Charting Your Path at Michael Page: Consultant Q&A

Samantha Golay started with Michael Page back in mid-2019 and has already had a dynamic experience with the business. She started as a Senior Recruitment Consultant with our Los Angeles Product Team, working in the Tech and Marketing spaces. 

However, she found that she wanted a change and decided to move into our Talen Acquisition team. Still part of the LA team, she has recently relocated to Atlanta, where she’ll be working remotely.

We sat down with her to find out how she feels about her experience with Michael Page so far.

What made you accept the offer from Michael Page?

“Harry Masters, who I reported into when I started, reached out to me about the office in Century City. We talked about career trajectory and I saw on his LinkedIn that he had gone from a consultant to a manager in a relatively short amount of time, that was really encouraging. 

Then, towards the end of the interview process, I had just met so many people who were excited about what they were doing, had grown in their career, and had been promoted. That told me that I could actually grow here and flourish.” 

What surprised you about the job?

“I think the culture in the office was a big thing. The people in the LA office seem genuinely, intrinsically driven to succeed. They’re really passionate about what they’re doing and who they’re working with. The people who I met were great. I was okay with hanging out with my coworkers on the weekend, which was not something I had really done before. I think that was a nice, pleasant surprise. 

I would say the training, also. In my last job, you kind of learned as you went along and training wasn’t as structured or as all-encompassing of the job as Michael Page’s training is.” 

What is your favorite part of a working day?

“When I first started, I really wanted my own clients and to build my book of business. So, getting responses from clients or prospective clients, or tailoring my messaging in a way that got someone’s attention so I was able to get on the phone with them, was really exciting to me. It felt like a big win. 

Then, I found that the biggest challenge was actually finding those solid candidates, so I started focusing on the candidate side and enjoyed that quite a lot. I think talking a solid candidate, even if I didn’t have something for them immediately, and building those relationships was really awesome. So was seeing people grow their careers and getting promoted in a job I placed them in. 

Now that I’ve transitioned into a Talent Acquisition role, I’m new in the role, so I haven’t gotten to the point where I’ve seen people grow within Michael Page. However, I can imagine that seeing someone I brought on as a recruitment consultant become a manager, and knowing that I was the person who introduced them to the company, is really amazing. I think that the potential of that right now is my favorite part.” 

A lot of people talk about career growth and opportunity here at Page. What has your experience with this been like?

“I think the biggest thing I’ve found with Michael Page and career growth is that if you see a need and you’re willing to take on that responsibility, they’re more than happy to support you. I think that’s what happened in this role.

I had been doing a lot of DE&I (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) stuff and taking on a lot of projects that were more internally focused. So, when there arose an opportunity for me to step into that and maybe do my projects full-time, that was something I moved into. 

I don’t think that’s something that happens often at bigger companies. Here, you don’t have to fit into this box as far as where your career should go. You still have to prove yourself, of course, but if you put in the work, see a business need, and have the strengths, they’re more than open to let you make that move.” 

Do you have any advice for someone considering working here? Why they should apply, and what they should bear in mind when they start if they’re brought onboard?

“I think if you’re considering working here, to help you decide, I’d say really consider your priorities. If your priorities are growth, development, and the opportunity to take on new challenges, this is the place.

To new starters, I would say come in with an open mind, listen, learn, and apply the things that they’re telling you because it works. There’s a reason this company has been around for forty years. Listen to the training, listen to the advice, and add your own spark to it. Bring your own creativity and uniqueness to the job.”

If you’d like to learn more about the possibilities and opportunities Michael Page has to offer, you can find further information here.