Interspace

I’m a compliance specialist and headhunter.
It’s quite a niche position—people usually have this misconception that as a headhunter, when I reach out to people, they’d have to apply for the job I’m bringing to them. I don’t see my role as that: I see myself more as the middle person between the recruiters and those seeking jobs. An important part of my job is being an advisor, since I do market mapping, research and analytics so that I remain familiar with the market.

Share with us something you enjoy about the job:
The job is difficult and we work very hard, but we tend to get rewarded well for it, through either international end-of-year trips or a fancy meal. They do know how to take care of their staff, which makes your work feel fulfilling at the end of the day.

We hear you first met your husband through your job.
We met when I flew to Hungary for a work trip back in 2017, and it just so happened that I stayed in his family’s Airbnb. I’d like to say it’s fate in some way (laughs).

What’s been the most challenging part about an international relationship?
Language, definitely. My mother tongue is Malay and he speaks Hungarian, so we communicate in English, which is obviously our common middle ground. There’s a chance of things getting lost in translation.

Has Covid-19 affected your relationship in any way?
He’s currently back in Hungary while I chose to stay here because of my job and family. He had to fly back for personal reasons, and we actually sought the assistance of the Hungarian Embassy to make this happen. For now, we foresee ourselves doing a long-distance marriage till the situation hopefully improves.

What’s a perfect weekend plan for you?
I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. These days, with my other half far away, I spend the time going out for drinks with my girlfriends (laughs). I’m sure many others feel the same way, but Covid-19 has reminded me the need to check in often with the people around me.