It was a beautiful spring morning at the beginning of April 1996. After sorting out the usual office morning tasks, I was getting the news update through the “Albanian Daily News” newspaper, the only English newspaper in the country at that time. I occasionally read an interesting advertisement. Suddenly, towards the last pages, I saw that the UNICEF Office was looking to hire a Senior Secretary.
As a post-graduate student in Economics, I had only six months working as an Administrative Assistant, for a big well-known construction company at that time in Albania, “Al Kharafi” Group. But without hesitation, I decided to apply for the UNICEF job. The recruitment competition wasn’t easy. The labor market of a post-communist regime country was full of young people looking for employment.
After applying, I got interviewed, was successfully selected, and started my working life with UNICEF. And since May 1996, here I still am, working for UNICEF, completing my 25 years of experience with this great organization.
I started to tell you my story, and yet, I haven’t introduced myself. My name is Orieta Pilku. I work as Executive Assistant for the UNICEF Albania Country Office. I am married, and I live a beautiful life with my husband, Ilir, and my 15 years old son, Henri.
Amidst my personal and professional life, I consider myself a lucky person on both sides. I also get this nice feeling every time people ask me what I do. Once I proudly respond, “I work for UNICEF!” the immediate reaction is “Wow! You are so lucky!”. Indeed, I feel very lucky to be working for a humanitarian organization; an organization whose main mission is to protect the rights of the child and provide worldwide developmental aid to children; our future.
Once I joined UNICEF, I felt the difference in the working environment. The well-written manuals, clear guidance, protocols, very rich knowledge resources, great values, and principles that UNICEF carries as an organization, made me feel so comfortable in my new job. I am a quick learner and I adapted swiftly. My values, principles, and my passion to work with honesty and discretion, matched perfectly with the job requirements and skills of this position. I felt I was the right person in the right place. Since the very first days, I loved my job; and I still do.
Ever since I joined UNICEF, the presence of this organization has been crucial to my country. UNICEF’s contribution to the wellbeing of the most vulnerable children in Albania during these years is indelible. During my working experience, I have worked and lived through the challenges we faced as a team in the country, as well as have cherished joint achievements, and the great impact that UNICEF’s work has brought to the life of the Albanian children.
In fact, in my early beginnings at UNICEF, I was confronted with situations and challenges yet unknown to all local staff. The Civil War in 1997 sparked by the pyramid scheme failures in Albania soon after it transitioned to the market economy, and the Kosovo war in 1999 with the refugee inflows in the north of Albania, were two emergencies we had never faced before. These new situations demanded high-risk selfless work, requiring at the same time very cautious coordination in managing the human lives’ risk, as well as providing humanitarian assistance to the emergency in the country. Today, I remember all these facts, I feel very proud of the work that I, together with the UNICEF team have achieved altogether.
My initial title was Senior Secretary. Later, the title of my position was changed by the organization to a Senior Assistant and then to an Executive Assistant.
You may wonder, why I continued to stay in the same position and never tried something else. The career opportunities within UNICEF were never limited. But I preferred to grow up professionally in the same position. The reason for making this choice was, that every three to four years the office was having a new Representative, a new leadership; and myself a new supervisor.
Mastering the right and best skills in what I was doing, to me this change, was like I was starting a new job. Every time we had a new UNICEF Representative, I would have to deal with a new person, had to adapt to a new working style. At the same time, I also had the opportunity to learn great new things and experiences. All these have expanded and enriched my working knowledge.
My work with the UNICEF Representatives has been so dynamic that I often count it as a University itself based on their valuable experiences, high caliber, and best management models in other UNICEF Offices.
My first supervisor and UNICEF Representative who hired me as Senior Secretary in May 1996, was Dr. Gianfranco Rotigliano. Subsequently, I am sharing with you in order of their presence in the country, the names of other Representatives, that I have had the honor and the pleasure to be working with; Dr. Roberto Laurenti, Ms. Carrie Auer, Mr. Detlef Palm, Ms. Antonella Scolamiero, Dr. Ezio Gianni Murzi and currently Dr. Roberto De Bernardi. Each of them was different and unique in their personal and working style, personality, culture, knowledge, and professional experiences.
During my working experience, I had the opportunity to be working closely with the cabinets of Albanian Presidents, Prime Ministers, Ministers, very high national and international personalities, a broad range of Ambassadors; and have had the privilege to meet personally with many of these high-level personalities during the different UNICEF events organized in the country.
I have had the privilege to organize successful high-level country visits of the top level of UNICEF leaders, such as Executive Directors, Ms. Carol Bellamy during the Kosovo crisis and refugees and Ms. Ann Veneman, Regional Directors, Deputy Regional Directors, worldwide high-level Experts and Advisors, different teams of National Committees, etc.
All these experiences have allowed me to expand my official networks, build up excellent relationships and enrich my skills and professionalism.
Within the office, I have also had the pleasure of holding important roles and enjoyed the respect of my colleagues in appointing me as Office Ombudsperson, Member of the Local Staff Association in different mandates, and recently Chair of the Staff Association.
So, this is my working life with UNICEF. Even after a quarter of a century of working experience, I still work with the same passion, dedication, and inspiration, because for me no matter what position you hold, working for UNICEF is and will always remain a special privilege.
