Many Backend Engineers reach a crossroads at some point in their career when thinking about future progression. Some specialise further, some go down the people management route, and others follow the technical leadership track. While equally valued, the three paths carry different kinds of responsibility and impact. Finding the right one for you can make all the difference.That’s exactly what Paulina Overaitė, Staff Engineer, Trust &amp; Safety, did after joining us in 2019. In just 6 years of working here, she progressed from Junior Backend Engineer to a technical leadership role. We sat down with her to find out more about her journey: from finding her feet to winning awards – sometimes as the only woman in the room.<h3>Paulina's career timeline at Vinted</h3>

<h2>The day-to-day life of a Staff Engineer</h2>A self-described mix of the Architect and Right Hand <a href="https://staffeng.com/guides/staff-archetypes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">staff engineer archetypes</a>, Paulina’s daily work involves designing scalable system architecture, mentoring other engineers, helping teams untangle complex technical challenges, and setting the Trust &amp; Safety domain’s technology vision to ensure our platforms are future-proof.To put it simply, think of a sports team. If the Director of Engineering is the General Manager, who is responsible for building the team and setting the overall strategy, the Staff Engineer is more like the Head Coach. They focus on the playbook, technical design, and how everyone actually plays together, working alongside the Lead Engineer, who is like the team captain.Some weeks are heavily focused on deep-dive technical design, while others are almost entirely dominated by organisational alignment. Paulina’s impact comes less from writing code herself and more from empowering others – stepping in only when technical guidance is needed. What matters most is that our teams are set up for success and pulling in the same direction.Another important focus is balancing rapid delivery with long-term architectural integrity. While AI coding assistants have accelerated software development, reviewing code for quality, maintainability, and architectural alignment remains a deeply human, cognitively demanding task. Tied to this is the challenge of finding the right level of involvement. As a Staff Engineer, you are a technical authority, but you must avoid micromanaging every decision, or you’ll create a bottleneck and stifle team growth. The real art is learning how to step back and trust teams to make their own choices, while having the intuition to know exactly when to step in and guide them on critical issues.&nbsp;<h2>Career growth through experimentation</h2>Paulina’s career progression at Vinted hasn’t always been linear. She has experimented with different roles and projects, guided by the realisation that the real "north star" of a career isn’t gained by climbing the career ladder, but by finding the best fit for where you are in life.She explored the people management pathway when she was a Backend Engineer, and became an Engineering Manager for our Engineering Academy participants. But it was while she was covering for a Staff Engineer during their holiday that she realised the technical leadership pathway was a better fit for her skills, passions, and long-term aspirations: &nbsp;

Some Backend Engineers at Vinted choose to go down a specialist path and work on highly-specific, technical challenges. Others, like Paulina, decide to focus on a more holistic view of how our different systems and platforms intertwine – working across teams to solve company-wide problems. Becoming a Staff Engineer wasn’t a dramatic turning point, but a natural progression for someone who felt drawn to engineering projects that lived outside her team’s scope."I wanted to solve systemic issues – things that technically weren't my "direct responsibility" but still caused friction and pain points for us at the end of the day."The biggest shift for Paulina came from the transition from Lead Backend Engineer to Staff Engineer, when all of a sudden, she didn't have a single home team anymore. This meant losing the familiar structure of daily standups, sprint planning, and the typical agile or scrum ceremonies. Without the immediate dopamine hit of closing Jira tasks or shipping features, it can be harder to recognise your immediate impact. Day-to-day coding gets delegated, and other engineers lead specific projects. Paulina discovered that her new role was about multiplying impact through others rather than driving the execution herself.<h2>Tips for career progression</h2>Having gone from Junior Backend Engineer to Staff Engineer in just 6 years, we asked Paulina if she worked on any skills or formed any habits that helped her progress to senior levels. For her, it’s all about "proactive ownership" of both your own career and your team’s success. In practice, this came down to four "rules" she started following early on:1. Be strategic and proactive with your growth. Don't wait until the end of the quarter to think about your impact. Focus on tasks that align with the path you want to pursue – not just when it's time to write your self-evaluation.2. Your team’s success is your success. Don’t chase individual projects at the cost of your team. If your team fails, any individual "star" work doesn't matter. Real seniority is about making sure the whole ship succeeds.3. Keep a record of your work. Not everyone will remember every smart design decision, helpful comment, or project milestone you achieved. Keep a running list of your accomplishments and invest real effort into branding yourself during quarterly and yearly reviews.4. Apply common sense over checklists. Look at what your team actually needs right now and tackle those blockers – whether that means calling out a risky timeline, sharing feedback, or raising your hand to ask for help when a task is slipping. This mentality has also helped Paulina approach promotions. Rather than aggressive negotiations, which don’t come naturally to her, she broaches the topic through transparency – while always aligning her expectations with organisational restraints and business realities.&nbsp;

