It could just as well be otherwise

Barbara Pastorelli from Generali Insurance Asset Management S.p.A. Società di Gestione Risparmio
Sometimes I wonder how my life would look like if I didn’t join Generali. Three years have passed since my job interview. Some details of that day are starting to fade, but one thing I remember vividly: it took less than 10 minutes to realize I wanted to be a part of it (while I would like to forget the part when I broke the pen I had in my hand for the anxiety and a piece of it flew through the room).

After three years I still feel like I’m at the beginning of the journey. Of course, the new joiner’s hype is over, but let me tell you this: for the last week I’ve been working remotely from a beautiful place where I’m staying with my family and one day my mother asked me how come I never get upset while working and actually seem to have a lot of fun. Of course my mother doesn’t know anything about the long nights spent in front of blurring numbers in intricated excel spreadsheets, seemingly impossible accounting reconciliations and hundreds-page financial statements, but she was right, I enjoy doing what I do.

Believe me when I say being a credit analyst was not exactly my dream job when I was little (it was, in order of preference: 1) studying starfishes and dolphins, 2) becoming a writer or 3) a professional harp player) and yet, although from time to time I could encounter hard challenges, short deadlines, Friday night requests, satisfaction outweighs difficulties most of the times.

In the end are the people surrounding you that mark the difference between a good job and a great job. In other words, rephrasing a Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins quote: it’s not your job title, but what you do that defines you. It’s not just the recognition of working for a prestigious brand or the highly professional and yet smart and friendly working environment making me feel grateful for being part of the Generali family. There are moments, lots of moments actually, when I felt inspired and empowered by what Generali people gave me. It is the difference we can make as an organization to make this world a bit better that drives me and makes me proud.

Inspiring moments are countless. There was that time when the chairman of this small Italian company thanked me for the support Generali had given to its family business, that time when I was encouraged to be more aspirational, when I proudly told my environmentally-conscious friend that Generali would not have insured a coal-fired plant anymore because not in line with our coal policy, the many, many times when I learnt something new from talented colleagues.

So, three years have passed. What if I didn’t returned that message at that time. What if I were too scared to change or didn’t put enough effort to get the job. Well, I guess it could just as well be otherwise, but I would have missed all those moments; all these people.

It could just as well be otherwise

Sometimes I wonder how my life would look like if I didn’t join Generali. Three years have passed since my job interview. Some details of that day are starting to fade, but one thing I remember vividly: it took less than 10 minutes to realize I wanted to be a part of it (while I would like to forget the part when I broke the pen I had in my hand for the anxiety and a piece of it flew through the room).

After three years I still feel like I’m at the beginning of the journey. Of course, the new joiner’s hype is over, but let me tell you this: for the last week I’ve been working remotely from a beautiful place where I’m staying with my family and one day my mother asked me how come I never get upset while working and actually seem to have a lot of fun. Of course my mother doesn’t know anything about the long nights spent in front of blurring numbers in intricated excel spreadsheets, seemingly impossible accounting reconciliations and hundreds-page financial statements, but she was right, I enjoy doing what I do.

Believe me when I say being a credit analyst was not exactly my dream job when I was little (it was, in order of preference: 1) studying starfishes and dolphins, 2) becoming a writer or 3) a professional harp player) and yet, although from time to time I could encounter hard challenges, short deadlines, Friday night requests, satisfaction outweighs difficulties most of the times.

In the end are the people surrounding you that mark the difference between a good job and a great job. In other words, rephrasing a Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins quote: it’s not your job title, but what you do that defines you. It’s not just the recognition of working for a prestigious brand or the highly professional and yet smart and friendly working environment making me feel grateful for being part of the Generali family. There are moments, lots of moments actually, when I felt inspired and empowered by what Generali people gave me. It is the difference we can make as an organization to make this world a bit better that drives me and makes me proud.

Inspiring moments are countless. There was that time when the chairman of this small Italian company thanked me for the support Generali had given to its family business, that time when I was encouraged to be more aspirational, when I proudly told my environmentally-conscious friend that Generali would not have insured a coal-fired plant anymore because not in line with our coal policy, the many, many times when I learnt something new from talented colleagues.

So, three years have passed. What if I didn’t returned that message at that time. What if I were too scared to change or didn’t put enough effort to get the job. Well, I guess it could just as well be otherwise, but I would have missed all those moments; all these people.