Gem Spotlight - lauren taylor at gembridge
Lauren joined Team Gembridge earlier this year as Associate Consultant.
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Lauren is Associate Consultant at Gembridge
I'm Lauren. Originally from a tiny town in country Victoria, I moved to the 'big smoke' to pursue a University degree (majoring in Japanese), a number* of years ago.
A couple of years ago, I pivoted towards a career in recruitment; and have enjoyed contributing to the meaningful work of finding candidates and clients their perfect match.
* too many!
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
I'm currently halfway through the 'Write your novel' course with Faber Academy and am in the process of drafting my first novel.
When I'm not writing, I love to be creative in many other ways like drawing, painting and singing. I'm also a huge video game nerd - especially when they are narrative-driven.
Where is your favourite or dream holiday destination?
I would love to go back to Japan and go on lots of hikes.
What is your favourite movie, TV show or book?
I'm going to go slightly rogue and mention my favourite video game, which, incidentally, has recently been adapted into an excellent TV series - The Last of Us (Parts I and II). Originally released in 2013, Part I was groundbreaking in the way it handled narrative, character development and world-building in a video game context; and has influenced many other games over the subsequent decade. Like I said, huge nerd.
What did you dream of being when you were a child?
A professional singer.
Except that I have terrible stage fright when all eyes are on me. I'm much more comfortable singing with a choir, as a chorus member in musical theatre or in my loungeroom.
What was your very first job?
Speaking of singing, my first ever job was actually singing!
My Dad and I performed for patrons who were dining at the restaurant side of the local pub. He played guitar and I sang. Payment was a small amount of cash and a delicious pub meal afterwards.
Lauren, pictured on stage, playing guitar and singing
What’s the best thing about your current role?
There are many facets! It's the perfect balance of front-facing and back-office work.
I love being able to support candidates and hear about the awesome things they are doing in their careers. Equally, I enjoy working behind-the-scenes on various projects to support the team (who are all also the best, by the way!)
Recruitment can be hard. How do you stay focused, motivated, and driven?
We have a collaborative and supportive team environment which helps enormously. We celebrate each other's wins (no matter how big or small); and if someone has a roadblock, we'll try to work together on finding a solution.
What is the best career advice you’ve received?
If there's a role with an organisation that you're excited about, apply! Even if you don't quite check all the boxes, apply anyways.
Many things can be taught on the job, and if an organisation has the capacity for providing extra training, you might be just the kind of passionate and engaged team member they're looking for.
Welcome to Team Gembridge, Lauren!