Jeff Ibrahim moved from Australia to Malaysia in 2014 to advance his engineering career. Seven years on, when his company shuttered its operations following the COVID-19 pandemic, Jeff had to adapt fast. He found himself thrust into a gruelling job search, all so he could stay on in the country he had come to call home. “I must have sent hundreds or thousands of applications,” he recalls. “I’d emailed my CV to all the major recruitment agencies on the market.” Yet only one consultancy got in touch with Jeff – Robert Walters.
When Lee Ling Lim, Manager at Robert Walters, reached out to Jeff to learn more about his situation, it was the first of many conversations to follow. It was also a turning point in Jeff’s job search that renewed his sense of hope. Nevertheless, time remained a significant challenge, as Jeff needed to secure a new role in the country on a tight deadline or face the possibility of returning to Australia.
Despite the pressure, Lee Ling and the Robert Walters team understood the urgency and committed themselves to helping Jeff succeed. Calling out the team’s professionalism, Jeff notes, “Lee Ling kept me updated at every step and took a genuine interest in me and my family’s situation. She even worried about my dog! That personal touch made all the difference.”
But Lee Ling believed in me. She saw my potential and helped me work through all that self-doubt.
Soon, Lee Ling came back to Jeff with a role that was not publicly advertised yet. Although Jeff felt the opportunity was a perfect fit, he had some apprehensions. “I wasn’t sure if I would be good enough for the role. I believed that the hiring company wouldn’t even consider my application,” he explains. “But Lee Ling believed in me. She saw my potential and helped me work through all that self-doubt. In doing so, she shifted my career into a more positive trajectory.”
With Lee Ling’s encouragement and personalised guidance, Jeff secured his dream job as a Deputy Plant Manager at a leading electronic interconnect company. By working closely with the employer, the Robert Walters team got Jeff’s application processed in a timely fashion, allowing him to stay on in Malaysia with his family.
Coming out on the other end of his experience with Robert Walters, Jeff feels he’s earned more than just a job. He’s also gained new friends. “The people at Robert Walters, particularly Lee Ling, are more than just recruiters to me. I consider them friends who changed me and my family’s future,” he reflects warmly. “To anyone out there who’s going through a difficult job hunt, I want you to know that there is a company out there that really cares – and there is hope when you’ve got a dedicated team who has your back.”
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