Daniel Mohorovic
D. Mohorovic - Getting involved, overcoming scepticism
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Daniel is married and the father of three children. After completing a Master's degree in Communication Sciences and working for a multinational company, he decided to change his path, first undertaking an internship in a kindergarten and then a Bachelor's degree in Social Work.
What was the trigger for your interest in social work and the need to retrain?
Rather than a trigger - or a spark - I would speak of a long process of growth and maturity that, at the right time, prompted me to leave a road with few prospects and thus put myself on the line in a completely new and highly challenging field. It was not a decision I took lightly, but today, with hindsight and with my diploma in my pocket, I can say that I would do it all again.
Have you ever come across prejudices dictated by stereotypes that see your training as more suited to a female audience?
When I sat in the classroom, even at a glance it was obvious that female classmates were much more numerous than male ones, but I never actually encountered any real prejudices related to the type of education chosen. Instead, I perceived a lot of scepticism regarding the family structure that allowed me to return to study: my wife was the breadwinner - in the sense of breadwinner - for more than five years. "You are a man: you have to work!" is the phrase that best sums up the point of view of those who could not conceive of the idea of a man doing the laundry, cooking, taking the children to kindergarten and so on. Work at home is just as important as paid work and it does not matter who does it, it matters that it is balanced and well distributed between the partners.
How did you manage to reconcile training with family and/or professional commitments?
The part-time option allows you to better plan your education. There are certainly very busy and stressful periods during the academic year but, on the other hand, I have enjoyed the great flexibility and free time for family and myself.
Looking at your professional future, would you like to work part-time or under other flexible working models?
I promised myself long ago, when the children were small, never to work full time again and I hope to have the right opportunities to do so. Besides the economic aspect, there is a lot more to consider when deciding what job to do. Those who only think about salary risk bad surprises!