Top bag woman shares her tips
Teresa Pham: director at Michael Page
Man: Rudy Spinola (43) | Daughter: Evelyn (19) | Son: Julian (6)
Just think about it: leaving everything behind, including that global job, and chasing love with your ten-year-old daughter, only to touch that top job again on the other side of the world. Teresa Pham, director of Michael Page, did it. And how.
You can learn to integrate
‘I won the lottery with Rudy, my husband. After a year of long-distance dating, I quit my job and moved from Melbourne to Rotterdam with my daughter. In the beginning, I didn’t work and wanted to be completely there for Evelyn. Only when she had fully settled in did I start looking around again. The best way to integrate is to work with people. Initially, I considered doing something completely different than recruitment, but you know, this job encompasses everything. Talking to people, the contact with clients, finding that perfect match, finances; I love it all.’
This is a strong woman
“Of course, it’s not always easy to leave your family behind. I miss weddings and births. My mother has been to Rotterdam once because she’s not very adventurous, but we have a lot of contact. When people say they admire me, I think of my mother who fled Vietnam to Australia with a baby (me) of six months old. When we finally arrived in Australia, I was nine months old. She had to travel for three months with a baby without knowing where she would end up. When you look at it that way, my crossing was child’s play.’
Starting over from the bottom
‘I was approached by Michael Page, but for a very different position than the one I came from. A much lower one too. I found that a bit difficult, but I immediately thought: fair enough, I have to prove myself here again. So I rolled up my sleeves and did it. After six years, I was the director.’
Women on top
‘My role as a mother, as a woman is just as important as my role as a director. You are more than your job; everything you do shapes you. I have many women around me in top positions who have earned their seat at the table. I also believe in flexibility and change. It’s now quite common for men to have a ‘paternity day’ which allows women to work more. And I don’t find it strange at all if women pause their careers when they have children. I believe that the lessons motherhood teaches you will help you get back in the saddle quickly when you hit ’play’ again. I also believe that women who are more mature and have had children will be able to tackle certain issues more quickly than before.’
This is inclusivity
‘In your private life, you tend to gather the same types around you: people with the same interests, hobbies, and similar living situations. At work, it’s important to bring together as many different people as possible because that creates support and understanding. Inclusivity means to me that you all are part of a larger whole. It goes beyond just gender. I strive to have a team where differences come together. Gender, faith, vision. That nourishes.’
Where is your blues?
‘In Australia, I call it hardship, but it might be best translated to ‘blues’. We all have a rough edge, a scar from something we have overcome. I am always curious about the story behind a person. The story of my mother, for example, but also of a client, an intern. Everyone carries more with them than what you see at first glance. Delving into the individual and learning from that inspires me.’
More women at the top, this is how it works
‘First: shut up and listen. People have so much to offer, but you have to be open to it. Second: humility is not the same as insecurity. And third: being emotional does not mean you are weak. Women are often stigmatized as emotional, crying, and weak. Being emotional also means you are empathetic, and that doesn’t have to imply weakness at all.’
Lesson to my younger self
‘Don’t be afraid to fall. When you fall, you learn how to get back up.’
