A Young Professional in Warsaw

Guess who's the new PA to the Director of Business Development for Eastern Europe, Baltics and the CIS Markets of one of the major Italian tour operators?

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:D

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The last couple of weeks have been very laid back and hectic at the same time. Laid back cause I didn't have that many responsibilities, hectic cause I had a lot of events to attend, a lot of friends to meet, went back to university, went for my first proper job interviews..

The first one was last Thursday - a part-time at a bank, a proper job contract, stabilization, commitment, they were looking for a team member for at least a year and a half - scary things! I went for the interview certain I wanted to land the job but as the interview progressed I had to try harder and harder to convince myself (and the recruiter) that I actually wanted it  At one point the recruiter asked me why I wanted to work with them, as he could clearly see my head and heart were in a different market. I left the office (which I really liked and would have loved to work in, by the way) going over his questions and my answers and trying to figure out how I really felt about the whole thing. I was pretty sure I'd get invited back for the last interview with the Big Boss and needed to be sure I won't be wasting his time. Thus, after a lot of ponding, I wrote them on Friday thanking them for their time and declining the offer of the last interview.

On Wednesday last week I was already sure I wouldn't follow through with uni - it didn't feel right. Not only the fact that I had to get up at 6 am and sit through some of the most boring classes you can imagine, not even the fact that some of the professors talked to us as if we were 5 years old. It didn't feel right, 'cause it basically seemed like going backwards instead of moving on with my life. I didn't go to my classes on Friday and Monday, this Tuesday I had to go to one of them, as I had volunteered to give a little speech about Aristotle and his Poetics (don't even ask). As soon as that was over, I left and don't ever intend on going back.

Straight from there I went to another job interview - a foreigner needed a personal assistent, a job in a travel agent's, had no idea about the technical aspects of the offered position. I went for the interview more for the experience than with the will to get the job, as the other travel agent's who wanted to send me on the guide course was thinking about offering me some event managment related tasks and I was looking forward to that. Also, dance had yet again shyly welcomed itself back into my life and I was considering pursuing that path again. The interview was very short and not 'traditional' by any means. I was asked one question and then given an assignment due in the evening. I left the place super excited and with the feeling that it might be it - I wanted this job! Didn't mind the full time aspect of it, was thinking how cool it would be to work in one place for at least a year or two, was all happy inside when I thought of all the responsibilities and tasks that would lay ahead of me, thought the potential boss seemed really laid back and a nice person, most of all, and the salary would be enough to allow me to save some travel money. Plus, there were real prospects of travelling within the job itself.

So I got back home and panicked, thinking I didn't know how to write those letters.

However, I decided I would deliver the best drafts the guy's ever seen.

So I sat down and wrote them.

I then had a team of more experienced and able people check them and give me suggestions, wrote and rewrote certain parts over and over again.

And then I sent them out.

Yesterday morning I got an email saying my drafts were 'satisfying' but he was waiting to see what other candidates deliver, thus inform me about his decision on Friday.

I guess the candidates didn't deliver or he simply decided those were the best drafts he's ever seen, 'cause I got a message about an hour ago "Hello Magda, you won the job".

I always knew the moment I drop out of university, things will be a whole lotta better. Too bad it took me so many years to have the opportunity to do so ;)

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Tomorrow I'm going to sign a contract for three trial months and I'll be finally fully qualified to attend all those Professionals in Warsaw events - it always felt kinda strange to be there, seeing how I was neither an expat, nor a professional. Well, I might still not be an expact but the professional part's already there!

And now I'm off to think of a routine for tonight - am filling in for a friend who teaches dance in one of the city's cultural centers and have yet to create what I'll teach today. Sexy dance - here I come!