Paulina Laurie
Microsoft Dynamics - Zurich
Nigel Frank International
Nigel Frank International is a staffing and recruiting organization that is recognized as the global leaders in Microsoft recruitment. We have built relationships with some of the biggest Microsoft customers, partners, and independent software vendors (ISVs), giving us exclusive access to some of the best jobs on the market.
I love the fact that I can empower women, help them on their tech journey, encourage organizations to hire more diverse tech talent, and provide some advice. I especially enjoy that every day in recruitment is different and I get to meet great professionals from across the globe.
My day involves a lot of conversations & meetings. Some of them are with my team to give them advice and help with ongoing tasks. Some are with colleagues and peers, most of them are with our customers. I advise tech & digital companies out there on the importance of hiring women in tech to their teams and help them understand how they could attract more diverse talent. This involves meetings over the phone, video conferences, presentations, etc. I also try to read women in tech-related news daily to keep updated with what is changing in that space.
I earned a Master's degree in Business Psychology in my home country, Poland. I wanted to go into recruitment or HR, and both fields were much more developed already in the UK. I moved to the UK for work and have been living here on and off for over 10 years. I managed to find an internship at REED, a staffing and recruitment company. They offered me a temporary contract as a Resourcer & Recruitment Administrator. I will always be grateful to my first manager, as she gave me a chance to learn and grow. Then I had opportunity to join Nigel Frank International as a Recruitment Consultant for the Polish market. I started as a Trainee with no experience in recruitment, sales, or business development. I worked very hard to succeed, and I was promoted six times over the next 9+ years and became a Business Manager. To expand my career even further, I joined the parent company, Frank Recruitment Group. Here, I became became both the Head of Women in Tech and the Diversity Matters Committee Chair. I also had an excellent mentor - a woman who helped me out to become a better leader and aim higher. After 5 years with Frank Recruitment Group, I returned to Nigel Frank International to become a Department Head. Throughout my career, I have trained many people - from trainees to managerial levels. On a number of occasions, I have acted as an informal mentor for both male and female staff. When it was hard and things weren’t going my way I was more determined. Very often, I was the only female at the table, the only foreigner at the table, who speaks with an accent. It always was challenging but also made me want to thrive more, and aim higher.
I think that juggling both professional and family life isn't always easy, but it is very fulfilling. I would always like to be actively working mam. There is a lot of work to do for women in tech, but I am up for the challenge, and I love inspiring others.
I love to dance, so if it is a big party or just a small house gathering, you will always find me dancing. I am also a massive fashionista. In my spare time, I love attending fashion exhibitions, like Vogue or Harper's Bazaar, and looking at pieces they have created over the years. Coco Chanel was not only a fashion designer, but also she was a great entrepreneur. She has created a brand that is now worth $18.5 billion USD.
"Some days she has got no idea how she'll do it. But every single day, it still gets done." ~ Jane Fulton in book 'Sudden Death', author Rita Mae Brown