"The ally that became my career confidante for life”

Christine Lam had chalked up a few years of experience as a business analyst when she found herself at a crossroads. She needed to confront some important questions about the direction of her career: work towards a management role, or continue down the senior business analyst pathway?

In search of support after her job was impacted at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Christine connected with Vivian Tsang at Robert Walters Hong Kong. They hashed out her expectations over several conversations. First and foremost, cultural fit was high on the priority list. Next, she also wanted to build on her existing experience and skillsets in tech.

Christine hung up from each call feeling very understood, but it came as a surprise when Vivian got back to her with a contract opening at a telecommunications company. But once she heard Vivian elaborate more about the company’s open-minded management style, and her prospective line manager and new team, her doubts melted away. It was obvious that Vivian had found a company that matched her criteria on every point.

“We walked through the pros and cons together,” relates Christine. “The job would expose me to a broader slate of projects, plus there was a chance of turning the contract into a permanent position if I performed well. So, I said yes, and Vivian arranged for an interview with the line manager.”

24 hours after the interview, Christine received an offer. Then came more good news after she accepted the job. “Vivian had a sweet surprise for me. Turns out, she negotiated for an even better salary increment than what was previously discussed,” Christine recalls. “I started in the new role in a matter of days. The entire process was smooth and efficient.”

One year on, Christine became a permanent employee. She found that the company genuinely cared about employee well-being, championing initiatives such as volunteer days and ensuring people’s time outside of the office was respected. Everything was just as Vivian had described, though that didn’t stop Vivian from checking in on Christine along the way on how she was faring and whether she was happy.

The work itself also shaped Christine’s career trajectory. The experience allowed her to cover the business analyst function from end-to-end, which helped her realise that she prefers being more holistically involved in projects, instead of being responsible for one part of the scope only.

Doors opened for Christine, who had accumulated valuable experience to help her make her next move. She’s since become a project manager at a major insurance firm, a role she ran through Vivian before accepting.

“That job move was a one-off experience, but my connection with Vivian isn’t. The two of us still catch up regularly to chat about market trends and how to navigate my career,” Christine affirms. “I’m proud to say that Vivian is my career partner for life.”