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Mint is a Recruitment to Recruitment company.
For the better part of a decade, we’ve been placing very good recruitment professionals into very good recruitment roles. We work domestically in the UK and Australian recruitment markets, as well as internationally, and we can essentially assist you with…
We’ve been finding new roles for experienced Recruiters for the better part of a decade, and at the risk of sounding arrogant, we’ve become quite good at it.
Our Client portfolio, our Candidate network, our industry knowledge, and the level of service that we provide to anybody that we come into contact with, are what set us apart.
Yes, we’re a Recruitment to
Recruitment firm…
But we’re a good one.
We understand that the one group of people who have the ability and the right to critique our work are the very people that we are placing: Recruiters!
So we strive, on a daily basis, to do our job properly, and diligently (so you can’t pull us up afterwards!)
We think it’s very important for us to meet you in the flesh to best try and understand what is important for you in this process moving forward. And of course, it’s important for you to meet us too, so you can work out whether or not you’re happy to trust us with your career. If, logistically, we can’t meet you, then so be it. But we’ll certainly try.
Sounds like an obvious statement to make, but we know that our competitors sometimes don’t really dig deep enough beneath the surface to work out what is really important to you. And even if they do listen, for some reason, they very quickly discard what they’ve just heard, and carry on as if they haven’t heard a word you’ve said.
So what we mean here is: Once we’ve listened closely to your “wants” and “don’t wants”, we’ll go away, put our thinking hats on, use our market knowledge, and come back to you and let you know what we believe are some of the best options for you in the marketplace.
Once we’ve got your absolute consent to move forward, we’ll move forward. But we won’t do that until we’ve got the full green light from you. We’ll never lose sight of the fact that this is your career, your job hunt, and you own the process.
We won’t just spray your CV out there and wait to see what happens. We’ll actually pick up the phone and discuss with our Clients everything that you told us about yourself when we met you face to face. After all, there’s only so much “selling” an email can achieve!
Even though we’re thorough, we’re incredibly fast. Because we have such strong relationships with our Clients, we can generally get through to whoever we need to instantaneously. Even if it means calling them on holiday. (Just kidding!)
That first interview is crucial for kick-starting a positive process, and we understand how important it is. We’ll make sure you know everything you need to know, and more!
Regrettably, sometimes interviews don’t go well. It’s our job to make sure you get bad feedback, as well as good feedback. That way, you can fix whatever went wrong, and make sure you don’t fall into the same trap.
We won’t just cut you loose once you’ve got a couple of decent interviews under your belt. We’ll stick by your side, every step of the way, until that job is safely in the bag, and the ink is dry on the contract!
If we’ve committed to you, and you’ve committed to us, then we will do everything in our power to get a positive result. We will not fall at the first hurdle, and we won’t drop the ball. We are not about “quick wins” at Mint Recruitment. We’re all about getting the right result.
We don’t even have a single one that we can say with absolute confidence is “unique” to Mint.
Don’t get us wrong! We’ve got a brag file as big as anybody’s! But we don’t do anything that is unique to us.
We don’t, for example, send every Candidate placed on a three week, all expenses paid safari through Africa. And we don’t tell our Clients that they don’t need to worry about paying for our services, as we do it for the “love of the industry”. (We’re quite traditional in that respect).
Imagine being the “On Call” Doctor who has to perform emergency heart surgery on the Surgeon General, and then accidentally putting the heart in upside down! Bad analogy, but you get the point. And we remind ourselves of the importance of service every single day.
Over the years, we’ve enjoyed a reasonable level of success because we want to perform to the best of our ability, and have the best name in the marketplace. That work ethic is with us every day, and the people who benefit from that the most, are our Clients and Candidates.
I guess, if you’ve never used Mint before, you can only take our word on this one. But if you can’t trust a Recruiter, who can you trust?
Pete and Frank actually started their recruitment careers together back in the late 90’s. (Back then, only the top billers had mobile phones, and the fax machine saw a fair amount of front line duty!)
Fast-forward a few years, and Pete successfully launched Mint in London in 2004, whilst Frank enjoyed an illustrious ten year career in Australia with a global recruitment brand, achieving such accolades as “Million Dollar Biller” and “Award Winning Director”.
Funnily enough, they then swapped countries, and decided to join forces well over a decade later, when Frank joined Mint as UK Director in 2011.
