be more credible.
If you want to progress, are willing to learn, and do not mind putting in the effort, Construction & Property is full of opportunity.
Ready to take the next step in your recruitment career? Explore our current opportunities.
Want to hear more about life at Search? Read Chris’s story as Managing Director in Search's Health and Social Care division.