Sophie Kim

7:30 AM

I’m a night-owl and definitely not a morning person so I struggle to wake up every morning. One positive to a lockdown is the 5-second commute to my study nook! Instead of staying in my pyjama pants as I used to at the beginning of lockdown, I started dressing up properly to make myself feel like I’m actually going into the office (which I quite miss). For breakfast, I make myself a mixed berries smoothie using my NutriBullet which I grabbed during the recent EOFY sales!

8:30 AM

I used to get into the office by 8.30am so I also start work at this time when I’m working from home. First thing I do is to go through my emails and note down anything I need to action on. Then, I like creating a to-do list for the day using Microsoft To Do, ensuring to prioritise tasks so I can meet all my deadlines.

9:00 AM

Working for a huge FMCG as a HR professional means on top of any projects you are working on, you are also looking after/supporting 300+ people, where you act as a SPOC for a large number of people for HR related enquiries or issues. A lot of my catch ups, WIP calls and meetings are in the morning mainly starting from 9 am. Many of the employee related calls from managers also come in quite early in the day also these enquiries come through any time of the day. Any calls with Malaysia and UK are usually in the afternoon or evening due to the time differences.

11:30 AM

Lunch time! I tend to have my lunch a bit early since I only have a smoothie for breakfast and I’m usually starving by 11.30 am. Since I’m working from home, I either make myself a quick and simple lunch or have leftovers from the night before. If I’m feeling really productive the day before, I pack myself lunch as I would do when I’m going into the office. You can tell from the instant rice in the below photo that I’m not always 100% organised! I try to block out 30 minutes for lunch in my calendar to make sure I have time to eat instead of having back-to-back meetings. Even though I’ve only recently started doing this, I can definitely tell the difference of having a solid break – feeling much energised and productive. I make sure to put away the dishes in the dishwasher, so I have less to do after work.

3:00 PM

Afternoon is my focus time. When I’m not in meetings I work on various projects and work on executing HR strategies. For example, I’m currently assisting our Regional Talent & OE Manager on launching and promoting our employer brand and employee value proposition across South East Asia. As a HR professional, I also drive HR cycle activities along with the wider HR team including leading talent discussions for my patch. After my focus session, I treat myself with some coffee. P.s. I love my mug!

5:30 PM

I check my to-do list to see if I have completed all tasks for the day and check that I’m on track to deliver and meet my deadlines. If I don’t have any late calls with Malaysia, UK or Hong Kong, I sign off at 5:30 pm. I believe flexibility goes both ways. If I need to work a bit more then I’m happy to do so as long as the Company can also flex for me when required. BAT most certainly does this for its employees. When I have other commitments and need to leave work early, BAT accommodates which I absolutely love.

6:30 PM

It’s my favourite time of the day – dinner time! Since having takeaways everyday isn’t the healthiest option for my body or bank account, I try to be creative these days with cooking/preparing meals so make sure I’m well fed and entertained. My fiancé usually comes over for dinner and we take turns cooking. Tonight, we are feasting with some Chinese hotpot! 

9:00 PM

After doing some housework, it’s time to work out. I don’t work out every day and I prefer going outside for a long walk. I used to go to the gym every now and then but with the current COVID-19 restrictions, gyms are closed. I unwillingly put on Chloe Ting workouts on YouTube and copy as best as I can. Halfway through the workout I’m not sure if the water droplets are sweat or tear drops.

11:00 PM

I wasn’t kidding when I said I’m a night-owl! After taking a shower and getting myself ready for bed, I’m usually on the phone with the people that I care and love. I also enjoy “window-shopping” (online especially homeware products) and watching Netflix on my iPad. I’ll do this until I’m tired and go to bed between 12-1 am.