ClujLife is the place where you can find information about the happenings of Cluj-Napoca, about all the cool places in town and also, interesting articles which might keep you reading for hours.
ClujLife is a website which was created 11 years ago and since then, it became the local advisor of many people. It’s like a friend who hangs out in awesome places all the time and then, when you are meeting to catch up at a cup of coffee, he tells you what you have missed, what you should try next in terms of restaurants and coffee places and which are the future events you have to attend. You just have to check the website and follow the page on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to speed with the latest news.
ClujLife has recently celebrated its 11 year anniversary with a cool party at Booha Bar. If you missed it, the next event organized by them is CLUJLIFE COMMUNITY CONFERENCE #5, where the owners and managers of restaurants, event planners, promoters, Social Media & Community managers and many others meet with the people of Cluj-Napoca to talk about their city, to share ideas, to make the city even greater than it is now. The event will take place on the 2nd of February and everybody is invited.
After you check the website you might find yourself asking “Who has the time to go to all these places, to drink and eat, to party and write articles about it?” and you will find afterwards that “There are at least 20 people working for this company.”
I talked with Ecaterina Trincă, a former graduate from FSPAC’s (Facultatea de Științe Politice, Administrative si ale Comunicării) Communication and Public Relations department who is currently studying a master’s degree in Journalism. She is one of the people behind ClujLife and she shared her experience as a student at FSPAC and also, as a storyteller and blogger.
I am also studying Journalism at FSPAC and when I was in the first year I kept asking myself what I am going to do after I finish this university, because everyone (I mean, not everyone, but so many people) thinks that this industry is dead and the problem is that they also say it outloud. I was disappointed, even though I liked the courses and I felt like I learned so much from them. It was the summer before the second year and I had a lot of free time to overthink this problem till one day, when I was scrolling on Facebook, one article from ClujLife caught my attention. It was written by Ecaterina who is a storyteller and a blogger or, as some would call it, a content creator. Storyteller… It sounded so good and it still does. If you are studying at this faculty and think that you would probably do something totally different after you graduate because there are not many opportunities in this field, I have to disagree.
You will have the necessary skills to work in Communication and Public Relations and his field provides a wide range of opportunities. You will acknowledge information in numerous domains. You might work in a newsroom or become a reporter, but you could also work as a graphic designer, as a HR and PR specialist, video producer, event planner, social media specialist or storyteller. The possibilities are unlimited.
“They shouldn’t stay between the university’s walls, because the experience is what matters.” said Ecaterina. She also added that she had some professors who challenged them to do projects which stimulated their creativity and contributed to their experience. She believes that the syllabus should be changed, because there are courses which could attract the students, but those are scheduled for third year when the enthusiasm of the students has decreased. It was the third year when they had a course on social media and due to the fact that she previously worked in that field, she felt like there wasn’t anything left to learn from the course.
There are professors who encourage the students to go out and learn, to get a job, but others say that university should come first and then the job. “I don’t think so, I think that there is a wave, a wave you have to catch, a wave of creativity…and the creativity will slowly fade throughout the years. You won’t be as creative at 24, when you finish your studies and you feel tired, as you are when you are 20. You will apply for a job and your competition is a student, who is a bit less tired and who comes up with a brilliant idea. Will you feel satisfied that you attended all of the courses and you have learned how to write a press release? That’s the only thing I learned and I have used at the my job.”
She proclaims herself as a big fan of the principle “You better stay in bed if you feel like it, there are days when you simply can’t be productive.” And the job she has at ClujLife gives her the chance to live by this principle.
“I had a few other jobs before this one, I also went to interviews and I was rejected.” It’s not the end of the world to try and fail, to be rejected. If you want to get somewhere, to get your dream job, you have to try, to set goals and to work hard. Such a cliche, I bet you heard that a hundred times, but it’s true.
One of the questions many of us have is “Am I prepared to work? Do I have the necessary skills and knowledge to apply for that job?” And the answer is that you have to know your qualities, to know what you are able to do and to know what are your skills.
“When I applied for a job at ClujLife I knew that it wasn’t an unknown territory for me. I knew my duties, but I was afraid to disappoint the owner, Gabriel.”
Gabriel Aldea was a student when he created ClujLife, 11 years ago. “He wanted to go out and he was searching on the internet for something to do. He couldn’t find anything so he decided to make this website.”
Ecaterina Trinca and Gabriel Aldea are some of the people who didn’t settle, who wanted more. Next time you have a dream, work for it, be dedicated to your goals. Even if you are studying something which is considered to be “irrelevant” or even if the people around you, your friends, your parents say “You won’t find a job. Be more practical. It’s money that matters.” don’t believe them. Wait till you find your purpose, till you find that “something” which sounds good for you.
Be prepared to catch the next wave.