Legal Recruiter Meixi: From Intern to Partner
- JC Consulting
- Jul 8
- 5 min read
Updated: Oct 3
Faces of JC is a series of interviews that provide a glimpse into the lives of the people at the heart of our executive search firm in Singapore and China.
In this edition, we cast the spotlight on Meixi, one of our first hires who has progressed to become the head of JC Consulting’s legal recruitment desk. As she marks her 10th year with the company, she looks back on her journey and offers an honest glimpse into life as a recruiter along with valuable lessons learned along the way.
Q: Why Did You Choose to Join the Recruitment Industry?
Meixi: It actually happened by chance. During my senior year in college, I interned at a recruitment firm and met Jason, the founder of JC Consulting. When Jason moved to a new executive search firm, I joined his new team as an intern upon his invitation. After working with him for some time, I saw how trustworthy he was, and I decided to stay on. That was how I officially began my career as a legal recruiter.
Q: What Was Your Journey Like From Intern to Partner?
Meixi: In a nutshell, it’s been about tackling new challenges at each stage and gradually taking on more responsibilities.
When I first started, I worried about how to keep candidates engaged on long calls, get their resumes, convince them to go for interviews, and close the offer. As I’ve never been the type to stress over sales numbers, I focused my efforts on handling each case well and working through problems. If an offer worked out, great. If not, I’d figure out what went wrong and fix it. That problem-solving mindset helped me grow, and before I knew it, years had flown by.
As I progressed, I had to think more about the team. This is especially after I became a Partner and had a greater responsibility towards the company and my colleagues. I started thinking about how to help my team plan their career paths and set realistic goals because I wanted to build an environment where people feel they can stay on and grow together.
Looking back, that shift in my role pushed me to grow in a positive way from someone focused only on my own work to a leader who sets bigger goals and thinks further ahead.
Q: Why Did You Choose to Build Your Career at JC?
Meixi: Recruitment is a tough, competitive industry. There’s already enough external pressure and competition as it is. If you also had to deal with internal politics, the job would be much harder.
However, everyone in JC Consulting works together, and the company genuinely encourages the consultants to share resources and help each other out. This collaborative culture removes that stress and makes the job of being an executive search consultant more sustainable in the long run, which is something I really appreciate.
Another key reason is the opportunity to grow. I’ve been here for a decade, and I’m still learning something new every year, whether it’s insights about the legal market, better ways of working, or new areas to explore. Over time, it’s become more than just helping clients fill roles. I’ve had the chance to understand and to be more involved in our clients’ long-term development and success. That’s been one of the most rewarding parts of the journey.
Q: A Memorable Experience You’ve Had at JC Consulting
Meixi: Work-wise, one moment that stands out was a turning point early in my career.
I wasn’t very aggressive when I first started. I didn’t set big goals for myself, and while I was inspired by peers who did well, I didn’t feel pressured to keep up. I was content to go at my own pace. But about two years in, a senior legal recruiter (our top biller apart from the boss) left our executive search firm.
For the first time, I felt the weight of the team’s performance on my shoulders, and I knew I had to step up. That moment really changed my mindset and pushed me to do better. Looking back, it was a pivotal opportunity for my own growth.
Outside of work, one of my favourite memories is from a company trip. During that trip to Thailand, I had Thai milk tea with a teammate and ended up staying awake all night. Because of that, I could barely hold the wok during our Thai cooking class the next day. Those were some of the fun, quirky moments that are special to me.
Q: What Gives You the Greatest Sense of Achievement?
Meixi: Early on, it was getting recognition from candidates. I was quite young when I started out, while most of my candidates were senior lawyers — people with far more experience than I had at the time. That’s why it felt especially rewarding when I was able to help them find better job opportunities and map out their next steps. I still remember one senior lawyer telling me I was like his “life mentor.” That made me feel my work really mattered.
After I became a team leader, my biggest sense of achievement shifted to seeing my team, especially those whom I’ve mentored, grow and thrive in their roles.
Q: Your Best Advice for Aspiring Legal Recruiters
Meixi: Think it through carefully before you jump in. You won’t last long if you join in the heat of the moment.
Recruitment can be tough, especially in the early years. A teammate once shared that she’d never been turned down so many times in her life, but that’s just part and parcel of the job. You’ll be building your network from scratch and dealing with constant rejections. It’s rarely smooth sailing, so you’ll need a strong heart, or you’ll have to grow one fast.
On top of rejection, you’ll face market ups and downs too, especially in recent years, with global uncertainty and a challenging economy creating new challenges to our work. Staying adaptable, adjusting your approach, and learning to navigate change will be an ongoing process and a crucial part of your growth as a professional recruiter.
The good news is, there’s no one-size-fits-all mould for success in this industry. You don’t have to be aggressive or super extroverted to do well in this industry. Emotional intelligence, resilience, and the drive to keep going matter far more than being the most outspoken person in the room.
Find the Right Talent with the Right People
With over a decade of experience in the APAC market, our legal recruitment team knows the ins and outs of hiring across Singapore, China, and Hong Kong — all key hubs for cross-border legal talent.
Whether you’re looking to hire mid-to-senior-level legal professionals or you’re exploring your own next career move, we’re here to share what we know, connect you to the right people, and help you build the team you need to grow. Just drop us a line at meixi.liu@jcconsulting.sg, we’d love to chat.
Beyond the legal desk, we also have dedicated consultants specialising in:
Connect with us today to discuss your needs.
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