Having just graduated from Victoria University of Wellington, with a degree in HR, I found myself at Robert Walters in January 2020. I fell into recruitment in many ways, but given the nature of the industry, it turned out well as there are many similarities between my degree and my career.

Employee experience is front and centre at Robert Walters. The interview process was really comprehensive and easy to navigate. The hiring consultants were very clear from the outset about what the role entailed and what the day to day would look like. Once that picture was painted I was more confident and interested in what recruitment had to offer. One key learning I discovered when I joined was that a lot of what I understood recruitment to be was only half of what a consultant actually does. While yes, at its core our aim is to find people jobs, there are so many other facets to it. From interacting with clients from a range of businesses and varying levels of seniority, to creating strategy and taking charge of multiple projects, being a candidate manager really is a diverse job where you have the opportunity to grow and expand a wide range of skills from day one.

Another great thing about a career at Robert Walters is the development opportunities available to employees, new joiners and senior employees alike. In my case, I was able to get involved in the Candidate Manager training module when I first started. This provided an indepth look around best practices and an overview of some of the key tools and methods required to be an effective consultant. Building on this, the Candidate Manager Masterclass was another workshop that new joiners have the opportunity to benefit from. This is an intensive, one-day course where you have the chance to actually put what you’ve learnt into practice and really understand where you can improve and set a plan to develop your skills.

These training courses and development opportunities aren’t your typical, run-of-the-mill sessions that can seem very prescribed, where people tend to gloss over what they’re learning. Instead, they encourage you to be engaged and tailor them to the specific areas you need to work on, with tangible outcomes you can measure and reflect on.

This also is reflective of the culture here at Robert Walters too. Noone is looked down upon for asking for help. I guess it’s the old saying ‘you're only as strong as your weakest link’ so wherever there is an opportunity to be better then we’re all encouraged to take advantage of the opportunity.

Overall, since joining Robert Walters, the opportunities provided for progression and upskilling have been second to none. Employees are encouraged to reflect on what they specifically want to work on. In this vein, nothing is forced upon anyone, meaning we’re all in charge of our own development pathways.

If you want to embark on a career that offers individual growth, encourages you to carve out your own development pathway and supports you with all the necessary resources to do so, then look no further than a career with Robert Walters.