UK-based factory relocation and engineering services firm IES has appointed Amit Kumar to the position of market research executive. Amit graduated from Bournemouth University with an MSC in Management with Marketing. He now brings his skills to IES’s engineering resource support, factory relocation, bespoke export packing and storage operations.

According to a recent Association for Graduate Recruiters (AGR) press release^*, the troubled graduate recruitment market may have finally turned the corner and be set to improve during 2011. At a time when talk is often about staff cutbacks, Amit’s appointment was helped by eight successful weeks on an IES sales internship. This was spent on business relocation, factory relocation and export packing projects where Amit demonstrated his business acumen and desire to achieve targets.

Academic perspective on the graduate recruitment market

Discussing the market for graduates, Sid Ghosh, a senior lecturer at Bournemouth University’s Business School, shares the AGR’s cautious optimism. According to Ghosh: ‘The graduate recruitment market has gone through significant changes in recent years. It‘s becoming more challenging than ever for the recent graduate to find appropriate placement and a job. However, there are opportunities for students having the right set of skills to grab a good job in the market. Students who have acquired a critical set of skills over the years through their university education are finding it easier to get the right jobs.‘

Sales support for factory relocation and other services

In his new position, Amit is a key IES team member. His appointment is part of the company’s ambitious business development strategy. From office moves to machinery moves, he’ll provide essential leads for the IES sales team. And focused office-based support for field-sales across factory relocation and other services.

‘Building the IES brand in engineering and logistics

Amit says: ‘I’m responsible for six business projects: Business & Factory Relocation, Export Packing, Freight Forwarding, Engineering Resource Support, and Warehousing. My responsibilities range from researching and qualifying new prospects to product development. We‘re looking forward to accelerating our operations in the South West and building the IES brand in engineering and logistics. We’ll also be adding expertise in high-technology industries and making sure we keep delivering the excellent customer service IES is known for in factory relocation and other areas.‘

‘A much-needed addition to the IES team‘

IES sales director Matt Boyd comments on graduate recruitment – and the new recruit who stood out for his educational achievements and understanding of the job’s demands: ‘Amit proves that with good training, skills and attitudes, graduates can bag great opportunities in the competitive recruitment market. He‘s a much-needed addition to our team. He’ll be an essential source of hot sales leads and a key person in our new-business strategy across all service areas. Above all, Amit’s role will build on the success of his internship, which has already yielded two new customers. We’re delighted to welcome him to IES.‘

* ‘Brighter outlook for graduates as vacancy numbers increase for first time since recession began’: The Association for Graduate Recruiters (21/01/2011)