Collectively, they possess almost thirty years recruitment experience, and have both enjoyed being at the top of their games in their respective fields of recruitment. They now use that experience to help good Recruiters get good recruitment jobs!
Between them, they know the UK and Australian recruitment markets back to front!
Our personal promise to you, is that we’re considerably better at
recruitment than we are at
having our photos taken!
But if you weren’t, then we can possibly still assist.
We’ve been relocating Recruiters from the UK to Australia for the better part of a decade, so we know all of the FAQs back to front!
Ordinarily, most Recruiters come into Australia on what’s affectionately referred to as a “457” (which refers to a Temporary Business (Long Stay) – Standard Business Sponsorship (Subclass 457), if we’re going to be formal here!) The “457” allows you to live and work in Australia for a period of up to four years. But whilst you’re on your “457”, you must remain employed in the recruitment industry, or another industry that would be deemed “relevant”. You can’t for example, join the circus on your “457”, once you’re here.
Some people, and this is entirely down to personal choice, enter Australia on a Working Holiday Visa (Subclass 417), which allows them to work in any field they choose, but only for a period of six months (with any one employer).
But generally speaking, it makes more sense to enter the country on a “457” as it certainly provides a bit more security than a “417”.
No, you’re not. You can change jobs. We’d like to think that if we’ve done our jobs properly, you won’t be looking to change jobs too often, but if for some unforeseen reason, you believe a new job is the only option, then you do have the ability to transfer your 457 Visa. That said, not all employers have the ability to sponsor. When selecting your new employer, you need to make sure that they have the ability to sponsor.
It varies, but conservatively speaking, from the point that the Visa is formally lodged, they can be processed between six and twelve weeks. Occasionally they can come through faster, and occasionally they can come through slower. But we would estimate that the average waiting time is around the six week mark.
No, unfortunately not. Just kidding. Yes, your children and Husband/Wife will be named and included on your 457 Visa. If you and your Partner are not married, then you will be required by the Department of Immigration to be able to prove that you are in a loving, long-term and committed relationship, and have been for at least 12 months. It is highly likely you will need to be able to document your relationship with evidence of such things as joint bank accounts, flight itineraries from holidays, rental agreements, etc.
Anybody who is named on your 457 Visa is free to work in any sector they choose. Including the circus.
Yes, you will typically qualify for what’s called LAFHA (Living Away From Home Allowance). LAFHA is a complicated beast, but essentially, it is a tax break that is based on the level of rent that you pay. You are eligible for LAFHA for the whole period of time that you are on a 457 (so long as your Employer is happy to facilitate it). You will lose your LAFHA once you become a Permanent Resident.
If, worst case scenario, you lose your job and you don’t have a new job lined up, then the Australian Government allows you 28 days to find a new job. If ever there was a time to be needing strong representation (ideally from Mint Recruitment), this would be it!
This is a tough one. Typically, the advice that we give our overseas Candidates is “Don’t expect it, because you might not get it”. Putting it simply… Some firms pay relocation assistance, and some don’t. If anything, more and more firms are taking the view that if it was your decision to come to Australia, then presumably, you’re financially prepared to move yourself over. Sounds a bit tough, but that’s becoming the general consensus.
That said, there are some firms who will pay relocation assistance. We would estimate that probably 40% of firms will help you out with flights, etc, but typically, you will end up falling in love with the one organisation who has a policy of not paying it. Which is why our advice is so good: “Don’t expect it, because you might not get it”.
It shouldn’t cost you anything. Your new Employer will pay for it.
How long is a piece of string? This is a question that we are often asked, but it’s kind of impossible to answer, as we don’t know whether you want to live in a castle on the beach, or a shed in the suburbs. The only advice that we can give you, is do your research about the type of accommodation you want, and do some budgeting around your research. You’ll obviously have to be able to pay for a deposit upon arrival (generally one month’s rent), one month’s rent up front, and sometimes you won’t be paid for up to a month. All things to be taken into consideration.
We can certainly assist you with calculations around what your “take home pay” might be, based on the salary we think you’ll achieve once you get here.
No, it’s not. But it does help.
