Matthew Clackson

Director

matthew@beachbaker.co.uk

07825 081 393

My specialism:

Building Surveying, Project Management & Quantity Surveying.  Private practice/consultancy and client-side organisations, covering the South West and South Wales regions. This ranges from Graduate to Director level.

My approach to recruitment:

Understanding the cultures of different organisations meaning I can place the right candidate, so they are more likely to fit in and be happy. I do not send out speculative CVs to clients – targeted approaches only. 

What keeps me motivated:

Building long-term relationships with clients and candidates.  Most of my placements are from repeat business.  I have placed several candidates three and four times during their career which is a great testament to the service I have provided.  I also have great satisfaction knowing I am shaping the local property market.

What I do differently:

I have developed a very good understanding of the local market during my 15-years’ recruitment experience.  I have a measured approach to recruitment and always honest.  I am not ‘salesy’ or pushy with people.

What keeps me busy at the weekend:

I generally keep active by going to the gym, park runs and nice scenery walks if the weather is good.  I have my own paddle boards and regularity enjoy the rivers in North Somerset.  We have a French Bulldog (Dougal), which keeps me on my toes!  I am a passionate ‘Gas Head’ and attend the Memorial Stadium to watch Bristol Rovers.

My favourite food:

My most favourite meal is a Sunday roast with all the trimmings – you can’t beat it.  My local pub is Langford Inn in North Somerset, which have won awards for their roast.

My favourite eatery:

I prefer hearty food rather than fine dining.  The restaurant I visit most frequently is The Clifton Sausage.  The food has always been fantastic plus they sell my favourite cider (Ashton Press) which is a bonus. I also enjoy going to Pasture which (in my opinion) is the best steak in Bristol!

My favourite book/film:

Film - Shawshank Redemption, I have watched it about 10 times and I never get bored if it.

My favourite drink:

Espresso Martini - I have now become a bit of an expert of making them at home.  I also enjoy craft beer and have a monthly subscription with Beer 52.

My favourite travel destination:

Anywhere hot! My most travelled destinations have been Ibiza and Dubai.

Not many people know this about me:

I used to DJ in Bristol (house music) – best known venues are Bar Revolution and Java.  I now regularly post vinyl sets on YouTube, which I started during lock down (feel free to watch!).

Latest Jobs

Testimonials

  • Matthew was very knowledgeable and helpful. He provided excellent support throughout my job hunt and helped me secure a fantastic job opportunity. I would highly recommend him. 

    SAMUEL KING, GRADUATE BUILDING SURVEYOR @ JLL

  • I was looking for a specific and tailored approach to finding a new job in Construction Project Management which is exactly what Matthew had provided me with. He not only took my career aspirations into considerations but my cultural preferences too. Matthew's communication was always timely yet discreet. Thanks to Matthew I have found my next job. I can recommend Matthew to anybody taking their next career move seriously. 

    CHRISTA SCOBIE-SEIFFERT, PROJECT MANAGER @ HOLLIS

  • Matthew listens to your requirements and clearly has a good understanding of the surveying world, particularly smaller building surveying practices. He very quickly identified possible suitable companies and arranged interviews with existing contacts. This produced multiple offers and he kept everyone informed at all times with no pressure. I would not hesitate to recommend him to candidates and businesses looking for their next move or to recruit. 

    CHARTERED BUILDING SURVEYOR @ DB+PAUL
  • I highly recommend Matthew to anyone looking for an experienced and professional recruiter. From my own experience, Matthew listened to my career aspirations, strengths, weakness and genuinely took the time to understand what I was seeking. Matthew clearly does the same to organisation looking for staff to help link candidates with new opportunities. Matthew was excellent with advice concerning CV’s, interview preparation and throughout the whole process.  
    PAUL STAYTE, PROJECT MANAGER @ CHANCERYGATE
  • Chancerygate recently opened a new regional office in Bristol. To support our new Development Director, we approached Matthew to assist is recruiting a Project Manager with Industrial experience.A short TEAMs meeting was held with Matthew to provide a job description and expectations of necessary experience. Within a short period of time, Matthew produced a number of CV’s of potential candidates. Whilst some candidates appeared stronger than others, we were happy to interview all as met the brief. Matthew arranged a day of interviews in Bristol at Beach Bakers offices from which we identified a preferred candidate and shortly after made an appointment. The process was very easy and should we have further requirements I would have no hesitation in approaching Matthew again.  
    DIRECTOR & HEAD OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT @ CHANCERYGATE

  • I had not directly worked with Matthew or Beach Baker previously but over many years during my time at CBRE and Black Cat Matthew was the only recruitment agent in Bristol that was repeatedly mentioned amongst my peers. Accordingly when the time came for us to recruit at Black Cat it was natural for me to call Matthew. I am delighted that I pursued my instinct as within a short period of time of contacting Matthew he had secured us the right candidate.

    Matthew was very attentive and proactive throughout the recruitment process and it was Matthew encouraging me along rather than the other way around. I was particularly pleased that Matthew suggested some candidates that were not always exactly what we were targeting but who might interest us for other reasons.

    We will certainly use Matthew and Beach Baker for our next recruitment requirement, which we hope will be towards the end of 2022. 

    DIRECTOR & HEAD OF OFFICE @ BLACK CAT BUILDING CONSULTANCY