13 Years of Office Depot – Interview with Ioana Buzdugan

About Ioana 

I’m an Office Depot member since 2017, working as a Senior Credit Control Specialist, or, in other words, a debt collector, so basically I collect the money that our customers owe us. I chase money for a living, literally. 😊 

Office Depot journey 

The Office Depot journey, so far, has been both challenging and rewarding, but, you know what they say: “nothing worth having comes easy”, right? Office Depot invests in people, experiences, the company offers a large number of training sessions, to develop both your soft and hard skills. One thing that I’m really proud of is being offered the opportunity to be part of Harvard’s 9 months Leadership Academy program, which was a valuable learning experience. Office Depot has been my home away from home, my second school, my place for growth. 

First day at Office Depot 
I remember my first day, my first week, my first month. I remember that I was warmly welcomed by my team members, I was the baby of the team and never once felt that I shouldn’t’ be part of it, it just felt natural, it felt like it was meant to be. Also, it took me one month to memorize all the entrances, the conference rooms, I remember using the wrong doors, entrances, for almost the entire month. Visual memory and orientation are not my strongest assets (thank God, and Office Depot, that I could train my other assets), but man, there were so many doors… 🙂

People of Office Depot are… 

“Work hard, play harder”. The people of Office Depot are great at working and even better at partying and playing. We organize fun contests and throw great parties. 

Advice for those who want to join Office Depot 

For all newcomers: embrace the experience, work hard, learn fast, and be happy with what Office Depot has to offer. Make friends, be a team player, and take everything as it comes.