Astute’s Power Generation team supports employers across the full life cycle of a plant, and Arjun Patel sits right in the thick of it.

As a Principal Recruitment Partner, he focuses on Operations and Maintenance roles across Energy from Waste, Biomass, CCGT and OCGT sites, helping operators secure the right people to keep assets running safely and reliably.

In this edition of Our People, Arjun shares what brought him to Astute, what he does day to day, and the mindset that helps him stay consistent in a role with plenty of highs and lows.

How did you get into your role at Astute?

“I had previously worked as a Recruitment Consultant for a company in London and wanted to find something back home in Portsmouth.

“My teammate from Portsmouth Cricket Club knew Astute well and put me in touch as he knew there was a live vacancy.”

That move, back to Portsmouth and into a team he already had a connection to, turned into a long term career step.

Arjun joined Astute in 2017 and has progressed through the business to Principal Recruitment Partner.

What do you do for Astute?

“I am a Principal Consultant on the Power Generation desk with a focus on Operations and Maintenance roles within the sector.

“This includes working with Energy from Waste, Biomass, CCGT and OCGT Power Stations.”

In practice, that means partnering with hiring managers to understand the site, the shift pattern, the constraints, and the must haves, then finding people who can deliver in the real world, not just on paper.

What is your favourite thing about working at Astute?

“The 9-day fortnight is handy for me as it means I can take 1 less holiday when going away.”

Simple. Practical. And if you travel a bit, it makes a genuine difference.

What is the most exciting thing about your role?

“No two days are the same, there will be highs and lows.

“However, I think my sporting side kicks in a bit to deal with this as you must be resilient and competitive to keep going in this role.”

Recruitment can be fast, unpredictable, and sometimes brutal.

Arjun’s approach is to treat it like sport, stay consistent, learn from the setbacks, and keep showing up.

What advice would you give someone who is looking to join Astute?

“Having the right motivations is a good starting point when going into a recruitment role.

“Astute will provide a strong foundation to be successful; however, it is a challenging role which will require you to be highly resilient whereby your output is driven by your input.”

If you like the idea of being rewarded for effort, building relationships, and getting sharper every week, you will probably enjoy it.

If you want something quiet and predictable, it’s not that.