Recruitment and consultancy specialist Francesca Ellul on Saturday highlighted the importance of life outside work as she reflected on her first full year as a self-employed professional.
She launched Pursue Consultancy late in 2021, allowing her to support candidates through resume writing and consultancy services to find job opportunities either independently or through the firm as a recruitment agency. While it has been “one of the most challenging years” of her life, both personally and professionally, she is still grateful for what she has overcome, and is “beyond excited” for 2023.
In doing so, Ms Ellul listed a number of lessons that she learnt during 2022 that will help her in the future.
“Being broke sucks,” she said, before adding that certain things might be “out of your control”, such as licensing delays in her case. As a result, it is important to “have more than you think you’ll ever need”.
However, she also remarked that “money isn’t always worth it”, particularly when it comes at a greater cost, such as one’s family, friends, and mental health.
Ms Ellul also emphasised the importance of putting in the right amount of time for those aspects that “don’t come naturally” and hence require greater focus. If one doesn’t do this, then the work will end up being pushed aside, leading to a large amount of work “that’ll just be unproductive at that point”.
“Don’t compare yourself with others,” she continued, before adding that everyone’s goals are different, “so don’t feel demotivated because you’re comparing yourself to people steering in a direction that doesn’t even interest you”.
Ms Ellul also highlighted how easy it is to “get sucked into thinking” about the next challenge without stopping to “appreciate the moment”. “It doesn’t always need to move forward, sometimes you can just stay,” she explained.
Additionally, selectivity is an important skill that self-employed professionals have to take up. “The initial instinct is to take on as much as possible, to be busy. But busy isn’t great if it’s working with clients that don’t respect your work or boundaries, or simply not having time to sleep,” Ms Ellul said.
Tied to the previous point, she also noted that it is necessary to “work smarter and harder”, as while projects have to be chosen wisely, one must then “excel” in the tasks picked. “Your work is your business, and a few loyal customers will do more good than loads of just satisfied ones,” Ms Ellul remarked.
Lastly, she pointed towards how integral one’s life outside of work is to their career, particularly to “stick to a routine and surround oneself with an uplifting community”. She added: “We are more than just our work, and we need routine and personal purpose to succeed.”
“Here’s to good business and being good people,” Ms Ellul concluded as she wished everyone success and happiness for the new year.
Ms Ellul has a wide array of experience in the local recruitment industry through her past experiences at StreetHR, Nicholls Moisa, iGaming Elite, and Reed Specialist Recruitment, among other companies. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Management from Study World Malta, and is primarily focused on building “authentic, long-term relationships” as a recruiter.
