Could you describe your business and how it all started?
When I was in my second year at LCC, I started working at a similar company. Later I wrote a business plan for defense at LCC and established my company Soprana (now Soprana Personnel International). I had seen many things that I would have done differently and decided to give it a try. It was at the same time challenging and interesting to start everything on my own and life gave me many good lessons, not always pleasant, but all very valuable! Currently we have expanded to Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Netherlands and Lithuania. In foreign countries we recruit locals for technical vacancies, and in Lithuania we work with administration personnel. One of our last and most interesting contracts was to recruit a team of customer support managers for an aviation company. The candidates were complimenting us for the recruitment process - it was so strong that they felt as if they were being recruited for president‘s position and felt very serious about it. In general, I love my work as it is related to people and I perform many different tasks at the same time. This is the beauty of it.
What do you pay attention to first when you meet a candidate for a job?
Usually, I pay attention to the way the candidate communicates even before I meet him or her. It‘s all about the person‘s behavior: if the candidate really wants the job, he or she shows it by writing a message when sending a CV and contacting me to double-check if I have received it (as a rule these people get hired more often than the others). Personally, I prefer communicative candidates over the ones who just attach a CV without writing a single line. When the candidate comes for an interview, I note if he or she is sincere and open, also the language and such.
What essential qualities should employees show forth when they are selected for the job?
It is important to learn quickly, to take responsibility, to be self-motivated, to have no fear of communicating, and to know how to network. I would call such candidates "socially healthy" – people who are not afraid to pick up a phone and approach the clients, who are responsible in a sense of coming to work on time and not lying to the employer about being sick (meanwhile uploading photos of a party or a walk by the beach). The workers should also be polite and have a respectful and friendly attitude to their colleagues and to the employer. Of course, it depends from country to country. In Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and the Netherlands, the communication tone is different from Lithuanian companies, especially if the average age of the employees is higher. Languages are also extremely important. In some cases, a student who knows several languages very well is not even required to have special experience in the field.
How should one maintain a good relationship with the employer?
Never lie, be sincere and open. It always pays back. If you don‘t know something, say it and add that you‘ll come back when you‘ll find the answer. Responsible – it means that when you come to work, this time is not for browsing social networks or just reading information online (unless these are the tasks), but for working. This is one of the issues that managers deal with quite often. It is important to understand that employers are the humans with the same emotions as yours.
In a sense you are different because you hire many young people. What would be the argument in favor of hiring people without experience?
We strongly believe in young people and still remember what it feels like to have the first job - you think you know and you can do everything, but in reality, it might be much different! Also, young people are often differently motivated. We have so many great students from different countries who are so self-motivated to learn to work that it was hard for me to think of all the things I could teach them. When we have interns, I always ask them what it is that they really want to learn. If someone thinks of doing practicum just to get a grade, this is not the place. We‘re looking for people who would be passionate about business, about learning, and about getting a feel of the business world from the inside. We are keen on people who are ready not only to take, but also to share. I think sharing is the value of this age. It‘s always pleasant to hear back from our ex-interns who are now in their home countries or studying abroad. When they thank for the experience that they got here, it means that their time was spent well. It motivates to keep working with young people!
What is your advice to young people looking for a job and ready to go for the first job interview?
First of all, know why you are going there and what you can offer. Know the value that you can exchange with a company, what you are good at that can be useful if you work in this company. Working relationship is like a barter – company and employee trade their values, energies and outputs. Therefore, get to know yourself, take professional or career tests (when recruiting we use 2-3 types of tests to see where a person fits in business. If you take the test, you can use the results in your CV), and seek internships to see what your possibilities are. Don‘t forget to be polite and professional in your communication. It‘s also important to educate yourself in modern technologies, social marketing, sales, finance and other skills outside the classes. I believe finance and sales are essential parts of a company, therefore, companies will always be in need for these specialists.
You are an LCC graduate yourself. What did it teach you to be a successful business owner you are today? What do you miss most about the time spent at LCC?
I miss so many things of being at LCC. It‘s still like my second home. At LCC I gained confidence about knowledge in business – we had so many great professors and lecturers who shared their experience, not only theories. Studies in English gave me a huge advantage in the job market. And, of course, people, people, people! They are the most valuable asset not only for my company, but also in my life as a whole.
LCC International University – Challenging Minds. Changing Lives.
