Eurofins

What made you choose to work for Eurofins?

Before Eurofins, I was already working in consulting and headhunting, but I wanted to try working in recruiting inside a company, and not just as part of a project for another organisation. This made Eurofins an obvious next step for me, especially as I was looking for a company with a purpose I could relate to. While Eurofins’ mission inspired me from the get-go, what really made the difference was the people I met in my interviews, with whom I made an immediate personal connection. I remember that my first interview was with the Senior Talent Acquisition Manager of Business and Operations in Europe and we instantly clicked. Of course, it matters that you are the right fit for a job, but what is also important is whether you get along with and respect the people you will be working with and vice versa – that was there for me from the very first interview.

Also, I was hired at the same time as my manager and so we had the exciting challenge of growing our own team from all around the world, making work enjoyable.

What is the number one piece of advice you would give to someone who is preparing for a job interview?

To explain, I will reflect on my own interviews at Eurofins and how I prepared for these. At the time, I was preparing at my parents’ place, and I can recall my father pointing out that I was not rehearsing any of my answers.

Naturally, I did read the Eurofins website and researched about what the company does, its different business lines, how Eurofins has developed over the past few years and who the CEO is. Most importantly, I also checked the different profiles of my interviewers to find synergies between what we had done in our careers so far in order to find common ground as a conversation starter.

But I did not prepare for potential questions about my personality or the way I work, for example. Because for an interviewer, it feels disingenuous when it is obvious that an answer has been rehearsed. So here’s my advice: be yourself in an interview and be open about your strengths and flaws alike, as they will become clear at some point anyway! And if you are your true self but the company won’t hire you, it’s fine. If you are being yourself, you will find the job that works best for you and the people that suit you, so there is no need to worry too much about it.

What is one valuable lesson that a mentor has taught you and that you still remember to this day?

This might be an unusual one. I was once asked by someone at a very difficult time of my life, “Are you hungry?” and I said, “No.” “Do you have a roof over your head where you can sleep?” they asked, and I answered, “Yes.” They told me: “Humans have the capacity to make it out of difficult situations as long as they have something to eat, somewhere to sleep, and someone to support them, and that makes all these issues seem so much smaller. ” I try to remember this from time to time when I start to stress about small problems in my life.

How do you like to spend your free time outside of work?

I like to move as much as possible – especially outside, in the mountains or even by the ocean – because I tend to spend a lot of time sitting down during my work. I enjoy anything that is outdoors and far away from technology! During the week, that usually means going for a run. I also make sure to live as close to nature as possible. I’m also a certified scuba dive instructor, so I sometimes teach others how to dive in my free time.

Do you have any tips for better work-life balance?

Naturally, I’m a very curious person and enjoy constantly learning new things. I don’t believe in following a straight-line path in life, including in my career. That’s why I recently decided to go back to university part-time to study a four-year course towards a new long-term project of mine, to see where it will take me. This requires a lot of time dedication, so in order to allow for the right balance, I proposed to my managers that I switch from full-time to part-time work for the time being. Their reaction was immediately positive! What I appreciated most was that they understood the need to let employees have control over their lives. They understand the value of giving more personal freedom to team members to pursue additional projects alongside a fulfilling career – rather than having someone on the team who lacks balance and feels unhappy.