Published: July 9, 2020 | Updated: 9th July 2020
Each week we shine the spotlight on a member of Dorset’s business community and ask him, or her, for answers to our part fun/part serious questionnaire. This time…
Her favourite place in Dorset is Lyme Regis, she gets angry with people who have massive egos and try to pass the blame, would like to steal New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern and wants to be remembered as “that girl who was always happy.”
Jessica Comolly-Jones, Director, Specialist Sectors Division, Rubicon Recruitment Group, takes the 20 Questions’ hotseat.
Question: What is your favourite TV show?
Answer: Friends is a classic that I could watch over and over again. I love Ricky Gervais. The Office was legendary and I loved After Life. I also loved the Walking Dead and am currently re-watching it. Nothing beats a good ITV drama in the winter, with a fire and glass of red!
Q: Who would you like to share a car with?
A: Probably Lewis Hamilton as the driver, Tyson Fury for protection, George Ezra or Mark Ronson for the tunes and Ricky Gervais for the comedy.
Q: The best bit of my job is…?
A: I love being associated with a brand that puts happiness at the forefront of everything. We won’t ever place a candidate in a role if we don’t believe it’s right for them and we only work with great employers. I love the people I work with – the Rubicon team, our clients and candidates.
Q: And the worst…?
A: I honestly don’t know! After 15 years there’s not much I don’t like. I wish I could switch off more easily. Sometimes feeling like I could work all day and all night, I’m super dedicated (and competitive) and sometimes it frustrates me as I can’t stop thinking about work. Also recruiters who give the industry a bad name and are merely looking to make a quick buck.
Q: Who was your childhood hero?
A: Definitely my mum. She still is. She brought my sister and I up as little girls on her own and always worked her butt off!
Q: What’s your favourite smell?
A: Suncream. You can’t beat it and it normally means three things; you’re outdoors, likely on holiday and it’s hot!
Q: Where’s your favourite place in Dorset?
A: Lyme Regis, I always feel like I’m on holiday when I’m there. I love fossil hunting on the beach (aka Dinosaurland to my four year old boy) and my mum lives there.
Q: What advice would you give to anyone starting out on a career?
A: Don’t try and plan it too much. Make sure you’ve got a great mentor and don’t always strive for perfection. If you think you’re good, you’re comparing yourself to the wrong people!
Q: What was your first record/CD?
A: The Fugees: The Score and Coolio: Gangsta’s Paradise. Both remind me of mum driving my sister and I to school in her red (pretty old school) BMW soft top blasting the tunes.
Q: What gets you angry?
A: People with massive egos and people who try to pass the blame. I’m also not a fan of people who feel sorry for themselves.
Q: Do you have a favourite piece of music?
A: David Bowie is my favourite artist. I love so much different music; indie, rock, reggae, jungle, dance, hip hop. We’re always listening to music at home. Friday night kitchen dancing is my favourite with my son and husband.
Q: What are the qualities you look for in a new employee?
A: Willingness to give anything a try, someone who takes ownership and they must, must, must be a radiator.
Q: What’s your favourite food or dish?
A: It’s got to be lobster on a special occasion but I’m also a sucker for pizza. Especially Le Bateau’s pizzas.
Q: Steamed sponge pudding and custard or a plate of melon?
A: Melon. I don’t like custard.
Q: Name the best thing about living/working in Dorset?
A: Being able to get down to Sandbanks Harbour on my paddle board on a summer’s evening, and generally the friendliness of people in Dorset. We’re also so lucky to live in such a safe and sheltered place.
Q: If you were Prime Minister for the day what would be the first thing you do?
A: Steal Jacinda Ardern from New Zealand! She’s awesome. I also think the UK’s first past the post voting system needs to come into the 21st century. It has no place in a modern democracy.
Q: What’s your biggest frustration?
A: Life goes so quickly! Before you know it you blink and there’s still a thousand things you want to do and places to visit.
Q: Where’s your favourite holiday location?
A: I went to Mauritius on my honeymoon last year, which was stunning but I still think I’m a Caribbean kind of girl at heart!
Q: Where do you see yourself in ten years’ time?
A: At Rubicon leading a team of Specialist Perms Recruiters across the country in a buoyant economy – changing peoples’ working lives for the better. We spend over a third of our working lives at work, you’ve got to be happy.
Q: What would you like to be remembered for?
A: Someone with a good energy, making people feel special and happy. I’d like people to say “Oh yes I remember Jess, she was that girl who was always happy.”