Interview with Vassilis Tountopoulos

Organisation responsible for the interview: p-consulting.gr
Country: Greece
Occupation: Career counselor & Value Creation Ambassador | Management Consulting
Small Bio/CV: Mr. Tountopoulos is an accomplished ex-banker, passionate about strategy, entrepreneurship, and innovative management.
He holds an MBA from ALBA, a recent Certificate in Business Analytics from IMD Business School and is completing his MSc in Tourism Business Administration from HOU.
Other info: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vtountopoulos/
Date of the interview: 04.05.2023
Short summary of the interview
In the interview with Mr. Tountopoulos, it was revealed that he has the ability to recognize whether individuals have a general idea or a specific path they want to follow based on his experience. He strives to gather accurate information during their initial meeting. In his experience, he has observed that Economics, Technology, and IT are popular career choices, with IT being particularly trendy at present.
According to Mr. Tountopoulos, around 60% of young people have a clear career path in mind, while the remaining 40% do not. He believes that trends, friends, and lifestyle heavily influence those who have a career idea. When it comes to reasons for choosing a career, he highlights the importance of the workplace and wages. In his observations, Mr. Tountopoulos has not identified any common patterns, but he emphasizes the significant role parents play in shaping young people’s career choices.
Mr. Tountopoulos also acknowledges the impact of social norms and cultural expectations on young people’s career decisions. He believes that personal biases and preconceptions play a crucial role in shaping career choices. When asked about gender biases, he claims that he does not recommend different professions based on gender. Although he perceives a reduction in gender bias in young people’s career choices compared to the past, he acknowledges that it still exists. Furthermore, he points out that negative stereotypes and misconceptions influence young people’s perception of certain jobs or career paths. Common stereotypes include associating manual labor with men, kindergarten/teaching with women, and nursing with women.
Mr. Tountopoulos asserts that stereotypes have a significant impact on career choices and highlights that certain fields are more susceptible to gender or racial stereotypes. Overall, he emphasizes the importance of addressing these biases and stereotypes to promote more inclusive career choices for young people.