There comes a time in all our careers when we yearn for a new challenge. But sometimes, figuring out exactly what steps to take to reach the next level can be tricky. In this article, Nicole van Alphen, Director of Product at Vinted Go, shares her story of how she grew from a Product Owner at a close-knit startup to where she is today. You'll hear unique insights from her incredible journey at Vinted Go and discover some key tips for making the next big move in your career. &nbsp;<h2 style="line-height:1.38;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-top:0pt;" dir="ltr">Meet Nicole van Alphen</h2>Nicole van Alphen kicked off her career as a Product Owner at a local startup and worked her way up from there. She dedicated nine years to sharpening her skills in Product Management, spending over half that time in the field of Logistics. But one day, a key experience ignited a spark of inspiration, and Nicole realised she was ready for a new challenge. That's when she stumbled upon an opportunity at Vinted Go and decided to take the leap, joining the team as Director of Products in the Vinted Go carrier&nbsp;domain in&nbsp;October 2022. Now, let's hear from Nicole in her own words about how she scaled her Product Management career, plus some tips for how you can do the same.

<h2 style="line-height:1.38;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-top:0pt;text-align:justify;" dir="ltr">It all starts with a goal</h2> I remember the moment I decided to move into Product Management very clearly. It was 2013, and I was in New York for an event, doing Sales for a startup at the time. During one of the seminars, the Head of Product came on stage. She explained the company's roadmap, their vision for the platform, and how they planned to get there. It was so inspiring to hear, and I immediately set a goal: one day, I would be on a stage at an event, talking about Product Management.&nbsp; Throughout the years, this goal has helped me to keep my eye on the prize. I didn't set out with a clear path for how I would become a Director of Product. But the goal I set allowed me to stay inspired and motivated along the way. &nbsp;<h2 style="line-height:1.38;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-top:0pt;text-align:justify;" dir="ltr"> Becoming a Product Manager &nbsp;</h2>I didn't study Product Management. I actually have a different background, with a Bachelor of BA in Hotel and Event Management. But, during my studies, I realised I was interested in all things E-Commerce. Following my studies, I joined a small startup and took on many different roles, including Sales/Account Management, Marketing and even some Office Management duties.Then came that inspiring moment when I set my goal to become a Product Manager. Around the same time, I noticed a gap in the company I was working for. We had a strong platform, but we needed someone to plan the roadmap and analyse the user needs in-depth to align them with the business objectives. So, I chatted with my manager and she agreed I could fill the role of Product Manager at the startup. After that, I took some courses, dove into the topic of product and climbed the ladder from there. &nbsp;But one path is just as good as any other. I firmly believe that a mix of different personalities and backgrounds makes a great team. I also believe in hiring junior team members, as this is how we build a stronger product community together. Since there aren’t any university courses dedicated to Product Management, the field is also ideal for people seeking a career shift. Each person has their own unique skill set to bring to the table. So, a wide range of professional backgrounds are valued.As Vinted grows, there are many opportunities. I've seen Product Managers move from Vinted Go to Vinted Marketplace and vice versa. There is definitely room for open discussions with your team leader about your personal development and growth, and Vinted always strives to find what will suit you best.&nbsp;<h2 style="line-height:1.38;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-top:0pt;" dir="ltr">Product Owners vs. Product Managers</h2> These terms are often used interchangeably. However, there are some differences: Product Owners (POs) -&nbsp;come from the Scrum methodology. These people have specific tasks related to Scrum ceremonies (e.g. running sprint planning, creating user stories, etc.) Product Managers (PMs) -&nbsp;have a broader role and are not just bound to Scrum ceremonies. Product managers are responsible for ensuring their product meets the business objectives.&nbsp;At Vinted, we only work with Product Managers.<h2 style="line-height:1.38;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-top:0pt;" dir="ltr"> Common misconceptions about PMs &nbsp;</h2>My favourite one is that Product Managers are mini-CEOs of the product. Although Product Managers are experts in the product, they're not actually running a company, nor are they the final decision-makers.&nbsp; Another common misconception is that Product Managers always have or must have a technical background. As a Product Manager, you’re the critical link between the business and engineering. So, some level of understanding is critical, but you don’t need to know every detail.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<h2 style="line-height:1.38;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-top:0pt;" dir="ltr">Things every Product Manager should know</h2>&nbsp;Cross-team collaboration is vital for Product Managers in any organisation. And, it’s important for Product Managers to understand their users deeply. For example, in our domain, we often travel to package sorting centres. We work with the shift managers on-site, drive along with delivery drivers, and more&nbsp;– all to see our product in action. &nbsp;This means you must be a strong communicator, both with your engineering team and your stakeholders. Think of skills like storytelling (it’s our job to convey the vision of a product, so you’ll need to know how to explain why we’re working on certain topics over others), leadership, and influencing skills (it’s important to win people over in a collaborative way, rather than asking your team members to work on a task just because you told them to). &nbsp;A Product Manager should excel or have the potential to become very proficient at:&nbsp;Setting goalsTracking goals using measurable KPIsIdentifying the core of your user's problems and fully understanding their needsNavigating a complex trade-off between a fast, cheap and good Product Development triangle.&nbsp; &nbsp;Lastly, what's important is product-specific or industry-specific knowledge. To fully understand your users' pain points and identify opportunities, you must understand the space you're working in. Get to know your users in-depth, know the product, and understand your competitors.<h2 style="line-height:1.38;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-top:0pt;" dir="ltr">&nbsp;</h2><h2 style="line-height:1.38;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-top:0pt;" dir="ltr">The best part of being a Product Manager &nbsp;</h2>Product Managers ensure that the right features are built at the right time. They identify the user's needs, listen to the business needs and objectives, come up with a plan to measure success, and communicate all of this to the engineering team. Then, they communicate a development plan and ensure delivery happens on time.&nbsp; &nbsp;Product management is not just one skill. It's about being able to see the big picture and communicate with a wide variety of people in different roles.&nbsp;<h2 style="line-height:1.38;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-top:0pt;" dir="ltr">&nbsp;</h2><h2 style="line-height:1.38;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-top:0pt;" dir="ltr">Interested in applying at Vinted? Here's my advice &nbsp;</h2>Don't be afraid to dive in! Product management is great, and the level of collaboration is amazing. It can be daunting, but I believe with the right mindset, you can do it!We’re always looking for motivated and passionate people. So, if you want to stand out, highlight what gets you excited about Vinted or Product Management in your application.&nbsp; &nbsp;It's also a bonus when candidates are specific and can share what projects they’ve worked on and what their contribution was to them. Building a portfolio of the projects is helpful, as it's proof that you can do an amazing job in Product Management, even without having the title yet. &nbsp;Are you interested in a career in Product Management?&nbsp;<a href="https://careers.vinted.com/jobs?departments%5B0%5D=Product%20Management&amp;page=1&amp;gh_src=4dae07a2teu&amp;utm_source=web&amp;utm_medium=blog" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Explore our current vacancies on our Careers page.&nbsp;</a>

