From the Forces to Food Engineering Recruitment: Jake’s Journey into Talent Spotting
Welcome to another edition of The MorePeople Podcast, where we dive into the real stories, insights, and expertise shaping the recruitment landscape. This week, we sat down with our very own Jake Tebbutt-Gilbert, who took us through his fascinating journey from the British Army to recruitment in the food and agriculture sectors and everything in between.
An Unconventional Route Into Recruitment
Unlike many recruiters, Jake didn’t come through the typical post-university route. Instead, his career began with eight years in the Armed Forces. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Jake made the life-changing decision to transition into civilian life.
“I wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted to do,” Jake admits. “I Googled what ex-forces people usually go into, and recruitment kept popping up. I started reaching out to people on LinkedIn, learning how they’d made that jump.”
That curiosity led him to a six-month internship, evening resourcing work, and eventually a role at a forces-focused recruitment company. From there, Jake secured his first civilian job as an internal recruiter at a tech firm in Peterborough before joining MorePeople.
Transferable Skills from Service to Staffing
What skills from the military actually translate into recruitment? A lot more than you might think.
“Public speaking was a big one - I taught classes of 20 to 500 people during my deployment to West Africa. But more than anything, it’s communication,” says Jake. “In the Armed Forces, if you can’t communicate, you can’t do your job. That’s true in recruitment too.”
Jake also brings a global perspective to his work, having spent time across various countries. This international experience helps him build rapport with candidates from diverse backgrounds, something especially valuable in the fast-moving world of food manufacturing and engineering.
Life as an Engineering Recruiter
Jake now specialises in engineering recruitment within the food and produce industries - a niche with massive impact but one that’s often misunderstood.
“People hear ‘engineer’ and think bridges or cars,” Jake explains. “But in food production, engineers are the heartbeat of the factory. They keep everything running - from fixing gearboxes to integrating robotic arms.”
His work involves recruiting for roles like head of engineering, maintenance managers, and shift engineers. Individuals responsible for everything from planned maintenance and diagnostics to supporting large-scale automation and innovation projects.
Automation, Innovation, and the Future
The conversation turned toward the rapid evolution of factory technology. With wage inflation, labour shortages, and rising production demands, automation is no longer a luxury - it’s a necessity.
Jake has seen this first-hand at industry events like the PPMA Show, where cutting-edge machinery and robotics are reshaping the way food is produced.
“Some of the tech is absolutely mind-blowing, vertical farming, egg vaccination machines, automated pallet movers,” says Jake. “The level of precision and scale is incredible.”
And the trend isn’t slowing down. With major food manufacturers investing tens of millions in new production lines, engineering is more essential, and more future proof, than ever.
Final Thoughts: Engineering a Career That Matters
Jake’s story is a reminder that meaningful careers don’t always follow straight lines. His move from the military to the recruitment world proves that with curiosity, communication, and the willingness to learn, you can carve out a role where you truly make a difference.
And if you’re an engineer in the food sector? “It’s a job for life now,” Jake says. “Other industries are 10 years behind in terms of technology. The food sector is leading the charge.”