<h2>Diversity as an organisational superpower</h2>In 2023, Paulina was a mentor for Women Go Tech. In 2024, she won Build Stuff’s prestigious "Woman in Software" award for her visionary leadership at Vinted while enhancing the Trust &amp; Safety domain. Winning the award helped Paulina feel seen and appreciated. Since then, she has made a point of giving others the same kind of genuine, positive recognition to help them move forward.We all carry a mix of what society considers "masculine" and "feminine" qualities. Early in her career, Paulina was often the only woman in the room. At times, she felt like only the more “masculine” parts of her identity were worth sharing, while believing the more “feminine” parts should be kept hidden – glossing over her dance classes and instead bringing up her weekend of snowboarding, for example. Part of this hesitation came from the awareness that, in some working environments, women’s soft skills can be dismissed as “too emotional”, while men displaying the same qualities are more likely to get praised for their emotional intelligence. Joining Vinted gave Paulina the opportunity to do things differently. Challenging the status quo and showing up as your authentic self can be scary, but this authenticity often encourages others around you to do the same. Paulina believes this mindset has been a key part of her success.&nbsp;With AI increasingly handling raw coding tasks, working in tech is no longer just about writing code. The most complex challenges are human and organisational: team structures, communication bottlenecks, and balancing cost versus effectiveness. It requires a mixture of skills that go far beyond just being good at maths or writing syntax. Paulina remembers working with an Agile Coach who had a degree in psychology. Her ability to look at our teams from an outsider's perspective, diagnose communication breakdowns, and figure out why a team was struggling was incredibly impactful.Having career switchers or people with non-traditional backgrounds in the room is a huge superpower for engineering organisations. After all, sometimes it’s incredibly difficult to debug what’s not working when the bug isn't in the code!<h2>Want to be part of Vinted’s long-term technical direction?</h2>Technical leadership at Vinted is grounded in clarity, care, and ambition done right. If you’re ready to align high-level technical vision with business strategy, we could be just the place for you. Explore open <a href="https://careers.vinted.com/jobs?page=1&amp;q=staff&amp;gh_src=fw02s0s2teu" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Staff Engineer roles</a> at Vinted.&nbsp;

