“First I worked as an inside sales rep for a system integrator for around 2.5 years. My task was it to upsell existing customers.

My next job was at a UK based mobile company. After 5 months of performing well, I started to explore other opportunities in the company like training, mentoring and hiring. Especially hiring and HR interested me a lot. I think it is the best part of any organization since you’re the first impression potential new hires get from a company. Unfortunately, the company I was working for couldn’t transfer me to recruiting fulltime, so I had to go back and forth between doing calls as a technical support and doing what I felt my actual passion was. “

After a while Anup started to look for a different position where he would be able to get closer to his dream job of becoming an internal HR specialist.

“I got introduced to Boyd & Moore Executive Search (BMES) by a recruiter. I thought BMES would be similar to all the other recruiting firms in India. I kind of knew that they were an international executive search firm, but I had no idea what that actually meant.”

Although he didn’t quite understand what he was signing up for Anup joined BMES in 2014.

“I started as a caller, a voice researcher. To be honest, at the beginning it was a disaster (laughs). I was quite shy and self-conscious, and I wasn’t able to get the information I needed. But then, I started to experiment with different ways of connecting with people and starting meaningful conversations. In addition, I talked with Consultants in Japan who explained to me how to encourage people to open up. They said that it has a lot to do with your own confidence which I was lacking quite a bit. But getting their advice and implementing it step by step really helped me become more confident and not only achieve but overachieve my targets.

I remember the first placement I helped to make. It was 4 months after I had started at BMES. I was close to tears. I was so proud and happy.”

After having successfully mastered the skills as a researcher, Anup moved on to a new role: Talent Development.

“This was again totally different. The colleague who was sitting next to me helped me a lot. I listened to him and watched him closely when he was making calls. I knew that copying his style wouldn’t work for me, but I learned how to engage people from him. Based on that I started to practice and to develop my own style gaining more and more confidence along the way. After another 6 to 7 months I had become an expert and started to mentor people. After another 6 months I was promoted to team lead.”

Thanks to continuous learning and efforts, Anup quickly advanced in the company but he had his eyes on a much bigger goal.

“Some of my colleagues had been transferred to Japan. And, I wanted to go, too.”

In 2017, he finally got the invitation.

“I had already given up on Japan a little bit but then, one day, the management told me I could go. I was really excited.

But at the same time, it was quite heartbreaking as well. I had just gotten married and now I had to leave. Of course, I knew that my wife would follow me eventually, but for the first several months we decided that it would be better if I’d go alone to get settled.

I think that’s why adjusting to Japan was rather tough for me at the beginning. I felt homesick. During that time, I was especially grateful for my wonderful colleagues. Many of them know how it felt to come to Japan for the first time. They took me out and spent time with me which made me feel much better.

The team also helped me get used to the new job. Sure, I had made calls in India and developed candidates but being a Consultant presented completely new challenges. It’s not just about talking to candidates and understanding their situation, as a Consultant you need to present the search status to the client, write reports, make sure that interviews are set and that there’s a smooth communication between clients and candidates. I still have plenty to learn but I keep trying my best every single day and I start seeing results.”

Speaking of results, only several months after coming to Japan Anup could already present his first huge achievement.

“I placed a Senior Key Account Manager at a Tech company. The search started in March and in June the candidate signed. It was the highest first placement anyone had ever made at BMES. I knew that I wanted to close this deal, but I didn’t think that I could make it happen this quickly. I kept focusing and made it work. I was extremely proud.”

Joining BMES and learning what it means to be a Consultant, changed Anup’s thinking about the industry drastically.

“Before working at BMES I thought that Recruiting would be a cakewalk. I was used to getting calls from headhunters who asked me about my situation and introduced job opportunities to me. I thought this can’t be that difficult. But it turns out that connecting with the right people at the right time is an art. Consulting is like cooking. You can’t make a good dish with one spice. A good Consultant needs focus, dedication, timing, patience and an open and optimistic mind.

My manager, Avi, for example has all of that. When he talks to clients and candidates or the team it’s like magic. I can ask him everything and he will give me an answer that I hadn’t thought of yet. He’s my role model and I am happy that I can learn from him how to become a good Consultant.”

The BMIC is always looking for talented and motivated people who enjoy communicating with a variety of people across the globe. If that sounds like you, check out our open positions!