You don’t realise how very daunting it is to be somewhere 7,000 miles away from family, in a country you have never been before, until your plane lands on the tarmac.
Upon arriving in Argentina, it suddenly dawned on me how very far I was from my home in Scotland. However, my decision to spend five months in Argentina as part of my university’s degree course requirement will be one that I am happy that I made, thanks to TMF Group.
Although I arrived without any experience in Talent Acquisition, Cruzleny Paredes, the Head of Talent Acquisition for Americas, and the rest of the Americas HR team, made me feel immediately welcomed and offered me infinite support, not just in the office but also outside of work. I had so much to learn when I first arrived - from getting used to the different Argentine accent, to how to conduct a phone screening call – the training process eased my nerves and helped me to settle quickly into my new role.
Everyone I encountered was incredibly friendly and warm. -My lunches with the team meant my Spanish began to progress and soon I felt at home in TMF Group’s Argentina office in Avenida Chiclana.
I felt immensely rewarded when I hired my first TMF Group employee after completing all stages of the recruitment process. Not only did it prove to me how much I had learned in a short span of time but also the positive effect hard work can have. Things that originally seemed intimidating to me, such as meetings in Spanish mixed with Portuguese, became a normal part of life. I felt like I was beginning to build strong relationships, not just in the office but across our team in South America too. I loved being part of a team in which we worked together to hire the perfect candidate, knowing that it will have positive affects in other areas of the business.
I have certainly learned many valuable life lessons from my time at TMF Group and gained skills that I know will be useful in my future career paths, and my Spanish has certainly developed!
I want to thank Cruzleny, from whom I have learned so much, not just about recruitment, but also about how to lead a successful team with compassion and through example. Last but not least, I don’t think my experience would have been so life changing if it weren’t for the HR team here in Buenos Aires who welcomed me into their office and provided me with much laughter and happy memories.