When itaa‚¬a„¢s time to give up the day job

Bradut Florescu (in picture) is a name with resonance among Romanian advertisers, since his CV includes positions at some of the top companies and agencies across Bucharest. However, he started gaining more and more media attention once he traded the urban jungle of the Romanian capital for the untouched wilderness of far-away paradises on earth, such as Thailand.

Corina Dumitrescu

When Florescu left, he was first thought to have taken a sabbatical. But the sabbatical slowly but surely turned into a dramatic career change, as he went from full-time advertiser and occasional travel aficionado to 24/7 travel journalist. What persuaded Florescu to make the switch?

“A trip produced my de-click. I was in Borneo, in a jungle village, with the Iban people (a sub-group of the better known ethnic group Dayak). Those people lived far away from civilization, but had everything they needed. They did everything by hand. And then I realized two things: first of all, if I were cast away on a remote island, my background in advertising would not mean anything. Second of all, my work as an advertiser brought no real value; it did not help improve the world. A 30-second ad, broadcast for 30 days, was all I could put on the table.”

Travel journalism had been a passion of Florescu’s for a long time. He started independent tourism website amazingrace.ro in 2007 (recently upgraded into tedoo.ro), a site in which he invested “400,000 kilometers, by plane, car, boat and foot. Ten times around the world across the Equator.

The cost was not to be overlooked either: EUR 150,000 invested in trips and in equipment”, says Florescu whose portfolio includes some of the world’s most exotic destinations. Another project of his, thailander.ro, a virtual guidebook for the visitor to Thailand, will also feature an English version, to reach non-Romanians. Florescu highlights the differences between the job of an advertiser and that of a journalist. “The satisfactions are of a completely different nature. I am glad when I receive messages from the Romanians who went to the places I suggested, I am glad when they ask for details about a highlighted destination, I gladly respond when they need help deciding upon their itinerary. It is a completely different satisfaction than in advertising: it is the fulfillment of a well done activity that, in its turn, brings good to someone else.”

Turning an apparent sabbatical into a new career is not so uncommon and might bring unexpected positive results, says Cristina Pasat, general manager at local HR company Professional. “A sabbatical year often helps clarify personal expectations of work in general or a specific job, (…) and can often lead to a complete professional reorientation.”

When asked for a piece of advice for younger people seeking a profession to match their vocation, Florescu says, “I think that the problem lies not in doing what you like, but in finding out what you like. A college graduate has too few landmarks, models and choices.”.

corina.dumitrescu@business-review.ro