13 Years of Office Depot – Interview with Rares Albus

About Rares  

I am a Credit Controller for the France Contract team. To be concise, my main responsibilities are to check the clients’ accounts and contact them for the payment of their invoices. Also, I oversee the validation of their orders, following the Office Depot procedures. I’ve been in OD since February 2019, and I can say that I’ve experienced a fast-ascending journey. After the first 2-3 months, I was able to know my way around the tools and processes that we use, but there are always new things to learn every day and I know there are many interesting things to come.  
  

First day at Office Depot  

What I fondly remember about my first day is that a colleague came to welcome me and introduced me to my new team. I was impressed with their warm welcome and I received all the support I needed to set everything up.  As it is with all beginnings, I was a little nervous, but my colleagues put me at ease with their friendly approach and openness. After the proper introductions were made, we went to lunch together and all the nervousness went away. 

People of Office Depot are… 

It’s a simple question, but I can think of so many answers. I will limit myself to this: smart, inventive, friendly, and determined. 
  

Growing Stronger Together  

During the training sessions I took part in, I was able to evolve, not only skill-wise but on a personal level as well. For example, during the time management course, I have remembered some valuable principles that should be used in our daily life. I had the chance to participate in numerous trainings offered by Office Depot, from Excel courses to SAP, French lessons, and more, and I took advantage of all the improvement opportunities that came my way. 
 
We are lucky to have skilled and patient teachers and colleagues, who will happily teach you the essentials for your daily job. As I said before, we are still learning new things every day. 
 

Advice for those who want to join our team  

A piece of advice for those interested to join us is to be curious, to ask questions, and to participate in any course or activity that pops up at Office Depot. It is worth doing that because you get to learn, to meet new people and develop your social skills.  

Never regret trying and don’t beat yourself up if you made a mistake, as there are always solutions to anything. You also need a lot of patience. Sometimes it may seem you are falling behind at work, but everything can be solved if you organize your time and your tasks a little better. It’s up to you.