As an organisation, we are always evolving and we want our employees to be able to maximise their potential too. That’s why SThree has implemented a sophisticated and agile global mobility programme that offers our people the opportunity to move their career in a direction aligned with what they really want to do.
Chris Reilly, Senior Sales Team Manager who 7 months ago moved from our Manchester to our Tokyo office shares his experience on taking the plunge to move halfway across the world.
How did you take advantage of SThree’s mobility programme?
Chris Reilly, Senior Sales Team Manager, Tokyo; in the main article image, Chris is on the right, second person in
“I started my career in recruitment at SThree brand Computer Futures in Manchester in 2010. Working in our Manchester office and with the local team was fantastic; it has equipped me with the skills to not only grow my career but grow on a personal level too.”
“However, it has always been my dream to work abroad which is why SThree’s mobility offering was one of the main reasons why I chose to work at SThree. Although career opportunities in different countries came up last year, Japan seemed to be the location offering the biggest change, the greatest adventures.”
“With the Tokyo office being a rather young business with a start-up atmosphere, I knew there would be endless opportunities for me to grow my career in recruitment while experiencing Japan’s diverse culture."
"This move has proven to be one of the best decisions I’ve made in my recruitment career so far.”
How did SThree support your move and mobility ambitions?
“It wasn’t really that hard a move as I received so much help from SThree, my colleagues from the Tokyo office and Claire Mear who is the regional HR Business Partner. Claire who was an absolute life-saver. She answered all my questions, right up until the last day.”
“SThree and the team in Tokyo helped me with my apartment, get a phone, set-up my bank account and other nitty-gritty details so it was surprisingly stress free to move halfway across the world.”
How are you getting on with the local language and how was it adapting to your life in Tokyo?
“I’m currently learning Japanese and despite still being at a beginner level, I have the opportunity to use it on a daily basis and so feel that I’m improving pretty quickly. I may not need to speak and understand Japanese at work as we’re all speaking English but a little understanding can go a long way.”
“It’s also a great feeling when you are able to use Japanese for the first time in your personal life when making a reservation for dinner or conducting a transaction at the dry cleaners.”
“Other than that, it really isn’t that different working for SThree in Tokyo compared to the Manchester office. The core skills you need to succeed and SThree’s values remain the same. Therefore, I found it rather easy to adapt and gained confidence in my new working environment.”
“There’s also great earning potential here in Japan.”
What have been some of your favourite experiences since your move so far?
“It has been a great challenge where I had to adjust my style, demeanour and attitude to adapt to an entirely different business environment. However, despite being here just over half a year, I’ve already learned a lot of new skills and experienced so much.”
“I’ve also seen amazing places and been given the opportunity to travel which has really opened my eyes to the way other people live.”
“But it’s also the people in the office that made me feel really welcome. You find a great atmosphere here with a mix of local people and expatriates who have taught me so much. Expats by nature tend to be outgoing and adventurous and have since encouraged me to try many new things."
"I skied for the first time since moving to Japan, tried my first Shinkansen, visited neighbouring countries and cities such as Korea, Taiwan and Shanghai, booked my PADI diving course and scheduled a Mt Fuki Hike.”
What do you think of the APAC leadership team?
“There is a strong leadership team in Asia Pacific and they are really approachable. You have Regional Director Angela Ward and COO Justin Hughes who have a great deal of experience and are extremely successful."
"My Managing Director Grant Habgood and other leadership team members, who understand and “get” Japan, having worked here for years. It has been such a great learning experience for me personally and I feel extremely lucky to be part of such a strong team.”
What does the future hold for you now?
“Japan is a market with a lot of ‘white space’. As we are still operating in a similar way to a start-up, there are loads of opportunities to take a leading role in the office. You get to enjoy the privilege of working for an established and huge company like SThree while experiencing an entrepreneurial environment. Basically the best of both worlds.”
“I’m extremely excited about how I will be able to grow even further within SThree Japan!”
If you want to find out more about our Tokyo office, or consider a career change, speak to Aditi Singh ([email protected]), our regional Talent Acquisition consultant; she can tell you more about a recruiter’s life in Japan.
You can also browse our current career opportunities in Japan here.