What Makes A Freelancer Tick?

Genghis Khan, Learning How He Led To An Empire - Part 1

Name: Genghis Khan
Originally born as Temujin

The founder and Great Khan of the Mongol Empire

Lived from 1162 - 1227

We all know who he is, the great Genghis Khan, the one who united most of the Nomadic tribes in Northeast Asia which led him to found the Mongol Empire, leading to conquering most of Eurasia, to modern-day China, Korea, the Caucasus, Central Asian countries, and substantial portions of modern Eastern Europe, Russia and the Middle East.

Beyond all his military accomplishments, there are certainly lessons we can draw from this great leader of his time; how a single man blew a storm across the lands he crossed and kept his subjects in awe.


Tough times don't last, tough men do

This is a story very often told in link to Genghis Khan as a child; running up and down mountains with mouthful of water. Over time, he had developed the ability to run up and down mountains breathing only through his nose. ( Try walking up the stairs of your office breathing through just your nose )

• Commitment – A sense that you are giving your best
• Challenge – A sense that obstacles are challenges and not threats
• Control – A sense that you are in control of yourself and what happens to you
• Confidence – A sense that you can achieve your goals

These 4 qualities are inevitably formed when you develop your own sense of perseverance / endurance


Being good at what you do

Genghis Khan and his army built their empire on horseback and archery; back in the days, in their turf, having the mastery of arrows and bows on fast riding horses were one of the keys to succeeding in battles.

• Cultivate the strengths within you — Especially those you don’t know yet
• Collaborate with your chosen partners — Understand the organization or people with whom you work
• See what no one else sees – Use it for mutual advantage

Focus on your Purpose

This is one of the universal trues many know, yet fail to do. Focusing on what you are supposed to do and what you want to do.

Genghis Khan had no desire for the materialistic as he rose to power. He only had one sole purpose to see those who did his family injustice - leaving his family to starve in winter, brought to justice.

• Convert your wounds into strengths
• Uncover your passion by asking a question like, “What am I good at?”
• Follow that passion to a possible path of purpose
• Take action. The discovery is exciting

The Path to Success Is Never a Straight Flowing Process

Appraisal VS Resignation - just for laughs

Something I came across on the Internet, pretty interesting ain't it?

A day in the life of... Yours Truly

Many friends have asked about what we as recruiters do on a daily basis, well... The list is long filled with interesting stories and i can't speak for all; however I can share a typical day in the course of work


6 am - I usually wake up for a workout in the gym / at home or go for a run, while at the same time watch the news and any other reads which I can get my hands on related to our field of work, as well HR, leadership, people development etc, as they say, learning and knowledge is power! And we shall never stop learning ( hope you too! )


7.30 am - a hot shower to freshen up and head off to the office


8.30 am - stop by the coffee shop for a quick cuppa and beeakfast to go up the office


8.45 am - start up my workstation and a quick rundown of the daily tasks / follow ups. I refrain from checking mails and picking calls during this period to settle down. I'll also wander around the office to catch up with colleagues to see if I may be of help in anyway or how they are doing.

10 am - the real work starts: calling candidates and clients, replying emails, doing checks etc

12 pm - usually, I work through lunch. Sometimes I'll attend lunch appointments with clients or friends to catch up. We take away lunches and eat in office most of the time, as the saying goes "those who eat together, stay together".

1 pm - work starts again: sourcing new candidates, follow up emails and clients, follow up on interviews and offers, business development, interviewing of candidates, any internal meetings etc

5 pm - ticking off the done tasks for the day and preparing for the next day's, week's to do list.

6 pm - quick check with colleagues days and take note to discuss in case studies when appropriate, also to provide training as required. Any scheduled after hours calls or meetings with clients / candidates would also take place about this time.


7 pm - quick review of company's goals and objectives, ensuring team is on track and (re)strategise accordingly and any other required admin stuffs, these are nitty gritty items which require the least attention and easy to check off,so I usually leave till last. A brief scan of my LinkedIn for any notable updates, articles, contacts.

8 pm - head off home! As it takes about an hour plus on the journey back, and being a big fan of going mobile, I'll usually take the time to catch up the news, any interesting articles I marked, magazines issues both new and old, videos etc.

9 pm - home sweet home!
There you have it, a day in the life of, yours truly.


PS: don't bother asking how I have the time to write this blog