When it's hard, the feeling that you are doing something meaningful helps

Introduce yourself in a few words..

My name is Aleksandar Hristov, managing partner at PR agency Paragraph 42 and university lecturer. I convince myself and those around me that the combination of academic background and practical experience brings benefits to business and students, and I really hope it is so.

Tell us what are the philosophy and values of the company you currently represent?

At Paragraph 42, we believe that communications can change the world and business for the better, and also that this change can be managed. Thanks to this ambitious philosophy, we apply a strategic approach in planning and implementing every communication campaign. We see that only in this way can there be long-term effects, which benefit the whole society.

How long have you been developing your current company? What are the most valuable lessons that the current situation has taught you during this period?

We created the agency in 2017 as part of the communication group The Smarts Group. That makes it 8 years now, but because of the dynamics of business, it feels at least like 42. Otherwise, the most valuable lessons we learned during this period are mainly related to digital transformation and the difficulties during the pandemic, and they are two: 1) If we have the right people, business and clients will come, and 2) If we seek efficiency and do everything thoughtfully, the right people will come. I think this is valid for every situation, whether it is about calmness or turbulence.

If you personally had to write a job advertisement, how would you attract the attention of a future employee?

It's a tough job. It depends on the position and some other variables, but I would definitely emphasize that PR work allows you to do great things and to reap the innovations for that. For us, for example, whenever we receive awards for campaigns, those from our team who worked on them go on stage, not managers.

What does your company do to organize a constructive and beneficial working environment for everyone? Should people in the team be friends?

The issue of friendship in the workplace is an interesting question. I believe that people become friends when they look in the same direction, when they share common values. From our side, our commitment as managers is to select specialists who are not only good at their work but also fit well in terms of temperament and values in the team. So friendship happens or not mainly naturally and – paradoxically – depends on management. And what do we do for a constructive working environment? We try to hear everyone's opinion, we provide – we hope – constant opportunities for expression. This, combined with remote offices, team buildings, and other tactical initiatives, should contribute significantly.

What makes you look forward to going to work? How do you cope with difficult and stressful moments?

Who said that I cope? 😊 Anyway, this is a question I constantly ask myself, but if I had to derive a formula for how I cope with difficulties and how I look forward to going to work, it certainly has three very important variables: 1) the feeling of mission, that you are doing something meaningful; 2) the ability to separate the trivial from the important, and 3) the constant search for new knowledge. 

What work model does your company adhere to – office or remote? What do you think about the possibility of offering options for flexible working hours, within which employees have greater freedom to balance their personal and work commitments?

After the pandemic, there is no going back. Nevertheless, given that in communication agencies, creativity and teamwork are vital, we managed to develop a scheme that is satisfactory for everyone. This consists of a certain number of days of remote work per year, which can be planned in advance, but also adapted to the dynamics of the team and working with clients and on specific campaigns.

How do the continuous technological changes on a global scale affect your business?

Refreshing. PR specialists are like kebab shop cats when it comes to technology and innovation – we quickly decide to try them, it's in our nature, it's part of our professionalism. And right now, the key challenge is how these technologies can be more effective and better managed.

How important is the hierarchy and what does it mean to you? What kind of communication do you support in your company?

Specifically regarding the PR business, I have little faith in hierarchy, but I strongly believe in authority. It can be given or earned, but in all cases, it is much more sustainable than the attitude towards a person in one position or another. Of course, I am convinced that there are areas where hierarchy is extremely important, where order and procedures are sometimes more essential for achieving results than individuality.

What is your career advice for all people who are building a strategy for their professional development?

For young people in university – not to waste their time with brigades in America, working as waiters, but to take their careers into their own hands as early as possible, even at the cost of the fact that at the beginning their rewards may not be super high. It has been proven – this pays off in the future. For those who are at the beginning of their career path – to read a lot, to know what professionalism means in their field, and to strive to achieve it. And, as it was said in a poem, to believe that "success lies in your will and in your mental attitude".