Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to be surrounded by capable and inspiring colleagues who believed in me and encouraged my growth both as a professional and as an individual. The trust they placed in me enabled my journey from a contractor working on community support and integration to a programme professional, eventually moving into roles with progressive responsibilities.

Multidisciplinarity has been central to both my academic and professional life. I began my journey with a PhD in multicultural citizenship, deeply rooted in political theory with abstract concepts yet oriented toward practical applications. From there, I joined the Protection Unit of UNHCR in Cyprus, focusing on community services and integration. My interactions with forcibly displaced persons—meeting them in their homes and communities—were transformative, shaping me both personally and professionally. During the 2015 emergency, I briefly joined the Borders Team of the Greek office, supporting coordination efforts as the Greek islands faced an influx of thousands of refugees. Shortly thereafter, a programme management position opened in the Cyprus office. I progressed from a G5 to a G6, and eventually to an NOA level, the sole Programme Officer of the office, also leading a team of Admin, Finance, and Information Management colleagues.

As my confidence grew in my role, I began to realise that I had moved away from my initial passion: working directly with forcibly displaced people in the Protection Unit, engaging in advocacy, and collaborating with refugee communities, governmental counterparts, monitoring bodies, and civil society organisations. Although I felt secure in my programme role, which primarily involved operations, there seemed to be little opportunity for a career shift. This changed a few months ago when a colleague’s departure left a vacancy in the Protection Unit.

I knew the competition for the position would be intense, as many knowledgeable colleagues would also pursue this opportunity. From my experience on recruitment panels, I knew the selection process would be rigorous, consisting of a competency-based interview preceded by a challenging technical test, graded anonymously by multiple assessors. I had only a few months to prepare, so I immersed myself in studying international conventions, European directives, local legislation, and all I could find about the new EU Pact on Migration and Asylum. I studied harder than I ever have, even more than during my bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral studies. My personal life took a back seat, and my wife became my pillar of support, taking care of our children, home, and even me, giving me the time, space, and peace of mind to dedicate myself fully to my studies. Finding the dedication was not easy; I estimated my chances of success to be around 5%.

When the day of the test arrived, I had an hour and a half to complete the paper. I usually perform well under pressure, and although I wasn’t entirely satisfied with my answers, I knew I had given it my all. I felt relief, regardless of the outcome. I assumed someone else might have outperformed me, but I took pride in my effort and was just glad not to have embarrassed myself in front of those who had placed their trust in me over the years. That night, I slept soundly, content with having done my best. With this sense of fulfilment, I approached the interview the following day. Having been on the other side of the table before, I knew the importance of taking my time to think before answering. I left the interview feeling satisfied, confident in my performance, and knowing that the outcome would likely hinge on the test.

A few weeks later, I am delighted to share that I was offered and have accepted the position of Assistant Protection Officer. I am both humbled and excited by this new opportunity and eager to embark on a journey of learning and growth, with the hope of making a meaningful impact in the lives of the forcibly displaced persons we serve. Although I won’t properly begin my new duties until my replacement is in place, I am deeply grateful for this chance to return to the heart of the work that initially drew me to this field. I am especially thankful to my wife for her unwavering support throughout this process and remain committed to proving myself in this new role.