Before joining Robert Walters, Julia Zhu, Head of our Suzhou office, worked in an in-house HR role, focusing on internal recruitment. We asked Julia to share her career journey and why she's proud to work for Robert Walters. 

"I joined Robert Walters in 2010 and was immediately taken by the dynamic and passionate environment. In my previous roles, I worked very separately from my colleagues, so it was a real culture shift. Nonetheless, I quickly found that I didn’t need to fit a mould – I had the freedom to develop my own method for success.

From the start, it was clear that my opportunities wouldn’t be limited by my position at Robert Walters. My manager encouraged me to make my voice heard. He invited me to senior client events so I could engage with managing directors and VPs. I really appreciated these opportunities – they validated that I had value to offer even though I was in the early stages of my career.

“From the start, I was encouraged to make my voice heard and engage with senior clients despite being in the early stages of my career.” 

In my nine years with the Group I’ve progressed from consultant to manager to associate director and now Head of the Suzhou office. At every stage, I’ve been fortunate to have the guidance of a mentor to help me achieve my career goals and better understand my strengths and weaknesses. Now, a mentor and leader myself, I’m enjoying being able to provide that same support to help my teams realise their potential.

Setting a good example for my team keeps me striving to be the best. I’m really proud of the job that I do and the team that we’ve built. While we are colleagues first and foremost, our relationships are underpinned by deep friendships, and I believe this is the key to our success and one of the reasons why people stay for the long-term. It’s been fantastic to see the Suzhou business go from strength to strength and I feel confident about our future success.”

Interested in a career in recruitment? View and apply for our current opportunities.