Nicole

Scaling up: The career path of a Product Manager

<h2>Turning a love of luxury into a career: life as an Authentication Expert</h2>Recently, we introduced a new service – <a href="https://company.vinted.com/newsroom/vinted-introduces-item-verification-service" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Item Verification</a>. It allows our members to have selected second-hand designer pieces on Vinted checked for authenticity by our team of experts. Following last year’s acquisition of the German pre-loved luxury platform Rebelle – our teams joined forces to bring Rebelle’s expertise in item verification to Vinted members.Today, our trained teams have successfully verified many different designer pieces. And it’s all thanks to the knowledge of our experts, who bring together 5 decades of professional experience and accumulated knowledge about thousands of designer brands. That’s why today, we’d like to shed some light on the daily life of our Offline Authentication team.We sat down with Julia Boldt, Manager of Offline Authentication at Vinted, to learn more about verifying designer items and the future of the team. &nbsp;<h2>A typical day as an Offline Authentication Expert</h2>Every day, new items arrive for our team to check. Once our Admissions team has processed the items, we unbox them and remove any dustcovers so we can start verifying them.Then, we meet with our colleagues to discuss the potential authenticity features of these items, sharing our insights with each other. Sometimes, we also do research to enhance our knowledge of new brands or updated verification details. After this, we inspect the object, checking many aspects – from an item’s quality, stitching, and craftsmanship to even its texture, scent and other details. Once an item successfully passes our verification process, it's forwarded to the buyer.Thanks to our experienced team of experts, we can verify items spanning many categories, including handbags, shoes, clothing, accessories and all the popular sneaker brands you'll find on Vinted. We try to learn something new every day so we can soak up everything we can about the subject.<h2> The ideal candidate for this role</h2>A perfect fit would be someone with years of experience verifying items from every decade – perhaps you’ve worked at a luxury second-hand store or have been self-employed as a reseller. Or, if you haven’t worked in a similar role yet, maybe you’ve bought and sold a lot of second-hand items from home. For example, there are sneakerheads out there with a wealth of knowledge on this topic who’d be a great match for this position!Another option is someone who’s very passionate about fashion and has gained knowledge organically over the years but has yet to work in the industry. A degree in fashion design or management is nice to have, but it’s not essential for this role. It also helps if you have an interest in luxury goods.Either way, a verification expert should have a good eye for detail and a feel for quality and materials. They should be comfortable making decisions and be proactive when it comes to researching new features.It’s essential that our new colleague is a team player as well.&nbsp;

