Never do business with dishonest people

Introduce yourself in a few words…

My name is Viktor Papazov. Economist. Founder of Bulgarian Stock Exchange AD and co-founder of Central Depository AD. I have two degrees from VII "Karl Marx", now UNSS. I graduated from Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School, as well as many other courses and specializations around the world. In 1998, I was nominated as one of the 100 Global Leaders of Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum in Davos.

 

How would you describe your career in a few words?

I believe it has been successful. Most of the things I have created and done turned out to be lasting and still exist. Most importantly, I do not regret anything I have done in my professional life.

 

What was the most important choice that shaped your path?

I am not sure there is a most important choice. In a person's life, you have to make numerous choices, and sometimes small and insignificant choices turn out to have enormous significance later on.

 

What would you like to know at the beginning of your career, but no one told you?

Perhaps the most important thing you need to know is that the world is constantly changing. The time when you start a job and retire with it is long gone. Life is full of twists that cannot be predicted.

People tend to extrapolate good things into the future, and life has a different logic. Someone once said: “Life is what happens while you are making other plans.” So try to prepare for the changes that inevitably come, i.e., work and learn new and different things.

 

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

This is relatively simple. If the profession makes them happy and they go to work or do their job with pleasure, and not just for the money, it means that this profession is suitable for them.

 

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

The key skill will be the ability for independent and critical thinking. This has always been of utmost importance. Doing what everyone else does condemns you to mediocrity. Of course, sometimes it is very difficult to go against the tide. And to think independently, you need to read a lot. Books, not some short texts on electronic communication channels.

 

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

There is no way to build a network of contacts if we are not interested in the people with whom we build them. You need to be interesting to the other party. And that means being of benefit to others. They need to value you. You need to learn to give. If we try to build contacts because we have something to gain from someone, it will soon become apparent that we are users.

 

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

Probably the biggest mistake is to start doing business with scoundrels and thieves, i.e., with dishonest people. A person should never entrust important things to unverified people.

 

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

If you go to work unwillingly, if it weighs on you, it is obvious that the environment is toxic. Under these circumstances, the sooner, the better, as long as you can afford it, because many people cannot afford the luxury of leaving, because they have no alternative, because they are pressed by circumstances. Usually, this is financial dependence. Debts are the strongest shackles.

 

What would you do differently if you could start over?

I would read even more books and be less lazy. J

 

How to maintain our motivation in times of stagnation?

If something is stagnant, we first need to assess what the reason is. Then we need to start changing ourselves. People easily get used to circumstances and it is hard to find the strength to change ourselves. It takes will and concentration on important things.

 

How to achieve a balance between professional and personal life?

It is very individual. Everyone decides for themselves.

 

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

Probably when we see that we have hit a dead end or when what we do instead of bringing us joy weighs on us.

 

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

First, they need to clearly define what success means to them. Second, they should try to imagine that they have already achieved it and honestly assess whether achieving that success makes them happy? Very often we imagine that success is something material, and when we achieve it, it turns out that it is not. Something like cotton candy. If you have eaten something like that at fairs. Cotton candy is big, but when you take a bite, there is nothing left in your mouth but air and a feeling of weakness.

 

What is your definition of a “successful career”?

The success of a career can only be judged at its end, and when you look back and feel satisfied and proud of what you have done.