Last week, SMO Careers had the pleasure of joining a panel discussion at the University of Cyprus—and it was exactly the kind of conversation we wish happened more often.
Hosted by the Department of Economics in collaboration with ABSKILLED, a Cyprus-based organisation focused on bridging the gap between education and employment, the event brought together students, industry professionals, and recruiters for an open, honest, and completely unfiltered discussion about the job market. No corporate talking points. No sugarcoating. Just real questions and real answers about what's changing, what employers actually expect, and how students can start preparing for their careers before they even graduate.
The Speakers
The panel featured perspectives from across Cyprus's business landscape:
Sophia Omer, MBA, Assoc CIPD — Founder & CEO of SMO Careers
Aristotelis Klitou — Partner, Data & Analytics at Baker Tilly South East Europe
Yiannis Ioannou — Co-Founder of StepRole
Christos Papaxanthos — Head of Financial Operations at Evest Official
Each speaker brought a different angle—from recruitment and HR strategy to finance, data analytics, and entrepreneurship—giving students a well-rounded view of what the professional world actually looks like beyond the lecture hall.
What We Talked About
The conversation covered ground that rarely makes it into a university syllabus but matters enormously when you're about to enter the workforce.
Personal branding and LinkedIn profiling. Your online presence isn't a nice-to-have anymore—it's often the first impression you make on a potential employer. We discussed how students can start building a professional identity now, even without years of experience to showcase. It's about how you present your skills, projects, and ambitions, not just job titles you haven't earned yet.
Networking before your first job. One of the biggest mistakes students make is waiting until they need a job to start building connections. The relationships you form at university—with classmates, professors, guest speakers, and professionals you meet at events like this one—can open doors years down the line. We encouraged students to think of networking not as transactional, but as genuine relationship-building that compounds over time.
CV writing and interview preparation. The basics still matter. We talked through what makes a CV stand out (and what makes recruiters move on after five seconds), how to prepare for interviews beyond memorising answers, and how to communicate value when you don't yet have a long track record.
AI and its growing importance. No conversation about the job market in 2025 is complete without addressing AI. We discussed how it's reshaping industries, which skills are becoming more valuable as a result, and why adaptability and continuous learning are no longer optional.
Hot positions in the Cyprus market. Students wanted to know where the opportunities are right now. We shared insights into which sectors are hiring, what roles are in demand, and where there's room for graduates to grow quickly.
Why This Matters to Us
Moments like this remind us why supporting young talent is at the heart of what we do at SMO Careers.
We spend most of our time working with employers and experienced professionals, but the pipeline starts here—with students who are curious, ambitious, and looking for guidance that goes beyond textbook theory. When they come ready to ask hard questions, challenge assumptions, and genuinely engage with the realities of the working world, it's energising. These are the future leaders of Cyprus's business community, and the earlier they start thinking strategically about their careers, the better positioned they'll be.
Thank You
A big thank you to the Department of Economics at the University of Cyprus and to Katerina Raoukka and ABSKILLED for the invitation and warm collaboration. It was a privilege to be part of the conversation.
And to the students who showed up, asked questions, and engaged so openly—keep that energy. The job market rewards people who take initiative, and you're already ahead of the curve.
We're looking forward to many more empowering discussions with the leaders of tomorrow.
Interested in how SMO Careers supports talent development in Cyprus? Visit us at smo.careers.