<h2>Working autonomously and as a team</h2>Our role includes both, which I think is the perfect mix. We independently verify items but consistently share knowledge and discuss challenging cases with the people we work with. Senior colleagues play a crucial role in training our junior team members, and we actively engage with the team during our double-checking processes.We also collaborate with the Customer Support team and the Admission and Shipping teams (who prepare incoming items for us). Whenever there’s an opportunity to co-create, we try to take advantage of it.With our teams in Hamburg and the UK currently experiencing growth, it's an exciting time to join us.&nbsp;<h2>Highlights (and challenges) of the role</h2>The most challenging part is, perhaps, that it's not a typical job – it isn't something you can study at a fashion school. It's about the experience and passion you have for this type of investigative work.Plus, you’re required to make quick decisions and keep your eye on the details. So, staying up-to-date with the latest authentication trends and insights is crucial as brands constantly update their designs.The best part of the job? We get to dive into fashion history and see stunning luxury pieces every day! What could be better? Our dynamic training processAt the heart of our team’s approach is learning by doing – the more items we can handle, the better. We learn from our team members every day. And we’re developing new training programs to ensure we have the best onboarding processes so we’re ready when more juniors join our team in the future.<h2> Navigating the selection process</h2>First, there’s an introductory call with our Talent Acquisition Specialist. Then, candidates take part in an interview with myself and a senior staff member. After passing those steps, we'll invite the successful applicant to a trial day. For us, this is the most important part of the selection process, as it’s where we evaluate a candidate's knowledge and their potential starting level at Vinted.<h2>Career opportunities in the Offline Authentication team</h2>Our team has a lot of room for growth – there are junior, mid-level and senior Authentication positions. Beyond that, there is also a pathway to grow into a Team Lead, Manager or Director for the team. As you know, Vinted aims high, and so do we!<h2>Find out more</h2>We hope you enjoyed learning more about life in the Offline Authentication team. Would you thrive in a role like this? Apply to become <a href="https://careers.vinted.com/jobs?page=1&amp;q=brand%20expert&amp;gh_src=4dae07a2teu&amp;utm_source=web&amp;utm_medium=blog" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">an Authentication Expert</a> at Vinted and join our team of luxury fashion specialists. &nbsp;

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Work with Luxury Fashion: Offline Authentication Expert

<h2 class="p1" style="text-align:center;">Vinted continues its expansion: opening an office in Kaunas, where over 100 employees are now working</h2>Vinted, Europe's largest peer-to-peer online marketplace for second-hand fashion, is expanding, and has recently opened an office in Kaunas, Lithuania, with over 100 employees now working there.&nbsp;Vinted is currently <a href="https://careers.vinted.com/jobs?page=1&amp;location%5B0%5D=Kaunas%2C%20Lithuania" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">looking for developers (backend, web, software, mobile, data), engineers, data scientists and team leaders to join</a> their teams in the new Kaunas office.&nbsp;&nbsp;The new office in Kaunas follows the same hybrid working model as the rest of Vinted’s locations, which recommends that employees come into the office a couple of times a week. They’re also allowed to work up to 90 days a year in other countries, 21 of which can be spent outside the EU.&nbsp;"Because we’re a hybrid company, we’ve been able to employ people based in Kaunas prior to having an office space there, but the newly-opened location will better meet our current and future colleagues’ needs: providing them with modern and comfortable workspaces, plenty of areas to meet up and spend time together, and a sense of community."