Paulina-Overaite

From Junior to Staff Engineer: Scaling beyond a single team

At Vinted, our team of Resource Analysts play a key role in keeping things running smoothly behind the scenes. Kotryna, who joined the team in June 2023, shares what it's like to work in this dynamic role – balancing data analysis, forecasting and teamwork to help our members access the help they need. Let's dive into her day-to-day responsibilities and discover what makes the job so unique.<h2>Meet Kotryna</h2>After earning her degree in information system engineering, Kotryna decided to dive into the realm of analytics. She kickstarted her career in the banking sector, working in transaction monitoring as an AML/CTF officer. While the role was rewarding, she was eager to find more opportunities for creativity.Seeking a mix of data and communication, she found her perfect match in Resource Analysis: "Resource Analysts have a variety of responsibilities, and our work is not just defined by calculations and numbers. [We work] with our partner teams and Vinted's internal teams – as a person who prefers teamwork, these were the key points that caught my attention."<h2>Inside the role of a Resource Analyst</h2>As a Resource Analyst, Kotryna and her team help our Customer Support department to assist our members in a timely manner. "In one sentence, a Resource Analyst ensures that we have enough agents in the right place at the right time."One of her key tasks involves preparing calculated and data-based forecasts to predict the number of support tickets from our members and, thus, the demand for agents, then planning staffing accordingly. According to Kotryna, accurately planned staffing and efficient scheduling are crucial when preparing for busy seasons, as training and preparing our agents takes time.<h2>Expecting the unexpected</h2>No matter how well a forecast is prepared, sometimes things go differently than planned, and an unexpected event may occur that causes a spike in support tickets. In those situations, Kotryna and her team work on backlog management so we can help our members as soon as possible.Kotryna’s role also involves a lot of communication with the teams that handle support tickets for our members. "Once we've prepared the forecast and staffing plan, we share this with our partner teams – we work closely with them to make sure agents are in the right place at the right time, ready to help our members."<h2>Collaboration is key</h2>Kotryna credits Vinted's positive and supportive work culture for her success. "My team is a very friendly team! We care about each other, and there's always a helping hand when needed. We try to do everything in a timely manner so there'll be no stress or pressure from tight deadlines."While they share core responsibilities, each team member shines in their own way. Some excel in project management and stakeholder collaboration, others are analytical wizards, and some are great at finding and implementing technical solutions.Beyond her immediate team, Kotryna collaborates with other departments, particularly when beginning new projects that involve different parts of the platform. "As Vinted is always evolving, we have multiple projects, and we meet our colleagues from other departments during our kick-off meetings and while working on a project." &nbsp;

<h2>Tools of the trade</h2>To do all this, Kotryna relies on a range of tools or, as she puts it, "Google Sheets, Excel and Looker are my holy trinity." These go-to resources help her to work efficiently and collaborate with her team.But it’s not just the tools; it’s the processes behind them that really help to keep things accurate and reliable, “We have standardised procedures and templates in place, and we always do our data validation.” For Kotryna, the golden rule remains: "Measure thrice, check twice, cut once."Regular meetings and team support sessions are also an asset and can help review if a forecast "makes sense".<h2>The best bits</h2>In addition to her daily tasks, Kotryna finds value in the perks of working at Vinted. "Vinted has really great benefits, such as volunteering days. I love that we can contribute to our community and use volunteering days to help those in need."She also appreciates the learning budget Vinted gives each team member – "I was able to join a conference in Paris, and I use our Udemy business account to get as much field-related training as I can!" For Kotryna, though, one of the most rewarding aspects is truly enjoying what you do for work every day, "One of the most exciting projects I recently worked on is the Electronics category! It is really exciting as I can see this feature myself while using Vinted!"<h2>Advice for aspiring Resource Analysts</h2>For anyone thinking about becoming a Resource Analyst, Kotryna's advice is simple: "Always ask the "stupid" questions, and if needed, ask the same question as many times as you need. This is one of the things I mention in the first meeting when we onboard new colleagues."<h2>Looking ahead</h2>When it comes to the future, Kotryna's goal is to develop her skills even further. "I'd like to become a data scientist and take on even more difficult calculations!"Her journey at Vinted has only just begun, but with her passion for data analysis and teamwork, it's clear she has a bright future ahead.<h2>Final thoughts</h2>Kotryna's story is a great example of how our team members continue to learn and grow at Vinted. &nbsp;Are you interested in joining a team like Kotryna's? Check out our <a href="/jobs?page=1&amp;q=resource%20analyst" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">open roles </a>at Vinted and discover how you can make your mark. &nbsp;

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From Data to Decisions: Life as a Resource Analyst at Vinted

