There are a million soldiers across armies all over the world, but how many of them actually considered recruitment considering that they are vastly different?
Moving from the United States (US), to Kuala Lumpur, and now Singapore, Donnie Maclary has marched across the globe into different careers whilst being the pillar of his family of four.
Joining the Singapore team earlier this July 2019, we sat down with Donnie Maclary, Principal Recruitment Consultant of Huxley, to find out the success of his big move.
Moving from the Wild Wild West
“I have spent most of my life in the US and a total of 6 years in the US Army. Looking for a change, I decided to put my MBA to good use and moved to the other side of the world to Southeast Asia (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia).
Within the first few months upon arrival, I was able to find a few jobs that were willing to give me an employment pass to work with them. Recruitment was one of my options and it turned out to be one of the best decisions that I could have made.”
Why SThree?
It was a brief meet-up at the Top-Billers trip in Bali that coincidentally led him to meet someone in SThree last year who could share more about the company. But what ultimately cemented his decision?
“What ultimately pushed me to accept the offer from SThree were a few factors. First, it was the platform the office provides – being in a collaborative environment with clear-cut promotion criteria and access to a global database that could support me in my career. Secondly, it is definitely exciting to be working in one of the hottest job markets in the world that is picking up speed – Data Science and Analytics. Thirdly, it was the value of leadership that SThree has nurtured. The senior leaders I met with were very much in-line with how I wanted to progress my career and more importantly, they were very grounded, down-to-earth and possessed some skills that I wanted to immolate. Finally, given the opportunity to be exposed to a diverse mix of experiences coupled with a high performing culture would definitely support me in where I would like to take my career to.”
How did it work out for him?
Welcoming his second child into his family this year, it became even more crucial for Donnie to maintain a healthy balance between his career aspirations, as well as his responsibilities as a father.
Living in Malaysia, the commute to work in Singapore hasn’t been the easiest for him. But with the flexible-work scheme that SThree is able to provide, this means that he doesn’t have to end up reaching home after dinner every night, leaving little or no time for him to spend with his family. Instead, he can now start and end work earlier to avoid traffic and spend that time with his family. All of these are vital especially as a young parent.
“SThree makes this very easy for me. We have a great system so that I can work remotely from any location. Being able to start work at seven in the morning and end my day early has enabled me to be home with my family every night. Those few hours with my kids means the world to me. Also, it give me extra motivation each day to ensure that I am still hitting all of my targets and have the ability to do extra work on the weekends if I needed to.”
“Most importantly the trust that my team had in me to get my work done has helped me the most. It has been a trying year for me and my family. Amongst that, my second son was born the second week here at SThree yet I was given the trust and privilege to work from home alongside my paternity leave.”
What are his goals coming 2020?
“I want to be a great father and husband to my beautiful family, be a great example to my boys and push myself physically and mentally. I am a firm believer in pushing yourself and an attitude of continual learning; both through education and life experiences. Professionally, I want to be a good leader in the office, a good example of a well-rounded recruiter, and eventually lead my own team of superstars. I have a unique background that have led me into recruitment and that has given me a different mind-set when it comes to giving great service to our customers, and collaborating with co-workers.”
“Recruitment is a rollercoaster ride and there are many highs and lows and everything in between. The aspect of SThree that hits home the most is the fact that I am working in an organisation that doesn’t just say we promote a work life balance but is very accommodating to the fact that I have two small children at home more than I could have wished for.”
His top tip for every working parent out there is that structure is very important.
“If you have a solid process in place, you are able to maximise every minute of your day. Do not be afraid to work within your constraints. If you are looking for an environment that has a strong database, strong relations with big players in the market, world-class training and development programmes, as well as strong support from a leadership team that actually cares about your success, SThree is the perfect place for you.”
Interested in pursuing a career that offers work-life balance?
SThree is always looking for unique talent that can help support our high-performing team. If you are interested to find out more about what we can offer, please drop us an email at [email protected]. You can also watch this video here to find out why our people love working for SThree or connect with us on LinkedIn for more updates from us!