"We’re currently looking for at least a couple of dozen more colleagues in Kaunas, so we’re delighted that more and more talented people in tech who are living in this city are able to get involved with Vinted's products and their development," says Ieva Kuniejūtė, Director of Tech Talent Acquisition at Vinted.Vinted's new office is located in the Drobės Fabrikas business centre – a 20,000 m²&nbsp; modern renovated interwar architectural complex in the Šančiai district – which is also home to several other growing technology companies and start-ups. Vinted is currently leasing a 657 m² space in the newly-opened business complex, which can accommodate up to 100 employees at a time.

"We were impressed by the atmosphere here; the perfect blend of history and dynamic workspaces that will most definitely contribute to an exceptional employee experience. When we choose a new location, we try to think about how it will complement our employees' routine, and the experience it will provide. We believe that the new office in Kaunas will provide inspiration and additional capacity for our growing team in the city," says Ieva Užkurnienė, Workplace Experience Lead at Vinted.

The Drobės Fabrikas team has furnished the historic premises in an industrial style, with the companies and communities that will be housed there in mind.“We wanted the premises to fit the mindset and needs of those who work there. So when renovating, our focus was on the efficient use of space.The&nbsp; Drobės Fabrikas premises are not only for business use, but can also be hired out for a wide range of gatherings and events. Our aim was to create a comfortable workspace where communities with shared principles of community, sustainability, and common good can come together. We know that these aspects are important to Vinted, so we’re happy that they've chosen our premises in Kaunas for their expansion and joined the other technology companies based here," - says Rima Čivaitė, Project Manager at Drobės Fabrikas.Vinted currently employs more than 1,800 professionals across the Vinted Group a figure which has increased by more than 500 since 2022. In addition to Lithuania, the company also has offices in Berlin, Hamburg and Amsterdam. Vinted currently has more than 100 open positions for professionals in programming, data science, marketing and other fields in Lithuania alone.Vinted brings together a community of more than 80 million registered members in 20 markets across Europe and North America.

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Vinted expands to a new office in Kaunas

Meet Vytautas, VP of Vinted Go. During our interview, Vytautas talked about his experience in e-commerce logistics, gave an in-depth explanation of a brand-new business entity in the Vinted group, and shared its current projects and future plans.

