Alena Jílková is our amazing Sales Support specialist. She is new in this position at Foreigners, and it is her first time in the sales market too. She is a working mom who perfectly balances between work and life. Recently, she has become the Employee of the Month: she has been working hard to achieve this goal!
Alena, can you tell us more about your work at Foreigners?
I am in a new position that I have never done before. It is a learning process for me, probably for the team as well. We are still setting it up. My task is to find apartments in Prague, contacts, owners, real estates with houses and flats that we could offer to our clients.
How long have you been in this position?
I’ve been working here since the end of July.
You are originally from Brno. How long have you been living in Prague?
I have been living in Prague since 2003, but before that, I attended some courses and visited friends in town.
Why did you decide to move to Prague?
In 2002, I was looking for a new job, either in Brno or Prague. Eventually, I found an occupation in the capital city so I moved here. I then met my partner, had children, developed friendships and strong bonds.
You said that this is a new position in the company. How did the recruitment process work?
I was looking for a job. My previous occupation was very stressful. I didn’t want to do it anymore. There were some changes in the job which made it difficult and I worked shifts. I wanted to do something new that would be more fulfilling, not just satisfying other people’s demands. First, I applied for the Relocation Consultant position because I used to work with expats. Having children, I was looking for a job where I could work partly from home. I asked Gabriela – Executive Director of the Prague office – if there was such a possibility. In return, she said I could apply for the Sales Support position which I have chosen because of its flexibility.
You’re a working mother. How do you keep the balance between your children and work?
Sometimes it is not so easy, I admit. But now my kids are older and quite responsible. I can rely on them. They listen to me when I ask them to do something. They can spend time alone at home when there is no one taking care of them. It is easier for me with this kind of work, for instance, today I will go home earlier and accomplish my tasks later in the evening when my children will be sleeping.
What do you like to do in your free time?
Well, I like watching movies at the cinema, but it does not happen often 🙂 When I am with my family I like to go out for a walk or for a trip but I prefer these activities only when there is a nice weather outside. If it is cold or rainy I have an alternative: my partner cooks very well so it is really nice when he is preparing some delicacies and we all sit around the table, eat, talk and spend time together.
Do you have any suggestion for expats having a family in Prague?
I like to go to Stromovka which is the biggest park in Prague. We live nearby. I enjoy going there whether I am alone, with my family or friends. It is marvelous to see the season changes there: if it is freezing in Winter you can skate, in summer you can swim. Also, I like going to the Bio Oko cinema. Again, it is close to where we live, in Prague 7. It also has a nice cafe so you do not necessarily need to go to the cinema. It is an old classical cinema which displays a converted Trabant car (children love it) among the seats so that a few lucky persons can sit inside of the car, having the drive-in feel while watching the movie. They also have a special movie program for children and there are some screenings where you can bring your dog with you.
Thank you, Alena, for this nice interview!
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Hi,
thank you very much for this beautiful comment! We really appreciate your kind words! And say hi to your cousin for us! 🙂
Kind regards,
Anna