"The career breakthrough that came when I least expected it”

Anyone calling on James Bach early in 2022 would have found him busy in his role as a managing director at a delivery tech startup, growing the company’s Vietnam team and business. Finding a job was the last thing on his mind, and that was exactly what he related when Thu Le, a consultant on the Digital desk at Robert Walters Vietnam called on him.

James first connected with Robert Walters in 2017 when he was based in Singapore holding an operations role at a global tech company. He stayed in touch with the consultancy ever since, catching up on his career and exploring various opportunities over the years.

After Thu’s call that day, they kept the conversation going. One day, she came to him with a position that got his attention: a CEO position at a human resources SaaS business. And the way that Thu linked the opportunity to his preferences piqued his curiosity.

Through their conversations, Thu pieced together that James was after an impactful leadership role. He sought a platform where he could execute his ideas, apply his creative problem-solving skills, and build a high performing team. What’s more, his previous experience in big tech gave him a deep understanding of the SaaS model. This made him even more qualified for the position she presented.

Still, there were other points to consider. James wanted to be sure that his existing team had reached a point where they could keep running the business even without him. The new role would also require him to move from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, with frequent travel between the two cities.  

“I wasn’t open to a new role, but her ability to match my preferences to a compatible opportunity convinced me to give it a go.”

Eventually, James decided to move forward with an interview. “Thu listened carefully to my career story. She understood my profile. And she has domain knowledge about this sector,” he relates. “I wasn’t open to a new role, but her ability to match my preferences to a compatible opportunity convinced me to give it a go.”

Across the many rounds of interviews, James and the hiring team got to understand each other better, with Thu facilitating the process the entire way. At the offer stage, she also negotiated for a compensation package that both parties were happy with.

Now in the biggest role of his career yet, James credits Robert Walters Vietnam for helping him advance his aspirations. “The consultants are professionals who truly care about how you want to direct your career. They are also specialists who are very knowledgeable about the fields they recruit for. I’d say to trust them to get you where you want to be.”