I joined Robert Walters in February of 2020, after graduating from Victoria University of Wellington with a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Commerce. In many ways, I fell into recruitment, but the sales and customer experience side of the role felt like a natural fit for me.
I started at Robert Walters as an associate consultant (specialising in interim) in the policy and machinery of government team based in Wellington, New Zealand. I was promoted to consultant at the end of my first year, and then to senior consultant a year later. After two years at the Wellington office, like many kiwis, I caught the travel bug. I reached out to a contact in London and was lucky enough to take an international transfer to the London office, where I joined the in-house legal team.
The culture at Robert Walters London is amazing, and I’ve had a really positive experience since joining. Starting in a new office from the other side of the world can be a daunting experience, but it has definitely been made easier by having such a supportive team.
The flexibility Robert Walters gives us as employees is great, and you can tell we have embraced the post-covid flexible working environment. I value this culture of trust and flexibility, as it gives me a large sense of autonomy over my work and personal life.
Robert Walters never fails to celebrate success, and no achievement goes unrecognised. Our senior leadership team are always organising events and activities for us and will make sure every employee is recognised for their contribution.
I am appreciative of the supportive and collaborative environment here in London. The management and senior members of my team have been hugely supportive in helping me to learn a whole new market and fully adapt to a new country. They have encouraged me to reflect on which areas I want to grow in and set tangible goals, which really makes me feel like I have control over my own career pathway.
Joining London has been a big adjustment, as the recruitment landscape differs heavily from that in New Zealand (far more candidates, clients, and competitors). I think I am most proud of how I have adjusted to this change and continued to grow my career within a completely new sector.
I feel very fortunate that I have a lot of autonomy over how I structure my day, so the day-to-day can differ. We start every day with a team catch-up, where we talk through what we are working on, collaborate on candidates and have a general catch up with each other. Some days are very focused on business development, where we venture out of the office to meet clients. Other days, the day can centre more around candidates – speaking with new candidates, guiding them through the next stages of an interview process, giving advice etc.
We also have wider monthly catch-ups as an office, where each division gives an overview on their month-to-date. This is great for collaboration, as we get oversight into which new companies’ other teams are working with. It is also a chance to recognise individual and team achievements.
The culture at Robert Walters in London is different to other jobs I have had, the biggest difference I have noticed is the autonomy and flexibility. There is a real emphasis on delivery and doing a great job, and how you do that is totally up to the individual. Everyone’s home life and way of working is different, so it is motivating to be able to structure my days in the way that works best for me. The office here in London has a very social environment, and we always have an event in the calendar to look forward to.
Robert Walters provides unparalleled learning and career progression opportunities. Like Courtney, if you're wanting to explore new horizons with your recruitment career, then we'd love to hear from you. The opportunities are endless. Click here to learn more.
