My #FrazerJonesJourney – Richie Sebastian

The path that led to strategic management and consulting  

I grew up with multicultural influences as I’m originally from India and born and raised in Dubai. After a family trip to Europe, I fell in love with the continent and dreamt of relocating there.  

After my bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance, I had the opportunity to broaden my horizons and moved to Germany. This was an excellent choice as my passions are food, football and nature.  

“Being an extrovert means I take pride in connecting with people and forming networks.” 

After working at my first job in logistics for four years, I started seeking new opportunities. Being an extrovert means I take pride in connecting with people and forming networks. Consulting, strategy, and management caught my attention for this reason.  

So, I relocated to Cologne, Germany, to pursue a master’s degree in International Business with a focus on strategic management and consulting. After my degree, I landed a role at Frazer Jones. 

First steps into recruitment through the Frazer Jones graduate program  

The graduate program at Frazer Jones enabled me to take my first steps into recruitment. My friend and colleague Alberto Galindo started five months before and introduced me to join the team.  

I did some research into recruitment and realised it was right for me. I enjoyed consulting, but I was torn as I was very fond of HR. I was set on Frazer Jones after looking deeper into the company and passing interviews.  

I saw they had an international outlook with offices worldwide. At first, there was a lot to learn but the graduate program was well structured, so onboarding was smooth. Tobias Stenzel also guided me throughout.  

“Frazer Jones truly ignited my passion for recruitment.” 

I learnt the ins and outs of recruitment before diving in to help candidates find their dream roles. Speaking and learning more about the industry through these professionals helped me build a network. Once I had the foundation of recruitment, I progressed to interacting with businesses who were hiring. Now, I do 360 recruitment including business development projects – which means I focus on the full hiring process for businesses and professionals.  

The journey has been great here. I was able to secure my promotion during probation as an Associate Consultant and made eight placements in my first year. Frazer Jones truly ignited my passion for recruitment. 

Values that enrichen the culture and collaboration 

The values at Frazer Jones are translated and implemented every day. It is special that „authentic“, „collaborative“, „expert“ and „agile“ resonate throughout the culture.  

“You can make a name for yourself and there is flexibility to your way of working.” 

I can authentically be myself here – which makes a difference to businesses and candidates. The team is also very collaborative – this span across all the brands and locations. „Expert“ comes with the niche specialist aspect that we cover. I have not come across many recruitment agencies focusing on the whole spectrum of HR – and it’s great to receive feedback from candidates that they feel heard and represented by us.  

The team in Germany is very open-minded and the culture is human-centric. We are a small family and a compassionate group of people. That makes me feel like I belong and want to excel. The hustle of the job keeps it exciting and has an independent entrepreneurial feel. You can make a name for yourself and there is flexibility in your way of working. 

“The energy you give translates into the work you provide.” 

I cherish the friendships made within the business and the trusting environment and I feel my promotion showed appreciation from the management side. There is a belief and trust in me to do the right thing. When I have questions or need guidance there is a strong sense of mentorship.    

My advice to you 

 I see the world through rose-tinted glasses by seeing the positives. So, first of all, have fun. This is essential in this line of work, especially as you get to meet a lot of people and learn their stories. The energy you give translates into the work you provide. In recruitment, you must be agile and adapt to the needs of others.  

Next, be authentic and genuine when you talk to people. We all trust people who are comfortable with being themselves, so be trustworthy and learn to listen. Having a role model or a mentor will also bring personal and professional development.  

Being curious is always a must – including doing your own research on top of your day-to-day tasks. The more you specialise, the more popular you will become within the space. Finally, build a personal brand and continue learning more about the industry. 

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