​Earlier this year, I celebrated my 4th anniversary working as a Legal recruitment specialist at Argyll Scott Singapore (part of Hydrogen Group). And looking back, it certainly has been a journey.

Unbeknownst to most, I began my career working as a lawyer in India, then Singapore. Back then, I was a trailing spouse with an infant, so I’ve had my fair share of “scrambling” days! Having said that, Singapore has been internationally recognised as a hub for legal services, which also offers a perfectly safe and progressive environment for women at work. As such, finding inspiration to pursue a legal career here was natural.

After a while, I started exploring alternative career options within the Legal industry, which is when the opportunity to work as a Legal recruiter at Hydrogen Group came along. Having developed my interpersonal skills and passion for people and their stories, it’s only natural to venture further into the “people industry”. Every candidate has a unique life story and career trajectory and being passionate about it has helped me better connect with each individual. Being an ex-lawyer also makes it easier to establish credibility with my clients as my knowledge of legal vocabulary enables me to easily understand requirements for different roles and identify the best-suited candidates for each one.

With that being said, just like any transitions, the early days presented a steep learning curve. For example, I could barely remember the candidates’ names, but my colleagues could easily recall candidates that would match the job description they just received. I was in awe. Luckily, with the guidance by industry veterans and tailored training sessions at Argyll Scott, along with persistence effort and patience, I’ve now mastered this unique skill!

My four years (and counting) with Argyll Scott has been nothing but wonderful, especially when it comes to its people and culture. While staying humble, we take great pride in our work and celebrate our people and their successes. It has been great working with like-minded people in an environment that is not heavily driven by KPIs but deliverables. I also enjoyed brainstorming on critical issues with team leads and colleagues to get their different perspectives that I’ve applied to day-to-day matters as well. For this, I must express my gratitude to Adam Solomons and Cassie Williams for bringing me on board and for Tom Swain for being such a great manager and mentor. I must also thank Argyll Scott for being a great platform that enables me to grow in my role, to serve the legal requirements of the business community in Singapore and to help lawyers find their dream roles.

While there have been many beautiful memories, there is one that is particularly touching. While interviewing a good candidate who was out of a job, he told me that he left his job to attend to his ailing father. His long working hours as a lawyer restricted him from taking care of his father, and hence, the decision to leave. Now that his father had recovered, the candidate wanted to be back in the industry. He was uncertain if he could find a good job and burst into tears while explaining his financial situation. Listening to him made me realise how much he valued his family and inspired me equally. Soon, he landed a good role and we’re still keeping in touch.

By telling my story, I would like to tell all the women, especially trailing spouses, “Do not give up!” Be flexible and don’t be scared to explore alternate career options. Go for supplementary courses, advance your skills and build a career out of it. Learn from examples, stay committed and stay inspired. When you are positive, good things will come your way.

If you would like to learn more about a career in recruitment, or a career in the legal industry, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. I’d be glad to share my advice and market insights.