Have you ever wondered how Vinted effectively manages the thousands of items uploaded to our platform? For our Ontologies team, it boils down to one crucial element: collaboration. Join us as we sit down with Product Designer Eidvilė Bagdonaitė and Taxonomists Laura Horan and Charlie Lapin to discover how they leverage their unique areas of expertise to co-create a better member experience for all.<h2>About the Ontologies team</h2>Ontology is all about describing items&nbsp;– from defining the category they fit into to details like their size and the materials they're made from. By exhaustively cataloguing each aspect of an item in our database, the Ontologies team helps Vinted members find&nbsp;exactly what they're looking for.&nbsp;In other words, the Ontologies team ensures items are discoverable throughout the member journey, including the moment a member uploads an item to Vinted and when they use filters to find the items they need while browsing our platform.&nbsp;"We do this by making sure our platform includes the metadata terms that members use to describe these items."&nbsp;Eidvilė Bagdonaitė says.

<h2>The Buyer domain</h2>As part of the Buyer domain, Laura, Charlie, and Eidvilė's work focuses on the initial stages of the buying and selling process. This covers everything from opening the app and listing an item for sale to searching for something to buy. The Buyer domain also includes the stage where members chat about an item or when they make an offer to buy something. The following steps – payment, shipping and feedback – are handled by another branch of the team.<h3>A unique structure</h3>Vinted’s Ontologies team is an Engineering Product team, which means Engineers, Data Analysts, Product Managers, and Product Designers all come together to achieve the same goal.What makes our Ontology team unique at Vinted is that it also includes Taxonomists. As Laura puts it, "Charlie and I were the first taxonomists at Vinted and the first employees with this background and expertise. Our first order of business was to meet with an array of stakeholders across the matching domain to introduce our skillset and ways we might be able to support their work through improved data modelling."As taxonomists working with colleagues from many different fields, the team finds it essential to clarify the language they use so they can keep their communication clear. After all, words that mean one thing to Product Designers may mean something else to Taxonomists.There are many different paths to the role of Taxonomy, including a History, Librarian, Museum Curation or Knowledge Management background. The ideal taxonomist is someone who’s a logical thinker and enjoys creating order from chaos.<h2>How Taxonomy meets Product Design at Vinted</h2>While our taxonomy data model is the backbone of every item on Vinted, having extensive information is only helpful when we can display it to our members. That’s why we've learned it's vital to get Product Design involved as soon as possible, as it's a lot easier to work in tandem before a launch than it is to start the design process after.So, how do these different approaches come together in the Ontology team’s projects? Eidvilė states, "One of the most straightforward ways we collaborate is by including member insights and perspectives into data structure decisions."&nbsp;This can involve user testing or showcasing how different data structure options influence user flow. Whenever a new approach is suggested, the team discusses how it will change the way Vinted members learn about an item and how this could benefit them. "By anchoring our communication around the user perspective, we're able to find common ground and collaborate towards member-centric experiences", Laura Horan says.Furthermore, in some scenarios, to address the needs of sellers on Vinted, we may need to present information in a way that’s relevant to them but would require a different level of granularity to be user-friendly for buyers. As Eidvilė puts it,&nbsp;“This nuanced understanding has empowered me to approach my design process with greater depth and to develop more solutions that meet the diverse needs of various member groups”.Another way the Ontology team collaborates is through the Kanban method. The team uses a virtual Kanban board to keep track of what everyone’s working on and facilitates meetings that foster collaboration and communication. Every day, the team has a 15-minute standup meeting where they update the status of their Kanban board tickets as a team. They also have weekly planning meetings, where they add new items to their Kanban board and host post-launch retrospectives for projects that go live. The Ontology team also uses Slack to discuss work topics and ask questions more freely&nbsp;– sometimes, these can be answered in a simple thread, but the team is always happy to jump on a quick call to explain the details, too. These methods help everyone to stay on the same page.