Yes. Here are some useful websites that you might find, well, useful:
www.immi.gov.au — Australian Department of Immigration
www.realestate.com.au — Leading real estate website
www.domain.com.au — Another leading real estate website
www.ato.gov.au — Australian Tax Office
There’s no secret formula to a successful interview, but there are some basic things that you can put in place that should ensure that the experience is a positive one, regardless of the outcome.
For example:
Do your research!
Knowing who you’re meeting, and what the firm specialises in will just give you that little bit of extra confidence going into the meeting, as well as giving you peace of mind that you’re actually interviewing with a firm who you like the look of.
Allow plenty of time!
There’s nothing more distracting than knowing that you’ve ran over your one hour lunch break, and your Boss is currently stood beside your desk wondering where the hell you are!
Be fresh and alert!
Try to avoid having a big night out the night before, try and get a good night’s sleep, and clear your head of all other problems as you walk through that door!
Be yourself!
Bit of a cliché here, but it’s true! If you walk into an interview and try to be something that you’re not, chances are, you’ll trip over yourself. And if you try and pull the wool over a senior professionals eyes, then chances are, you might get caught out. Best thing to do, is just be yourself!
Know your facts and figures!
If you can’t state with confidence your billing history, or how much you earned last qtr or year, or how much your average placement is worth, etc, then this may raise alarm bells. So know your numbers!
Know why you’re there!
Be prepared to sell yourself in line with what the actual job is. It’s pointless selling yourself as somebody that the Interviewer isn’t even looking to hire.
Ask some good, intelligent questions!
So many decent interviews fizzle out when the Interviewee fails to ask good, closing questions. A strong Q&A session at the end of an interview is the perfect way to round things off, and leave a lasting impression on the Interviewer.
Well, of course, part of our job is to advise you on what your market worth is realistically, and what is unrealistic. If we feel that your salary requirements are out of sync with what the market is paying for somebody of your level of experience, and ability, we will tell you so. But how do we ensure we get your full market worth? We simply pitch you at the right and correct level, we educate the Client from Day One of the process what you’re looking for, and then we put in an amazing interview process! Easy!
How? Do it respectfully, graciously, and professionally. Hopefully, you’ll be resigning with nothing but happy and positive feelings towards your current employer. But if that’s not the case, then you should try and end things with as much dignity as you possibly can! Why? Well, firstly, you need a good reference! And secondly, regardless of what points you raise as you’re walking out the door, it’s highly unlikely that your parting pearls of wisdom will actually change anything for those you’ve left behind. So, best to keep things civilised and tidy!
It’s best to avoid talking about which firm you are going to join next, as you leave yourself open to an attack on the credibility of your new employer. Not everybody will deploy this tactic, but it’s quite common.
When? Our advice here, is that you shouldn’t resign until all your ducks are in a row. So, if you’re coming from the UK to Australia, don’t resign until your Visa is approved. But regardless of where you are geographically, you shouldn’t resign until you’ve formally received your Offer Letter or Contract of Employment, and you’re happy with everything. Of course, sometimes things need to move quickly, and typically, these things can be expedited, but our advice is: Sit tight till you’ve got the paperwork safely in your hands.
Probably the best thing to do here, is follow your own advice (that you would give to your Candidates!) The reality here, is that counter-offers generally don’t work for the long-term. Yes, they elastoplast things for a while, and everybody is happy again. But ultimately, the cracks start appearing again soon. So by accepting a counter-offer, all you’re doing is delaying the inevitable anyway.
It’s like going back to an old Boyfriend or Girlfriend. Deep down you know it won’t work, but you want to give them one last chance!
Yes, you do. Over the years, there’s been many creative ways of getting around non-compete clauses. But at the end of the day, if you want to be respected as an “above the board” and ethical Recruiter, then you should do the right thing by the contract that you signed.
If you do decide to cut corners, then you’re probably not going to end up in Siberia smashing rocks and doing hard time. But, your reputation might be a little bit tarnished.
70% of our business is done on a referral basis, which means either, people really like us! Or they like taking our very generous referral fees!
Either way, we’re happy!
In Australia, we will happily pay you $750 for every name that you refer to us, who eventually turns into a placement.
And in the UK, we’re happy to part with £500.
If you have any other issues or questions, please contact us for information.
Mint is committed to helping out local charities in both the UK and Australia.
For every placement that we make, we will pledge $100 (and the UK Pound equivalent) to the following charities:
FareShare Rainbow Trust