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I remember stepping off the plane in Australia with no permanent address, a suitcase of clothes, and £5,000 in savings. In many ways, that was the moment my entrepreneurial life truly began. Today, I run HJ Recruitment, a startup that’s grown to 10 people, generates AU$5.2 million in revenue, and helps companies find top talent in sales, trades, and labor. But my story starts long before any of those big numbers.
I grew up in the United Kingdom, where I dropped out of high school and ended up working in construction. It wasn’t glamorous, but it kept me busy and taught me the value of hard work. Even as a kid, I’d always had a knack for hustling: my earliest “business” was selling dried starfish I found on the beach to anyone who’d buy them. I guess you could say I loved the thrill of turning nothing into something valuable.
I eventually stumbled into recruitment back in the UK and realized I had a passion for helping people find jobs that could change their lives. The process fascinated me: connecting with new faces, identifying hidden skills, and watching someone light up when they finally land the right role. Still, I felt there was more out there for me—something bigger I wasn’t tapping into.
I decided to make the jump to Australia with just £5,000. I had no real plan and no place to call home. For a while, I was homeless, couch-surfing and sleeping in hostels, trying to figure out how this new environment worked. It was overwhelming, but also strangely exciting.
At first, I was in survival mode—just trying to keep my head above water. But even then, I couldn’t shake the drive to start my own thing. I needed to find a niche, a sector I could really dig into. I just didn’t know what that was—yet.
While traveling through Airlie Beach, I noticed the huge yachts parked in the marina. Curious, I started chatting with the owners and discovered a common thread: most of them were earning big money in the mining industry. Later, when I visited affluent neighborhoods in Sydney like Point Piper and Vaucluse, I knocked on doors and asked people how they made their livings. Over and over, I heard the same thing: mining.
That was my lightbulb moment. Australia’s mining sector offered something I’d never seen before in the UK—Fly In, Fly Out (FIFO) work, high-paying roles, and a desperate need for more qualified labor. Meanwhile, many people I knew from back home would love the chance to move here, get stable work, and build new lives.
So I decided to focus on recruitment for the mining sector and beyond. I’d connect skilled people—especially those from the UK—to companies in Australia. I didn’t want to spend years getting formal qualifications for a job in the mines; I wanted to build a business that helped others get their shot, while I earned my place in this country through entrepreneurship.
By 2023, I felt ready to launch what would become HJ Recruitment. We focus on permanent placement of sales professionals and blue-collar trades: from HVAC technicians to construction laborers.
I wasn’t alone. I found a tight group of people who, like me, wanted to shape the future of recruitment. Some came from HVAC or mining backgrounds themselves. Others had strong sales and communication skills that fit right into our mission. I’d spent enough time in the field to know that industry experience matters—it means we speak the same language as both our clients and our candidates.
One of the first things I invested in was technology: a custom-built Applicant Tracking System (ATS) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) that lets us store and retrieve candidate information lightning-fast. When you’re trying to place tradespeople and sales staff across a massive country, speed is everything.
Getting those first 10 clients was an uphill battle. I had minimal name recognition, no fancy marketing budget, and a small team that was still figuring out its own workflow. Here’s what worked for me:
For candidates, I built a big automated database by linking job boards, social media, and direct referrals from people already working with me. The result? We could match employers to skilled workers faster than most agencies twice our size.
I’ve been asked many times why I focus on blue-collar and trades roles. Honestly, it’s my own background. I grew up around people who worked with their hands, and I know how valuable those skills are.
Australia also has a skilled labor shortage. If you’re good at what you do—like HVAC, plumbing, carpentry, or mining operations—chances are you’ll never be out of work. We’re here to connect those people with employers desperately looking for them. Plus, our recruiters have direct experience in these fields. They get it. They can weed out unqualified candidates fast and zero in on the real pros.
I believe innovation is never done. If we’re not evolving, someone else will overtake us. That’s why my team is always looking at new ideas—AI matching, data analytics, fresh software tools to streamline recruitment.
I also see a huge global opportunity. If I could come from the UK to Australia with limited resources and build a thriving business, there must be thousands of skilled workers who’d jump at similar chances. Part of my long-term vision is creating more straightforward pathways for international candidates to fill Australia’s labor gaps.
There’s one quote I live by:
“How big would you dream if you knew you couldn’t fail?”
When you think in those terms, you stop letting fear dictate your decisions. That’s how I ended up taking the biggest risk of my life—flying across the world and sleeping on couches. It led me to build something I’m proud of: HJ Recruitment.
Sometimes I’m still amazed at how far I’ve come since I sold my first dried starfish on that beach in the UK. Going from homeless to founder wasn’t linear or pretty. I made mistakes, ran out of money more times than I can count, and faced countless rejections. But what got me through was the idea that if you can help others while chasing your own ambition, you’ll eventually find success.
That’s what HJ Recruitment stands for: giving skilled workers a real shot, giving businesses the talent they need, and using technology to match people faster and more accurately. I’m not done yet, and I don’t think I’ll ever be. If you’re reading this, maybe you’re at the start of your journey, too. My advice? Just get started, learn sales, surround yourself with brilliant people, and never, ever lose sight of the big picture.
I can’t wait to see where HJ Recruitment will be in another year or two. If my story can inspire anyone else to take that leap, then all those nights on couches and hostels were well worth it.
— Harvey Jutton, Founder of HJ Recruitment
