Tag: work

My office window

The latest theme for Flickr blog is called “my office window“.  There are some nice photos, as always, but what’s more interesting is that it is quite an engaging subject.  Pretty much everyone who ever worked somewhere can participate, share photos, and discuss.

For me personally, the last few years weren’t very lucky in terms of a good office window view.  I currently work in the premises which are on a busy Omonia avenue, which runs between the new port of Limassol and the highway.  Not too much to see.  My previous office was even worse – it had no windows at all.  The office before that had some windows, but the view wasn’t any good.  And so and so forth.  But I don’t feel bad about that. Because for six years or so I had the best office window ever.  It was during my time in PrimeTel, where I had a sea view window. I especially enjoyed it when I was working night shifts.   I had to see a sun rise several times a week!  And also PrimeTel’s office being next to the new port of Limassol, there were always ships to provide some focus and highlight to the view, not just sun and water, which I guess would have become boring pretty soon.  Here is one of the many pictures I took during those mornings.

What about you guys?  What’s you office window like? Do you have one? What’s the view like?  What was the best (or worst) office window you ever head?  Got any pictures to see?

Joined Tototheo Group of Companies

I’ve been working on a whole lot of side projects since I parted ways with my last employer – FxPro.  I was looking for a new job too, but I wasn’t in a hurry.  After all, a long vacation was one of the things that I needed for some time now.

Today I’m glad to let you all guys know that I found a new job.  I joined Tototheo Group of Companies.  I know the owner for a few years now and I’ve also worked with most of the guys in the IT team before.

Tototheo Group is in the shipping industry.   They provide a number of services, most interesting of which are around communications.  It is a very interesting time for technology in shipping – a switch from analogue communications to digital – and I am excited to join the party just in time for all the major fun.

Minimum salary in Cyprus

Living and working in Cyprus, I am often asked by people from other countries what are salaries like in Cyprus.  I never had a good answer to the question, because the answer depends a lot on the company you’ll be working for and your position.  Even the range for the same position across different companies can vary 3-4 times easily.

Cyprus Mail reports that the government had decided to increase the minimum wage (salary).  Gladly, the article provides a reference for average salary across the island.

THE MINIMUM wage is being increased to €887 from €840 effective from Thursday, the Labour Advisory Committee announced yesterday. Final approval for the 5.6 per cent increase, which will bring the minimum wage to 50 per cent of the average national wage, rests with the Cabinet.

So, this means that the while the minimum wage will now be €887, the average is twice that much – €1774.  That’s good to know.  Now I have an a better answer for all those people who are asking.

Parting ways with FxPro

Today was my last day with FxPro Financial Services Ltd.   Looking back at how much I’ve learned and at how much the company changed during my time there, it’s really difficult to believe that I was there for only two years.  In that time, the IT infrastructure was totally redesigned, several major versions of the corporate web site were launched, MyFx.Pro was developed from scratch and much improved over hundreds of iterrations, the company moved into a new (and bigger) office, and the staff grew in numbers.  While internal changes are not always visible to the outside world, an accumulated effect is rather obvious – the company is now well established, known, and respected in the industry.

For me, this work was personal.  And how it couldn’t have been?  During the last two years I enjoyed working with and learning from a lot from a number of people.  Each and every one of them left a trace in both my personal character and professional career.  And for that I’m thankful.

As much as I enjoyed working at FxPro, now is the time to part our ways.  I wish good luck and all the best to the company as a whole, as well as to everyone individually.   It was a blast!  Thank you.