Crossing borders, building bridges

Prior to joining Robert Walters just over two years ago, I was working as a corporate lawyer at a firm in Auckland.  Two things I have always really enjoyed is working in a business orientated role and working with people. In my previous role as a corporate lawyer, I really enjoyed the business aspect and dealing with companies in a commercially viable manner however I found myself really struggling to find a passion on the people side, which is what led me to recruitment.

I found my prior experience as a corporate lawyer incredibly helpful when it came to the business aspect of recruitment, while also being able to truly understand what it is like to work in a law firm environment. Plus, at Robert Walters, I can specialise in legal specifically. I have found that I have been able to use my previous experience of working in the industry to relate better to candidates and what drives them. 

Career progression was something that has always been important to me, and this is something that Robert Walters has consistently provided.

I originally joined the company as a new recruitment consultant to the market and was given the tools and opportunities to eventually step into a senior role over the past two years. One thing I have always enjoyed about a career in recruitment is that it offers great development opportunities for people to progress at their own pace. 

Georgia on her last day in the Auckland office before relocating to Sydney.

Additionally, as I progressed my career within Robert Walters, I was able to move my career internationally from our Auckland office over to our Sydney office. After first visiting Sydney back in 2019, I always knew I wanted to make the move across to Australia down the line. After spending just under two years in the Auckland market, I discussed my career aspirations with my manager who was very supportive of my next step.

Robert Walters made the transition seamless, offering support throughout the process for something that would typically be a nerve-wracking move abroad. Additionally, it has been very comforting that Robert Walters employees are similar across every office, with everyone being incredibly welcoming. 

When I started my career, I had the knowledge of what it is like to work in a law firm, however I had no understanding of the recruitment process, market knowledge or what value we could truly add to processes. I have been very fortunate to learn from some incredible seniors above me who helped show me the ropes and what value Robert Walters can add as a company. 

My favourite part of working at Robert Walters would first and foremost be the people.

One common trend I have found moving from one office to another is that the people remain the same across Robert Walters globally and everyone wants the best for each other. We truly work as a team and this is instilled through our team approach rather than commission-based structure. Additionally, I have enjoyed moving into a role where I get to control what my day looks like and feel like I'm having a true impact on changing people’s lives. 

Robert Walters has changed my life in several ways through some great career development opportunities, getting to work with likeminded people every day as well as the opportunity to move my career abroad. Our seniors also truly care about what matters in our own lives and make an effort every year to ensure they are doing the right things as a company to add value to our lives.

I have often accessed our employee benefits for discounts on gym memberships to cashback deals on our employee benefits hub (or cheaper movie tickets too). We also work more flexible hours which has really helped me with work-life balance too.

Robert Walters provides unparalleled learning and career progression opportunities. Like Georgia, if you're wanting to reach new heights in your recruitment career, then we'd love to hear from you. The opportunities are endless. Click here to learn more.