Don't wait for someone else to develop you and create opportunities for you

Introduce yourself in a few words…

My name is Tsvetelina. Ex-HR in the field of training and development of people. 😊 I strive to engage in things that I find meaningful and that help people challenge themselves and unleash their potential. 

How would you describe your career in a few words?

What I am doing today is that “one day” in my head that long seemed distant. It came true through a series of seemingly random, unexpected and even absurd scenarios.

What was the most important choice that shaped your path In?

I definitely remember it. It was the spring of 2009 – one of those unexpected scenarios that change your direction. I had a confirmed job and a plane ticket to Rome when, about a month before departure, an incredible opportunity for Singapore appeared. There was simply no way to pass it up. It was there that I discovered my profession – or maybe it discovered me while I was just dreaming. 😊

What would you like to have known at the beginning of your career that no one told you?

To be honest, I wouldn't want to know anything in advance. Personal experience, with all its mistakes, setbacks, lessons, and surprises, is an integral part of the journey and our development. If someone had given me the “ready answers,” it wouldn't have been real.

How can a person understand which profession is suitable for them?

There are different approaches. I would say with the right questions. “What am I good at?” does not always lead to an answer. More meaningful might be: “When do I feel most alive?”, “What would I do even if I weren't paid?”, “What contribution do I want to leave?”. The profession that is “yours” usually does not come with fanfare, but sneaks in quietly: when you don't feel how time passes, when you feel alive, when your contribution makes sense.

What skills do you think will be key in the next 10 years?

From an HR business perspective, we can list a number of key skills for the next 10 years - from emotional intelligence, through adaptability and resilience, to technological literacy.

But I want to draw attention to some key skills that I believe are particularly important for our country and society during this period. In my opinion, these key competencies include: engagement, alertness, and combativeness - intolerance towards the bad, the unjust, and the inhumane; courage and critical thinking - truly critical.

Additionally, skills such as responsibility and civic engagement are extremely important,  a sense of personal responsibility towards the common good. Another important aspect is the skills for collaboration and building trust.

How to build a network of useful contacts without appearing interested?

By being genuinely uninterested, but simply connecting as a person to a person.

What is the biggest mistake you have made in your career, and what did you learn from it?

Aside from the usual human and operational mistakes, I can't point to anything I would call a “big mistake” in career terms. There have been moments when I made bold and risky decisions, but I don't perceive them as mistakes, quite the opposite. It is precisely those that taught me the most and led me to my most significant professional moments.

How to recognize a toxic work environment and when is it time to leave?

When the cost of staying is higher than that of leaving - you already know the answer. A toxic environment does not change by gritting your teeth. It changes by choosing healthier ground for yourself.

You don't need to be an expert in organizational behavior to recognize a toxic work environment - your body will signal you. If you feel constant pressure, fear of mistakes, lack of trust, unclear communication, and systematic disregard for personal boundaries - these are serious red flags.
A toxic environment can look many ways: when your efforts are not recognized, and criticism is frequent, personal, and destructive; when there is favoritism, intrigue, or a culture of “survival” instead of collaboration. When feedback is punishment rather than an invitation for development. When humanity is lacking in the attitude, in the pace, in the language, in the expectations. When politicking is prevalent and involves manipulation and power games.
It is time to leave when your presence there starts to cost your integrity, health, or self-respect. And to remember that leaving is not a failure - sometimes it is an act of maturity and self-care.

The opposite of a toxic work environment is not to be pampered and to be balanced and zen all the time. The opposite is an environment where there is clarity, respect, gratitude, open communication and support - where we can be real, make mistakes, and learn without fear.

What would you do differently if you could start over?

Nothing.

I believe that every step has had its place. Instead of looking back, I prefer to look forward: What can I do differently today? And is there even a need for change at this moment?

How to maintain our motivation in times of stagnation?

Motivation is not constant and that is completely normal. It is important to get to know ourselves and understand what motivation means for us: what drives us, where it comes from – from ourselves or from external factors, how we can consciously work with this information.
In times of stagnation, it often helps to change perspective: to do something different, to give ourselves a little space, to talk to someone, or just to remind ourselves why we started on this path in the first place.
Lately, there has been a lot of talk about motivation versus discipline – and rightly so. Discipline is what drives us forward even when motivation has temporarily taken a day off.

How to achieve a balance between professional and personal life?

We are opening a big topic here. For some people, “balance” does not exist, for others it is of utmost importance. As someone who has studied the topic academically and read dozens of publications on it, I could easily write a thesis – but I won’t get into philosophies. 😊
I believe that in order to achieve anything, we first need to define it. What does “work-life balance” mean for me personally? Is it working from 8 to 5? More time with loved ones? More freedom?
A clear, personal, and honest definition is necessary. Then comes the next question: why am I seeking this balance? What are my priorities? Am I living in accordance with them?
It is also important to realize the cost I will have to pay to achieve what I want and to ask myself: can I and do I want to pay it?
What will I say “no” to and what will I say “yes” to, in order to get closer to my personal idea of balance, if I am even seeking it.

In short – in my opinion, there is no universal formula for achieving balance. Personally, I see it more as cyclicality and stages of life, not so much as balance, and work for me is part of life and very personal.

When is it time to change our career, not just the job?

Changing careers is an invitation to a new beginning, not just an escape from dissatisfaction. It is probably time for such a change when you not only dislike your current job, but the entire direction and values associated with your professional path. When what you do no longer inspires you, does not stimulate your development, and does not align with your goals, dreams, and overall vision of how you can be useful to others.

If you had to give just one piece of advice to people seeking success, what would it be?

Just one piece of advice – before you seek success, define what success means for you.

Here is a sample option:

Take a blank sheet and a pen. Draw a straight horizontal line down the middle of the sheet. At the top of the sheet (above the straight line), write everything you DO NOT want. At the bottom of the sheet (below the straight line), write everything you WANT. Now flip the sheet over and describe in as much detail as possible what success looks like for you. Now you can take action.

What is Your definition of a “successful career”?

For me, a successful career is one that you have built yourself - with hard work, choices, and persistence, without waiting for someone else to develop you or present you with opportunities. Success is not a title or applause, but the feeling that you are in your place and moving in a direction you have consciously chosen.