QUICK FIRE 10 with Matthew Lam

​“Be inquisitive, and always want to know why things are the way they are or why they are done that way. When you understand why, you can either try and figure out solutions that suit yourself better or be able to think more swiftly on your feet.”

I had a few questions to ask Matthew Lam, senior consultant, and she shared what has kept him in the recruitment industry and what keeps him driven.

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1. How did you get into recruitment?

I was introduced to recruitment by a family member after I had just moved to Hong Kong. I had a little bit of experience in Sales and was looking for work out here after I moved from the UK. She thought it would suit my personality so I gave it a try.

2. What is your advice for someone just getting into recruitment?

Treat your first year as a learning experience, and don’t go in expecting you will make lots of placements right off the bat. This will stop you from burning out and keeping a positive mindset.

3. What is it about recruitment that has kept you in the industry?

It’s a bit of a cliché, but genuinely the people. I’ve met some fantastic people who are now my close friends and I have managed to talk to people up to C-Level on very interesting topics in the industry, as well as having more genuine conversations on a personal level. Being able to have this kind of access is what keeps me doing this.

4. What is your proudest moment in your career to date?

It’s a tie between my first deal or my promotion to SC. I think the first deal was a proud moment for me, as I had quite a number of deals fall through so it was just nice to see the hard work pay off. The promotion I was happy with as it was the moment I felt like I had made it and proved I could be consistent. I also had the quarterly sales record during that time which was nice.

5. What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced in your career so far and how have you overcome that?

Hong Kong has seen some difficult times with the political situation of last year and the on-going global pandemic. I trust in the Eames business model and way of doing things so I just tried to stay consistent with what has gotten me to this point and not make excuses when things don’t go so well.

6. What is your number 1 secret to success?

Always stay hungry to learn and never think you know everything.

7. What’s the best career advice you’ve ever been given?

Be inquisitive, and always want to know why things are the way they are or why they are done that way. When you understand why, you can either try and figure out solutions that suit yourself better or be able to think more swiftly on your feet.

8. What are you driven by and how do you stay motivated?

I am driven by being able to offer a good service which remunerates properly. This is what motivates me is knowing that people are satisfied with what I do. If I feel like I can’t offer this anymore I would change field.

9. How do you keep a work / life balance?

I try to leave my work stress in the office and have a full separation from work and home. It’s important to have time where you can shut off from work and do things that you are passionate about outside of work.

10. Why Eames?

My first impression was good from the people I met, and as a firm, they were true to their word with regards to the culture and KPI's. The commission structure is extremely competitive and progression is very structured so you know what you need to do to get to the next level. It’s an excellent place for people who like to work quite independently as there’s a big emphasis on the consultants being 360.

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#TeamEames #WhatDrivesYou #QuickFire10