What’s your name and job at Vinted?I’m Vytautas Atkočaitis, VP of Vinted Go, which is the logistics arm of Vinted Group.&nbsp;When and how did you join? Why? (Be honest!)I joined Vinted a year and a half ago. Before coming to Vinted, I was living in Seattle, USA, where I was working for a big e-commerce company. A chance meeting with one of Vinted's founders, Mantas Mikuckas, led him&nbsp;to introduce me to Vinted’s mission and vision. It caught my interest because I didn’t know (as I hadn’t been living in Lithuania for a while) that there were Lithuanian companies with such ambitions.It was then that we spoke about the Shipping Director position. I went through the whole application process, and after that, I joined Vinted. Even though Vinted Go was only a plan then, the company’s ambition was captivating. Vinted Marketplace’s vision alone was enough for me to want to get involved in this project.&nbsp;&nbsp;Why is Vinted’s mission important to you?&nbsp;Personally, I really admire the opportunity to work on something on a global scale that has the potential to change the way millions of people consume. Right now, the work is on fashion, which is one of the most polluting industries. But when you have a platform with an established user base, you can affect many other industries at the same time.&nbsp;Nowadays, it is crucial to be environmentally friendly. In the long term, I don't see myself working in companies that refuse to think and act on these problems. I believe in Vinted’s mission, and I think it is necessary to do it on a big scale.&nbsp;&nbsp;Tell us about your typical work day. Do you have a morning routine?Usually, at 7 AM, I drive my kids to kindergarten. At 8 AM, I drink my coffee, check my emails, and prepare for my work day ahead, for a planned 9 AM start.No two days are alike at Vinted. My activities range from one-on-ones with my teammates to strategic problem solving and meetings with partners, investors, or media. Because Vinted Go is a growing unit in Vinted’s organisation, I still need to be hands-on on some topics, so if necessary, I do analysis, strategy planning, etc.&nbsp;&nbsp;What do you find meaningful in your job?&nbsp;For me, the most exciting thing is working with collaborative people who are eager to solve problems as a team. Co-creation is embedded in Vinted’s culture. I felt it when I joined Vinted. Back then, I didn’t really know much about it, but had my ideas. It was easy to blend into a team and start making an impact.&nbsp;Aiming high drives me. It means that we don’t seek an easy way out. We aim for quality, which usually is hard to achieve. To innovate, you can’t do what you already know.&nbsp;&nbsp;You’re now VP of Vinted Go. What do you like most about this field?My whole career has been in operations, logistics, and e-commerce logistics. Before Vinted, I spent 6 years at Amazon. Why Vinted and shipping? It came naturally from my profile. Speaking about it holistically, if you want to change the industry’s consumer habits and the whole industry in a meaningful way, it’s achievable when you reach a certain scale. From the marketplace perspective, Vinted is already the biggest online C2C second-hand marketplace in Europe. Thus we make a positive impact on the fashion industry, but at the same time, we make another impact by providing a vast logistics solution.For holistic solutions, you need to solve first-mile and last-mile problems in an industry that needs innovation. Our goal at Vinted Go is to be that accelerator of innovation in our industry and help Vinted Marketplace scale more and minimise the negative impact. We aim to be more net-positive. As I’ve mentioned before, it’s about working on global-scale problems. Shipping at Vinted is an exceptional place to do just that.&nbsp;&nbsp;What’s special about Vinted Go? How is it different from other companies?Vinted Go is distinct in the e-commerce industry. There are very few organisations that fully understand logistics and their value, and make continuous improvements. There are many reasons for this. The most common one is that only a few can reach a scale where it’s worth investing your time and money into them.When you reach that level, it becomes meaningful and engaging to dig deeper and learn more about it because you understand that your client’s loyalty and satisfaction with the platform depends on how successfully you deliver their parcels. It’s all about the experience of delivery, refund, and so on.&nbsp;What Vinted understood very early on is that shipping is essential for enabling C2C. It’s way more complex than traditional B2C. We have to ensure that a person who sells their no-longer-worn item can just pack and send it. We also need to guarantee that the buyer can easily pick it up. As well as this, all the actions in between, such as tracking, have to be transparent.&nbsp;What do we do better than the others? We have a playbook for launching various European markets cheaper, more comfortably, and with less pollution. We do that with the PUDO (pick-up, drop-off) shipping option, which is still quite a passively adopted way of shipping, especially in western countries. Right now, less than 10% of parcels are delivered to lockers. We work with this delivery mode, because it’s more comfortable and cheaper than the home delivery option, and carries more environmental benefits. We learned how to connect all the markets into one big market, which means that it’s no longer a hassle to send parcels between countries. Thus we can offer a new product - affordable shipping between countries.&nbsp;&nbsp;What functions does Vinted Go have in the Vinted Group?Recently we officially announced the launch of Vinted Go as a new and separate business unit within the Vinted group. The Vinted Marketplace is our first client to benefit from our shipping services.Beyond that, we’re building our own locker network in France – a process which we started a couple of months ago. We also sell shipping services to all e-commerce companies in Europe. We aim to be a service provider for everyone, not only Vinted. Our main focus right now is Vinted, but more and more teams in our unit focus on products and technologies to cater to other clients.&nbsp;&nbsp;How do you see the future of Vinted Go? What are its main priorities?The primary focus will be on providing the best possible experience for our Vinted Marketplace members. From there,&nbsp;we will continue to innovate in this field. Many problems are yet to be solved, from quality of life to affordability. Simultaneously, we will build our capabilities in France to create a fully Vinted-focused experience. Then we will move on to other markets. We also plan to develop our virtual shipping platform to provide products to e-commerce companies globally.&nbsp;How is Vinted Go innovative compared to other shipping companies?Our solution that we provide in part depends on our collaboration with shipping companies and carriers. We offer a single united network of our carrier partners. By integrating with Vinted Go, you get access to 43 shipping carriers across Europe with a unified pricing policy, customer service, etc., offered as one package.&nbsp;&nbsp;Tell us about the structure of your team. How fast is it expanding? Where is it based?Vinted Go’s structure is similar to other companies. It’s a mirror image of how Vinted Marketplace operates. We have teams working on the product, technology, etc. Our teams are cross-functional, which means they consist of people from product management, engineering, data science, and design. In this way, we collaborate to create new technological solutions.We’re not just a technology company. We have teams working with business development, partnerships with carriers, warehouses, locker providers, and so on. Furthermore, we have a sales department focused on commercial partnerships. Also, we have analytics, and program functions, which work on complex cross-functional projects. It’s quite a standard organisational structure.&nbsp;At Vinted Go, we employ over 120 people, and at the end of the year, we’ll expand to 180 people. Most of the team is based in Vilnius at the moment, but we actively hire people in Berlin, London, Paris, and Amsterdam, depending on the function or roles. We aim to find the best candidates.&nbsp;&nbsp;What qualities do you look for when hiring people in Vinted Go?We look for people who are passionate about solving complex problems, want to operate in a not fully determined environment, like operational or business development problems, and are eager to solve complex technological riddles. We currently see ourselves as a start-up in the Vinted Group. We’re trying to develop a couple of strategic directions, so we’re looking for people who want to grow together with us and who understand that the path to success is not linear.&nbsp;Could you share some semi-recent projects done in your unit?We’ve already started developing our locker infrastructure network in France. It was a project that we had worked on for six months. Our goal is to test it during the summer, see what’s working and what’s not, and then expand. Additionally, in spring, we started the sales of our virtual shipping platform and worked on integrations with e-commerces in Europe. We also enabled the expansion of Vinted’s marketplace: Vinted launched in Slovakia and Portugal. There are lots of different projects done in the unit.

