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I had a few questions to ask Lucas Tan, associate finance director in Singapore and he shared the challenges he has faced, the best career advice he has been given and why he chose to work at Eames.
1. How did you get into recruitment?
My army buddy was a recruiter and asked me if I wanted to join him as a recruiter for my internship during my university stint. I enjoyed the entire 3 months of my internship and I knew that was it, I was going to build a career in recruitment.
2. What is your advice for someone just getting into recruitment?
Listen more; talk less. Always be open to feedback and don’ take it personally.
3. What is your proudest moment in your career to date?
I received an urgent mandate for an Asia CFO role on a Friday evening. The drive to want to make a difference for my clients and the “recruiter” in me fuelled me to set aside everything that weekend to comb the market for the best candidate fit and the rest was history. I was honoured to be given the opportunity to hire a C-suite personnel and this is definitely my proudest moment to date, not only because it is the biggest placement I have made in my career thus far, but also the candidate has proven to be a very good fit for the organisation.
4. What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced in your career so far and how have you overcome that?
The biggest challenge for me was leaving what I have built for many years and coming to Eames to develop the Accounting and Finance business. I thought it was a good challenge to stretch my potential and push my boundaries, also to find out how much and how far of an impact I could make to a desk.
Focus on the basics, listen to the clients and the candidates and seek what’s best for them.
5. What is your number 1 secret to success?
Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard – Kelvin Durant
6. What’s the best career advice you’ve ever given?
“A ship is safe in harbour, but that is not what the ship is built for”
This advice never fails to remind me to step out of my comfort zone and continue to stretch my potential.
7. What are you driven by and how do you stay motivated?
“Everything negative – pressure, challenges is all an opportunity to rise up” - Kobe Bryant
I didn’t do particularly stellar academically for the first 23 years of my life. I feel a strong need to work hard and make up for lost time. Career-wise, the opportunity as a recruiter to make a difference in a person’s livelihood as well as career keeps me going.
8. What do you think you would have been had you not gone into recruitment?
The other professions that require a lot of talking and negotiating. Probably a Lawyer or a Hostage negotiator.
9. How do you keep a work-life balance?
Switching off during weekends to remind myself the reason why I work and to spend time with family.
10. Why Eames?
People. Everyone comes from a diverse background but they are all aligned in terms of what they would like to achieve – to provide the best for their clients and candidates. I was given the opportunity to head and build the Accounting and Finance function, while partnering with many of the top recruiters in the Singapore market.