From Finance to Recruitment Consultant - Natasha's Story

Natasha Dhariwal is a part-qualified accountant who started her Finance career working in a law firm before deciding to make the switch to recruitment at Ambition.  

She now uses her knowledge of the industry to help other Finance & Accounting professionals find their dream role and has never looked back! Here she shares her story.

Tell us about your background?

After graduating in Financial Mathematics at the University of Kent, I secured my first role at Hogan Lovells LLP within finance. I then moved to Linklaters LLP where I took on a role overseeing the financial process between the joint venture they had with an Australian law firm.

To expand my knowledge within the accountancy field I then moved out of the legal sector into Financial Services , working for a private equity firm where I managed the financial aspects of a portfolio of 80-100 investments.

How did you make the switch to recruitment?

After a few years in Private Equity I realised the accountancy space was something I no longer enjoyed.  I am a strong believer that you will only be successful at something you enjoy so I knew it was time to make a career change and that the next role needed to be something I felt really passionate about.

I reflected upon a variety of different roles before a recruitment agency planted the seed of recruitment as a potential career path. At first I was very hesitant as all I had ever known was Accounting and Finance so switching to a different field completely felt very daunting.

However, I was told not to knock it until I had looked into it so I went away and did my research. I quite quickly realised it was something I knew I would enjoy so took the leap.

What first attracted you to Ambition?

I was quite proactive during my research into recruitment. I approached a handful of different sized agencies directly and Ambition stood out from the very beginning.

I bought into Ambition immediately after my first meeting with the Associate Director. There was a genuine transparent vibe from the start and everyone I met with during the interview process were really open and friendly. I was looking for a mix of an ambitious and driven yet relaxed environment to work in and I quite quickly saw myself fitting in well at Ambition.

Can you describe a typical day?

There is no typical day in recruitment! Every day is different and each day find yourself speaking with someone new or recruiting for a different role. It is a fast paced environment with many things on the go and this buzz of recruitment is what keeps me motivated. The team culture at Ambition adds so much to my day. There is a fun and relaxed environment to work in and everyone is like a close circle of friends.

What do you like about recruitment the most?

I love running my own desk as you feel a sense of ownership with your own work. Ambition provides all the support as and when you need it but you are left to manage your own workload the way you feel best.

There is no set way to be a ‘good’ recruiter. I feel it is a role where you can use your own personal approach to make it what you want.

How were your finance skills transferrable?

Making the move into recruitment was initially very daunting and I feared it would be quite different to what I had done before. However once I started the role I realised it wasn’t all that different after all.

I feel that my skills and knowledge gained from previous roles were directly transferable and provided a solid foundation for path in recruitment.

I now recruit for Accounting and Finance roles for legal firms and this is an area I am very comfortable with, having previously worked in the sector myself.  I am able to really relate to candidates and advise on different options for their career and further studies. Having worked in a law firm also helps me understand what clients are looking for.
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What is something you know about recruitment that you didn’t know before you joined?

I’ve learned that not all recruitment agencies work the same. Working with Ambition has taught me that recruitment isn’t just about making a placement as quickly as possible. I have had some bad experiences with agencies in the past and the culture at Ambition is to always have the candidate’s and client’s interest at heart.

We build genuine and trusting relationships with both client and candidates so we can really tailor and understand what they are looking for. This is by far the most rewarding aspect of my role.

Have you ever considered a job in recruitment? We are currently hiring both inexperienced and experienced consultants.
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