What are the main principles you follow at work?My principles are in line with Vinted’s values. I value people who set ambitious goals, don’t default to the easiest path, who are not afraid to fail, and can learn from mistakes. Figuratively speaking, at Vinted, we’re thinking about how to fly to Mars and trying to understand why we aren’t there yet. I also value openness and certainty. It means communicating with each other clearly and avoiding ambiguity.&nbsp;What is vital for personal growth and helping others grow?From my perspective, I try to learn from my mistakes one task at a time. From a team perspective, I see my purpose as helping others to be in the right place where they can succeed. It means enabling them so their skillset can deliver impact, while at the same time, giving them freedom and opportunities to grow and expand their knowledge and skills. I believe in growing people vertically from within the organisation. So I spend a lot of time evaluating whether we have the right people in key positions.One of the reasons why I joined Vinted was Mantas and his story. The possibility to learn from him and other leaders in the organisation was really valuable. Right now, I do the same with Vinted Group leadership teams.&nbsp;By the way, do you use the Vinted app? If so, what do you use it for?I use it for my 3-year-old twins. Every season, my wife and I look for various items, and we find everything on Vinted. We don’t need to go to the shops, so it’s a win-win situation in terms of the economic and environmental impact. Plus, you get to see firsthand what’s working and what’s not in the product itself.&nbsp;&nbsp;One fun fact about you?I’m an adventurous person, both in work and in my personal life. I like playing poker and have played in the biggest poker tournaments in the world.&nbsp;&nbsp;Your favourite place in the world (online or offline)?Las Vegas.&nbsp;Please pick one piece of media to recommend.&nbsp;Why do you think it deserves someone’s attention and what role does it play in your life?For people coming to work in operations, I recommend the book Working backwards by Colin Bryar and Bill Carr. It’s about Amazon's operations and its fundamentals. It’s for those who are interested in this industry and want to learn to operate in a lean way.&nbsp;

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Vytautas Atkočaitis: At Vinted Go, We Contribute to Changing Consumer Habits

Meet Priya, a Senior Program Manager at Vinted’s Shipping department. She told us about her origins, career path, sustainability practices, and why diversity is so important in a workplace.

