Head hunting: a day in the life of Payal Sharma

7:30 am: It's that steaming cup of coffee that gets her out of bed. A quick run through her text messages, and she's ready to take the day head on. 9:30 am: Sharma holds a morning round-up with her team members. The meeting is a review of assignments that the team managed to bag, new mandates (search assignments) that have come in and strategies to tackle difficult mandates.10:30 am: Sharma goes through her list of client calls for the day and does research on the company, its competitors and the mandates required. "The clients have so many questions about the industry, people looking to move and finding the right man to fit a vacancy. And you have to provide answers," she said.1:00 pm: After lunch, she sets out to meet her banking clients, most of whom are based in south Mumbai. She believes that the only way to get ahead in the business is by constantly gaining client feedback and benchmarking your success on the basis of this.4:00 pm: She grabs a quick cup of coffee, and co-ordinates with her team members over the phone.5:00 pm: Another round-up meeting with the team to gauge whether the day's targets (the number of assignments clinched) have been met, and new strategies that could be implemented for their next client meets.7:30 pm: Once she gets home, Sharma puts all her office work behind her, and gets lost in a world of her own. It's the simple pleasure of eating a large bowl of popcorn, playing with her two fish Hush and Mush or just watching a movie that matter most to her. Weekend fun: Sharma looks forward to her weekends because it means waking up late to a heavy breakfast. She then spends her day reading, from magazines like Vogue to keep up with fashion trends to Agatha Christie's mystery novels, which she believes provide her with new insights into her job and life. She spends the evenings indulging herself with a shopping spree. "It works as a stress buster. It makes me want to work harder for myself and for the firm," she said.