Do you remember your first day in the Company? How did you feel?
The first day I was enthusiastic, excited, and I remained with the thought of the electrical monofilar scheme of the entire platform. I was thinking: "Will I even be able to learn where all the electrical stations are located?!".


Did you have a mentor back then? Who inspired you at the beginning of the journey?
During the first three months, I had Mr. Ion Mustata by my side, as a mentor, who, at that time, held the role of Head of the Electrical Section. He guided my first steps at the Petromidia refinery. Little by little, I began to assimilate various professional knowledge and put into practice the information received both from the mentor and from more experienced colleagues such as electricians and workshop foremen.


What was your greatest career challenge and how did you overcome it?
Technically, there are daily challenges, but with active involvement, I think we can overcome most of them. The greatest achievement is the job position I have now: Power Distribution Manager.


In the department/unit you work, what is the greatest challenge at the moment?
At the moment, the greatest challenge is to finish the turnaround works and start up the units in safe conditions.


Name three values, skills, or rules needed to be successful in the field.
Seriousness, involvement, the desire to know and learn new things in any field.


What do you think is the secret ingredient for a successful mentor?
To listen to trainees' questions, answer them and allow them to contradict you when they want to, because that's how they gain confidence.


What are the values/skills you appreciate the most in Silviu?
Seriousness, willingness to learn and involvement in electrical stations activities.

Could you tell us briefly what made you apply to the Together We Grow – Rompetrol Traineeship program?
I applied to the Traineeship program in the summer of 2023 out of pure curiosity, setting off with the intention of discovering a new field of activity and meeting new people who can help me understand the company's field of activity as well as possible.


What was your biggest fear when you came into the company? How did you overcome it?
My biggest fear was that I started without having a very solid knowledge in the field I applied for. I found here understanding and a group of professional people from whom I could accumulate large volume of information.


How important is it to have a mentor early on, and what is the most important piece of advice you received from him?
The presence of a mentor at the beginning of the journey, and not only then, is crucial from my point of view, as it represents the first helping hand in this process of learning and deepening knowledge in the chosen professional field. The most important advice was to focus all my attention on deepening my knowledge, ignoring the negative aspects, called in non-academic dialect “background noise”.


What are the biggest challenges you are currently facing?
The biggest challenge now is the constant discovery of new things that make me understand this field at its best.


What skills or competencies would you like to develop more?
I would like to fill as many of the current information gaps as possible, both professionally and personally, and become a professional in my field of applied activity.


For better personal and professional development, what would you like mentor-trainee collaboration and communication to look like?
I consider that the most important thing is to have efficient communication and interaction always oriented towards deepening the information in the field of activity.


What values/skills do you appreciate most in your mentor?
I appreciate that his permanent involvement and the fact that he masters the professional field at a very high level, his job having no secret that he does not know.