My last remarks may sound cliché. But after all, UNICEF is where I grew up personally and professionally; UNICEF for me is the place that I would call my second home.
As a post-graduate student in Economics, I had only six months working as an Administrative Assistant, for a big well-known construction company at that time in Albania, “Al Kharafi” Group. But without hesitation, I decided to apply for the UNICEF job. The recruitment competition wasn’t easy. The labor market of a post-communist regime country was full of young people looking for employment.
After applying, I got interviewed, was successfully selected, and started my working life with UNICEF. And since May 1996, here I still am, working for UNICEF, completing my 25 years of experience with this great organization.
I started to tell you my story, and yet, I haven’t introduced myself. My name is Orieta Pilku. I work as Executive Assistant for the UNICEF Albania Country Office. I am married, and I live a beautiful life with my husband, Ilir, and my 15 years old son, Henri.
Amidst my personal and professional life, I consider myself a lucky person on both sides. I also get this nice feeling every time people ask me what I do. Once I proudly respond, “I work for UNICEF!” the immediate reaction is “Wow! You are so lucky!”. Indeed, I feel very lucky to be working for a humanitarian organization; an organization whose main mission is to protect the rights of the child and provide worldwide developmental aid to children; our future.
Once I joined UNICEF, I felt the difference in the working environment. The well-written manuals, clear guidance, protocols, very rich knowledge resources, great values, and principles that UNICEF carries as an organization, made me feel so comfortable in my new job. I am a quick learner and I adapted swiftly. My values, principles, and my passion to work with honesty and discretion, matched perfectly with the job requirements and skills of this position. I felt I was the right person in the right place. Since the very first days, I loved my job; and I still do.
Ever since I joined UNICEF, the presence of this organization has been crucial to my country. UNICEF’s contribution to the wellbeing of the most vulnerable children in Albania during these years is indelible. During my working experience, I have worked and lived through the challenges we faced as a team in the country, as well as have cherished joint achievements, and the great impact that UNICEF’s work has brought to the life of the Albanian children.
In fact, in my early beginnings at UNICEF, I was confronted with situations and challenges yet unknown to all local staff. The Civil War in 1997 sparked by the pyramid scheme failures in Albania soon after it transitioned to the market economy, and the Kosovo war in 1999 with the refugee inflows in the north of Albania, were two emergencies we had never faced before. These new situations demanded high-risk selfless work, requiring at the same time very cautious coordination in managing the human lives’ risk, as well as providing humanitarian assistance to the emergency in the country. Today, I remember all these facts, I feel very proud of the work that I, together with the UNICEF team have achieved altogether.
My initial title was Senior Secretary. Later, the title of my position was changed by the organization to a Senior Assistant and then to an Executive Assistant.
You may wonder, why I continued to stay in the same position and never tried something else. The career opportunities within UNICEF were never limited. But I preferred to grow up professionally in the same position. The reason for making this choice was, that every three to four years the office was having a new Representative, a new leadership; and myself a new supervisor.
Mastering the right and best skills in what I was doing, to me this change, was like I was starting a new job. Every time we had a new UNICEF Representative, I would have to deal with a new person, had to adapt to a new working style. At the same time, I also had the opportunity to learn great new things and experiences. All these have expanded and enriched my working knowledge.
My work with the UNICEF Representatives has been so dynamic that I often count it as a University itself based on their valuable experiences, high caliber, and best management models in other UNICEF Offices.
My first supervisor and UNICEF Representative who hired me as Senior Secretary in May 1996, was Dr. Gianfranco Rotigliano. Subsequently, I am sharing with you in order of their presence in the country, the names of other Representatives, that I have had the honor and the pleasure to be working with; Dr. Roberto Laurenti, Ms. Carrie Auer, Mr. Detlef Palm, Ms. Antonella Scolamiero, Dr. Ezio Gianni Murzi and currently Dr. Roberto De Bernardi. Each of them was different and unique in their personal and working style, personality, culture, knowledge, and professional experiences.
During my working experience, I had the opportunity to be working closely with the cabinets of Albanian Presidents, Prime Ministers, Ministers, very high national and international personalities, a broad range of Ambassadors; and have had the privilege to meet personally with many of these high-level personalities during the different UNICEF events organized in the country.
I have had the privilege to organize successful high-level country visits of the top level of UNICEF leaders, such as Executive Directors, Ms. Carol Bellamy during the Kosovo crisis and refugees and Ms. Ann Veneman, Regional Directors, Deputy Regional Directors, worldwide high-level Experts and Advisors, different teams of National Committees, etc.
All these experiences have allowed me to expand my official networks, build up excellent relationships and enrich my skills and professionalism.
Within the office, I have also had the pleasure of holding important roles and enjoyed the respect of my colleagues in appointing me as Office Ombudsperson, Member of the Local Staff Association in different mandates, and recently Chair of the Staff Association.
So, this is my working life with UNICEF. Even after a quarter of a century of working experience, I still work with the same passion, dedication, and inspiration, because for me no matter what position you hold, working for UNICEF is and will always remain a special privilege.
My last remarks may sound cliché. But after all, UNICEF is where I grew up personally and professionally; UNICEF for me is the place that I would call my second home.
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