From finance to recruitment

Following five years working for a pensions firm in Scotland, Lindsay Cramond was ready for a new challenge. She moved to Sydney and, after considering recruitment, she joined Robert Walters in 2015. She’s now a managing consultant, specialising in asset management and financial roles. She talks about her career switch and what she loves about working in our Sydney office.

 

What made you switch from finance to recruitment?

After working as a corporate pensions account manager in Edinburgh for five years, I decided that I wanted to work overseas and take my career in a new direction. I travelled to Sydney on a working visa and, while looking for work there, a career in recruitment was suggested to me by a number of consultancies, including Robert Walters. It was felt I'd be a good fit for recruitment due to my industry experience and people skills.

Why did you want to work for Robert Walters?

Originally I came to Robert Walters as a candidate, however the professional environment and manner of the Robert Walters consultant that I met really made the company stand out for me. I was particularly impressed with the time my consultant took to understand what motivated me and what I was looking to get out of my career. She helped me to see how my skills could be tailored to suit a recruitment role and the potential for me to enjoy rapid career progression at Robert Walters. The idea of working in recruitment had already been planted from my discussions with other recruitment consultancies, but it was my meeting at Robert Walters that made me feel excited to take on the challenge.

How were your skills transferable?

Coming from an industry background has been incredibly beneficial to my role as a recruiter as I’m familiar with the practices and processes of the industries in which my clients operate. This insider knowledge means I have context to my clients’ requirements and I’m able to speak to them in a common language, which helps to build a strong level of trust.   

My experience of working as a corporate pensions account manager also meant that I was used to managing multiple stakeholders and processes. Recruitment is a very fast-paced environment and maintaining a handle on your workload is crucial, so it was helpful to come into the role equipped with strong time management skills.

What do you like best about your role?

I love that coming to work is never a chore.  We’re all friends in the office and that really makes it an enjoyable environment to work in. There’s no doubt that we all work hard, but we also have a lot of fun both inside and outside the office. For example, if my team achieves their target for the month, we’ll be rewarded with a long lunch on a Friday afternoon, paid for by the company. We’re all friends so this is a real treat and something we’ll strive for every month.

I’m goal-oriented, so the fact that there’s always something to work towards is another aspect of my role that I really enjoy. In addition to the financial rewards you can earn for hitting your targets each month, there’s also big company-wide incentives to aim for, such as the annual Robert Walters Group Incentive Weekend trip. This incentive offers the opportunity for the company’s top achievers to meet and share knowledge in a fantastic location. This year, the trip is taking place in Las Vegas. It’s a difficult target to reach, but it’s an incredible motivator as it’s open to consultants at all levels.

How has your career progressed at Robert Walters?

In the two years since joining Robert Walters, I’ve had the opportunity to progress very rapidly. Within a year of joining the company, I was promoted to senior consultant and I’ve recently been promoted again to managing consultant. One of the best things about Robert Walters is that there’s no limit to how far you can go; there’s always room for people to build their teams and promotion is based on merit rather than age or years of experience. 

What has been your biggest achievement to date?

My department has grown exponentially in the last two years and I’m incredibly proud to have been instrumental in that growth. I get a lot of satisfaction from working with my team to achieve bigger and bigger targets. In addition, I’m proud to have continually achieved my own personal targets.

How would you describe the culture in the Sydney office?

The Australian market is very relationship-driven and that’s something that’s very apparent in our office. As a result, the office environment is naturally very social and collaborative, but we also regularly participate in team-building activities, which enable us to share knowledge and cement our working relationships. We have a diverse office, with team members coming from a range of backgrounds and countries, including Spain and Japan. This has meant that there’s a wealth of knowledge and perspectives that you can tap into, so you’re constantly learning new things.

For me, the support and social aspect of the office are what makes the Sydney office a great place to work.  As an expat, being able to build strong friendships through work has really helped me to settle into life in Australia.

What would you say to someone considering a role in recruitment?

If you’re hungry for a career that will enable you to progress as fast as you want, then recruitment is an excellent choice. It’s a fast-paced environment, but it’s an incredibly fun place to be. If you’re goal-driven and have the motivation to succeed, there are no limits to the rewards.
 

Interested in a career in recruitment? Please send us an updated CV and a member of our team will be in touch shortly.