The One Application That Built a 38-Person Forensic Engineering Team, Sarah's Recruitment Career

Sarah didn’t plan a career in recruitment. She studied Politics and International Relations at the University of Nottingham, immersed herself in student life, explored PR, and looked into think tanks and international development as potential career choices. Like many graduates, she had options but no single, fixed path. 

Then she saw a job advert on LinkedIn. It mentioned that top performers could earn a Rolex or a Mulberry handbag. 

“I thought that sounds incredible,” says Sarah.  

She applied. She was rejected. But she followed up. Persistently. Interviewed again. And this time, she got in. 

It might have started with a handbag, but what built her career was something far more substantial. 

Buying into the bigger picture 

What convinced Sarah wasn’t the perks of the job at LVI Associates, it was the story. 

In her interview, she heard about where LVI Associates had started, how it had grown, and the ambition for where it was going next. More importantly, she understood that individuals weren’t just employees, but that they were part of building that trajectory. She summarises:  

“I’m a big believer that when this job gets hard, you need to believe in the vision, where we’ve come from and where we’re going.” 

Building expertise from zero 

Six years later, she’s still part of that growth story and now she leads one of the largest teams in LVI Associates, specialising in forensic engineering and building envelope recruitment across the Mid-Atlantic, North-East and Florida markets in the US. They partner with specialist consulting and engineering firms that investigate structural failures, construction defects and building performance issues, from façade and waterproofing systems to large-scale roofing operations.  

It’s technical, commercially complex, and deeply tied to political and economic cycles, meaning her degree suddenly became useful in a different way. US infrastructure spending, energy transition, and sustainability policy are shaped by legislation, economics and global politics, which are all areas she already understood. 

“I realised quickly that knowledge is power in this game. The more I understood about the market, the more value I could add, and the more successful I’d be,” Sarah concludes.  

She set daily learning targets, tracked insights, studied hiring cycles, connected policy shifts to talent demand, and spoke on industry podcasts within her first month. 

Her curiosity turned into credibility, and that credibility turned into opportunity. Ultimately those opportunities turned into growth. 

Within four years, she scaled her team from three to 38. Not because the market was easy though, but because she understood it deeply enough to expand it strategically. 

Meaningful work, real commercial impact 

Engineering may not carry obvious glamour, but the impact is tangible. 

These are firms designing safe buildings, delivering essential infrastructure, enabling energy transition and solving real-world technical problems. Many are specialist consultancies that rely heavily on trusted partnerships rather than transactional hiring. 

That’s where Sarah’s team comes in. They advise clients, anticipate demand, and helping businesses grow sustainably. As her team have expanded, so did the responsibility of managing hundreds of active client relationships across the US, identifying new commercial opportunities, and building long-term partnerships. 

Trajectory and ownership 

For Sarah, one of the biggest differentiators was trajectory. She wanted a career where performance directly influenced progression. Recruitment offered that clarity: 

“I’ve always believed trajectory creates opportunity.” 

In this model, growth isn’t time-served. Instead, it is earned. If you build expertise, deliver results and think commercially, you move forward. 

That ownership of earnings, relationships, and market strategy, is what has kept her motivated. 

What she looks for in her team 

There’s no single degree or background that guarantees success, but what really matters is mindset. The people who thrive in Sarah’s team tend to be: 

• Naturally curious 
• Commercially minded 
• Resilient when things don’t go to plan 
• Open to feedback 
• Strong communicators 

It’s a collaborative, performance-driven environment at LVI Associates, and consultants are encouraged to think creatively, explore new approaches and treat their market like their own business. As Sarah says:  

“I learn every day from people around me. That’s how you keep progressing.” 

Considering LVI Associates for your career 

Sarah didn’t start with technical knowledge, but she built it over time. She also didn’t have a perfectly mapped-out plan but Sarah committed and backed herself. 

What began as a one-click application on LinkedIn is now a leadership role in a global, specialist talent brand, and one that is built on curiosity, commercial thinking and consistent performance. 

If you’re graduating and looking for a career where: 

• You can build real expertise 
• Your progression isn’t capped 
• Your earning potential reflects your performance 
• And you’re trusted to grow something meaningful 

Then recruitment at LVI Associates might be worth a conversation. 

Because sometimes, the opportunity that catches your eye for one reason becomes the platform you build your career on.