What’s your name and job at Vinted?My name is Priya Dubey, and I work as a Senior Program Manager in the Shipping department here at Vinted.&nbsp;When and how did you join? Why? (Be honest!)After working for 3 years as a Software Consultant I was looking for a change, so I decided to pursue an MBA in France and change my industry, job function, and location. Then I saw a job ad on Linkedin for the Program Manager position at Vinted. I had heard about the company before, but didn’t know a great deal about it. After doing some research, I found it extremely interesting and very close to what I was looking for. To be honest, I didn't think there was much hope in me getting a response, as I had no background in this field. But I did! And I joined Vinted in December 2020.&nbsp;How is Vinted’s mission important for you?&nbsp;In India, my home country, there are a lot of stereotypes attached to the concept of second-hand clothing. It’s usually thought that people go for second-hand because they cannot afford “new” clothes. So I wasn’t against it as a concept, but never really thought about it as a viable business option. When I saw that people in Europe had come a long way concerning fashion, I was amazed. People here value sustainability tremendously. Vinted caters to this very need, and that’s what makes it special.&nbsp;Tell us about your typical workday. Do you have a morning ritual?My mornings start with a cup of hot tea and checking some of the entertaining company Slack channels (#readthis is an amazing one), followed by emails. I usually have quite a few meetings, given the nature of my job, so when I have to get down to work I try to avoid all distractions and block a few hours to do just that. I also make sure I talk to all my team members at least once a day, to see how they are doing. And then I end the day with my cup of tea, as an Indian should.&nbsp;What makes you excited to wake up and go to work each morning?My teammates – we really support and empower each other. For me, this is the most important aspect of a workplace.&nbsp;What do you find meaningful in your job?&nbsp;In the past I’ve struggled, because I couldn’t see how my day-to-day tasks added value, and it took me away from realising how 8 hours of my day could result in a tangible output. That has changed at Vinted. Here it’s easy for me to visualise how my tasks contribute to the success of the company and the platform’s experience as a whole, and that keeps me going.&nbsp;Vinted is becoming more and more international and diverse. How does it benefit you, in your life?I was the first or second non-European to join Vinted in Vilnius. But in just a few months, I have observed a big change. Now my team is probably the most diverse. We are mostly women, all from different countries, including Switzerland, Canada, Italy, India, and Columbia. It is fascinating to me how different yet similar we all are – it’s a beautiful thing to realise.&nbsp;Why do you think this is important?It’s about the fact that one-third of our lives is spent at the workplace. The nature of our work and the people we work with shape not just our professional accomplishments, but a large part of our personalities. Most of us want to be a part of something that works towards the betterment of communities, and making workplaces inclusive leads to making communities inclusive. It leads to us becoming better people. I believe this is what makes it so important.&nbsp;How do you like Vilnius? Have you found a new favorite spot?I like the quietness of Vilnius. The Old Town is breathtaking. My favorite spot is the Cathedral Square, I like the life around that place.&nbsp;How is Vinted different from the last places you’ve worked at?Vinted has a very decentralised structure – and not just theoretically. It took me a while at first to adjust to this new way of working. You have freedom to take the initiative, and most decisions are made from the bottom up. It's extremely different from my other work experiences.&nbsp;What are the key things you learned so far during your time at Vinted?People skills are extremely important, something which also means being an empathetic listener and having a positive attitude. My work involves talking to many people, and I am slowly learning to be more cognisant of others' needs before approaching them. I believe this can be a tremendous help with the relationships you build.&nbsp;Tell us more about yourself. Where do you come from, and where have you lived?I was born in a small town in Northeast India, very close to Nepal. It’s a village-like place that is still somewhat untouched by the hustle and bustle of modern life. However, my favorite place in India is Bangalore, which, despite being a more developed city, is surrounded by lots of nature. I moved there after finishing my bachelor’s degree. Later, in 2018, I moved to Paris, France, for further studies. I have also lived in Nice and Berlin for short periods.&nbsp;How do you seek improvement for yourself?Primarily through feedback. I actively ask for feedback from people, and try to see if there is a pattern. Secondly, through retrospection – I ask myself what could I have done better in a certain scenario. However, I usually throw myself into the field, trudge through, and learn through practice.&nbsp;What extra efforts do you make to live sustainably in your life outside of work?I believe in conscious consumerism – you’d find my wardrobe very modest. I try to buy things I can use for a long time, and after using them, I usually donate them. Moreover, I believe that a little effort goes a long way. I often hear people talking about how oil companies, retail fashion, and other industries pollute our environment, and how our efforts are futile. I humbly disagree with such a statement. As a believer in the theory of social contract, I think we also must do our part.&nbsp;One fun fact about you?I love dancing, especially to Bollywood music. I also write poetry, and dream about publishing a book someday. You can read my poems <a href="https://allpoetry.com/Priya_Dubey">here</a>.&nbsp;Pick one piece of media to recommend: a movie, a tv show, a podcast, a YouTube channel, a band… Why do you think it deserves someone’s attention, and what role does it play in your life?Movie: The Pursuit of Happyness. Any time I’m feeling extremely unmotivated in life, I watch this movie. It gives me a new perspective.

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