When I was a kid, I wanted to be a journalist and have my own news media company. At that time, I used to have all the daily and monthly newspapers and magazines and I really enjoyed reading them. I never had any ambition of working with anything related to numbers. My second choice was to study languages, as I’ve had my own words invented. I used to call ice cream “Dabush”, so maybe I would have invented a completely new language if I decided to study languages. But in the end, I don’t regret choosing to study economy since I love the job I am doing today.
I was very lucky, as after three or four job interviews, almost seven years ago, I started my journey on my first job experience as an accountant here at Coordea. I must admit that I had big expectations of Coordea. I imagined working here would be a challenging opportunity with a fun and friendly environment. It really is challenging, but also interesting working with different cultures and people kilometres away. Also, I can’t say that I don’t like traveling to Sweden, and the opportunity to be working with and learning from such professionals over there.
I started with a client from day one, and it was exciting that we were working with documents and applications in Swedish without knowing the language. At the same time, it was very interesting having people around eager to help, and with constant efforts to learn, I am now working on the position as an International Senior Accountant – Team lead. Even after seven years, I can’t say that my learning has stopped. There will always be new challenges and things to learn, but I am always motivated to give the best of me on this journey.
My biggest motivation is the inspirational environment from talented and knowledgeable people, always eager to help you out when needed, and the career opportunities and positive atmosphere that Coordea provides us. We are one big family who likes to work hard, but also to have fun by working hard. Thank you, Coordea, for exceeding my expectations and for the great teamwork, which not only led to permanent professional growth but also personal.“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful” – I recently read this quote that may sound a little philosophical, but I completely agree with it. Thus, in my opinion, if you love what you do and put in your best efforts to achieve your goals in the best way you can, then success is inevitable.
The biggest accomplishment of which I feel proud of is when last year I got honoured by Coordea management by receiving the Employee of the Year award. It truly made me happy that my efforts, dedication, and hard work are recognised and appreciated.
By observing my team leaders during the years, I have become, and am still learning to be, a good leader of my younger colleagues. It is a great responsibility to have the necessary skills, share knowledge, support, and motivate your team to keep up the great job. In fact, I always say that the only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing. My message and advice to all my younger colleagues are to always be eager to learn new things, because by learning and upgrading skills and knowledge, you secure the path for career development. Always look for more assignments, don’t be afraid to try and give the best in everything you do because that is how you build your work experience that leads to professional and personal growth.
Besides inventing a new language, I can say that my hidden talent is decorating wedding and birthday cakes. I have always considered myself unskilled in creative projects, but I must admit that decorating cakes is both fun and inspirational.
