Interview by Biser Kunchev for the WorkTalent platform with one of the founders of the Sharena Zadruga association - Rositsa Mutafchieva.
"Career Barometer" is a section of the job and internship platform WorkTalent, which presents the career experiences of people from different business industries. We are grateful to its founder Biser Kunchev for inviting the main inspirer of the idea of creating the International Educational Complex for Culinary Arts and Traditional Crafts "Sharena Fabrika" – Rositsa Mutafchieva.
We are sharing a small part of the material, and you can read the entire interview on the platform's website. HERE.
Which events and specific people leave the biggest mark on our career development?
The most difficult moments, the most challenging events, and the most colorful and strong people are the ones that mark us.
It is clear that a person learns from his mistakes, but what is the most appropriate reaction after making one?
I definitely believe in mistakes! They are incredibly important and we shouldn't be afraid of them. For me, a basic rule has always been to admit a mistake to myself and everyone involved the moment I realize it. This way, I instantly take the next steps – first, criticism, which is one of the most valuable tools on the path to personal and professional development, and second, reviewing and rearranging goals, limits, and priorities.
What is the role of family in our career development? Should we follow our parents' advice?
Family is a refuge, comfort and warmth. It is strength, courage and inspiration. It could also be pain, weakness and disappointment. How could it not have a role in the development of each of us?! Family plays a huge role, both personally and professionally for each of us! Families are very diverse and are almost never perfect. In fact, very often, children from non-traditional and rather broken families achieve impressive results professionally. Perhaps because they choose to take mostly the positive from the situation in which they grew up, namely the opportunity to be better and go further. Perhaps because they realized very early on what it costs to be responsible and fight for yourself.
I personally grew up in an exceptional family of loving and supportive parents. I was allowed and encouraged to be bold and different. I was surrounded by a wide variety of people. My parents were friends with many musicians and artists – colorful, artistic and free-spirited people. However, they themselves are engineers and architects and accordingly value precision, structure and detail. For them, being hardworking, daring and respecting people's efforts are cherished values. Perhaps it was this mix that gave me a good boost and example in life.
And to specifically answer your question, I think it's very important to listen to our parents' advice! However, it's equally important to make our own decisions and never follow anyone, even when we're actually going in the same direction as the crowd.
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In April, Free Europe also published an original article dedicated to our initiative with the title: "It just glowed." Rositsa, Yuri and Anna, who created two schools in the village of Golyama ZhelyaznaYou can see the entire post here. HERE.
