Foreigners clients are often impressed with how diverse, hard-working and dynamic our team is. And we believe it is our main key to success and enjoy the work we do. In this interview, Foreigners HR Coordinator Petra Moravčíková shares why she has chosen Foreigners and what helps her to stay efficient and optimistic.
To begin with, how long have you been working at Foreigners and what are your job responsibilities mainly?
I began my path at Foreigners last year in June so it has been almost a year since then. However, I have an inner feeling that I have been here for a much longer time… and a lot of my colleagues feel the same way about me:) It kind of reminds me of that miraculous life situation when you get to know to someone who you have never met before, but it feels like you have known this person for years.
When I was in the life phase of actively looking for new work opportunities, I found Foreigners advertisement and was really astonished by the company’s mission, its culture and friendly team atmosphere. I felt that I wanted to be a part of it.
As for my work duties, I am the assistant of the Foreigners’ CFO Vojta and CEO Andrea. I am responsible for the company internal events organization. And I do HR support – basically, I am the first person whom the job applicants meet when they apply for a job position either in our Brno or Prague offices.
I believe that the most interesting and responsible part of my job is to assist our CFO Vojta with our new development project Šmeralka. We are currently finishing the whole building’s reconstruction and 19 absolutely stunning new apartments will be handed over to their new owners very soon.
That sounds really exciting! What else do you enjoy about your job?
Well, I love my job because my responsibilities are very diverse and, of course, I am thankful for such great people I am surrounded by at work.
Is your job stressful? How do you deal with the stress, if so?
It is not a secret that sometimes I am stressed out at work, but here I learned a lot about how to deal with it. Foreigners take great care of personal development and are always here to help and support all the team members. For example, I learned a lot of very useful tips on time management and workday organization from our CEO Andrea and my colleague Alena. My favorite tip is making an efficient “to do” list at the very beginning of the day.
Do you have any fun memories that have ever happened at work?
With such a lovely team there is always something fun going on in the office. Also, I enjoy our Summer and Winter Sessions when the whole Foreigners team gets together from all our Czech offices – Brno, Prague, Olomouc, Hradec Králové, Pilsen. Another awesome memory I have is the Better Self, Better World conference dedicated to the 10th anniversary of Foreigners company. It made me realize what a great community I am a part of.
What about your free time? Do you have any hobbies?
I am a big dance lover – salsa, bachata and kizomba are my favorite ones. Generally, I enjoy any type of movement activities – I do sports, play beach volleyball, go rollerblading in summer.
Reading is one of my passions, too – when I was a little girl I used to read from the very morning till midnight. Now, unfortunately, I don’t have that much free time, but I still find some time for that. The last book I have read was The monk who sold his Ferrari by Robin Sharma. This book makes you think over your whole life and gives a lot of interesting and wise thoughts. One of my favorites is: “Today is the day and this is the time.” – I feel like it is a big problem in the society nowadays. People are chasing something all the time and don’t value the importance of the present moment. Now, I am planning to read Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life. I like Czech authors too, for example, Patrik Hartl.
I also enjoy spending time with my family and friends, traveling together and discovering new places.
So you are a traveler? Do you have a special place where you want to come back?
It always feels so nice to come back to places I know from my childhood, visit my grandparents in Jeseníky mountains or Kroměříž – my hometown. It is a very small and pretty town belonging to the UNESCO heritage site, so I would recommend visiting it.
Lately, my friends and I were planning to go for a short trip close to Adršpach rocks to spend some time in nature and get some rest from the city rush. But unfortunately, due to the current situation with coronavirus, it was canceled.
Getting back to the work topic, how do you handle the quarantine? Is it hard for you to work from home?
Well, I think I do a big mistake every day when I start working while having breakfast and then just in the afternoon realize that I am still in my pajamas 😀 Otherwise, I am working the same way as if I were in the office. But of course I miss my colleagues… Nowadays, the situation in Czechia and the whole world is not pleasant for anyone, and it is not just about working from home. I really hope it will change soon the same as all people do.
Do you have plans regarding your work career?
Career growth is an extremely important aspect of my life, so I want to develop my professional and personal skills all the time. The company is growing fast, new people are joining our team and we expect big successful projects in the future. Of course, it also brings a lot of work and effort, but at the same time, it is a unique opportunity to learn new competences.
Could you share with us your main life values? Do you think they have changed compared to the times when you were at university?
When I was studying at the university I had different goals, so as my values. But I am still a very positive-minded person and I always appreciate people and things I am surrounded with.
What do success and happiness mean to you?
Feelings of happiness and success are very subjective and individual. Everyone can perceive and reflect it in a different way. If the person is successful it does not necessarily mean that they are happy and satisfied. It is important to find a balance.
When you do something that fulfills their mind and soul with joy and pleasure, when you are successful in what you do and surrounded by people who you love and who love you back… this is what happiness means to me and this is one of my main life goals.
Last but not least, do you have any advice or tips for the new interns enrolling in the Foreigners team?
Of course! Foreigners is like a new train – running at high speed and in the beginning it might seem hard to catch it. It takes time to hop on but it is definitely worth it and you will only have positive memories from such a great ride:)
To get to know our team even better, read the interview with our wonderful Relocation Consultant Ha Emily!
We have an open PR & Marketing position for this summer! Are you a public relations, social media and digital trends enthusiast? Send your CV and motivation letter to jobs@foreigners.cz with “EWP Intern” subject. Petra will be the first person you get in touch with!
Image source: Petra’s archive