<h2>Achieving results</h2>Although Taxonomy has some Member-facing results (e.g. creating a new category in our taxonomy "tree"), they tend to fall into the existing Product Design framework. "We're not reinventing the wheel when adding a new subcategory under Jackets or Skirts", Charlie says.But their collaboration truly shines when the Ontology team works on a new concept. Charlie explains: "For example, in our current project we're working on...Taxonomy has a few options to choose from when building a data model, and we would have been stuck, but product design helped us settle on the best choice, and now we're actively working on implementing it for our members!"Sometimes, the taxonomy design options are limited by the current systems or product designs in place. By collaborating with a Product Designer, the Ontology team can identify opportunities for product design improvements, which enables us to create better data models that enhance the member experience. Eidvilė elaborates: "Like Charlie, I've realised that taxonomy and product design go hand-in-hand. When we combine our skills – thinking how to organise information with a solid grasp of how members think and manage information, it can help create solutions that make a difference to the user experience."<h2>Find out more &nbsp;</h2>Are you a logical thinker who excels at bringing order to chaos? Consider joining our Ontology team and collaborating on projects that make a real impact on millions of members. See our open positions <a href="https://careers.vinted.com/jobs?gh_src=4dae07a2teu&amp;utm_source=web&amp;utm_medium=blog" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>. &nbsp;

Taxonomy

Fostering Collaboration in Engineering Teams: How does taxonomy fit into product development? 

Fakes or counterfeits – however you refer to them – they’re a challenge for most of the fashion industry (whether you’re shopping for new or second-hand items). At Vinted, we don’t allow the buying or selling of counterfeits, not just because it’s against the law but because it undermines the hard work of the original creators.That’s why we have different types of anti-counterfeit measures in place to fight fakes on the platform and we’re constantly developing more.However no technology is 100% foolproof, therefore, our Content Quality team and our community participate and take action too. Vinted members report suspect listings through our app. Then, our dedicated Content Quality team reviews those requests and takes appropriate steps.So today, let’s shine a light on the people working tirelessly behind the scenes to help our members trade safely and securely with a glimpse into the day in the life of an Anti-Counterfeit Associate. But first, let’s learn a little more about the Content Quality team.&nbsp; &nbsp;

<h2>Life in the Content Quality Team</h2>An evolving team - it’s an exciting time to be in Content Quality. With over 100 specialists to date, there’s a lot of room to grow in this dynamic team. We have shared goals - it’s the Content Quality team’s job to ensure only high-quality and trustworthy content makes it onto the Vinted platform. They do this by screening, monitoring and moderating risky content. It’s a vital role as our team must exercise their judgment to ensure that listings align with Vinted’s guidelines. &nbsp; &nbsp;

<h2>A typical day for an Anti-Counterfeit Associate &nbsp;</h2>Two types of tasks - Our Anti-Counterfeit Associates don’t communicate directly with our members – instead, they receive their work in two ways: Alerts are short tasks that require a quick decision, while Tickets are for situations that are in need of a more detailed analysis. These different types of tasks add variety to each day. However, it’s always best to work efficiently and accurately in order to reach key results.We stick to the plan - The team always knows what needs to be done in this role, as each day is well-planned, down to the hour. Alerts and Tickets guide our team on exactly what they need to do, so there’s no confusion about what to tackle next.Frequent breaks - In addition to a one-hour lunch break every day, our Content Quality team is also taking a 10-minute break every hour. This helps to keep the mind fresh and to keep accuracy up. Shift work provides flexibility - Anti-Counterfeit Associates work on a shift basis. That means you can choose what day works best for you 12 times a month, and our internal workload team will handle the rest. Sometimes, the Content Quality team works on the weekend, completing 4 weekend days a month.

<h2>Becoming an Anti-Counterfeit Associate &nbsp;</h2>Does this all sound like something that might suit you? The journey to becoming an Anti-Counterfeit Associate is pretty straightforward. First, browse <a href="https://careers.vinted.com/jobs?gh_src=4dae07a2teu&amp;utm_source=web&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;departments%5B0%5D=Community%20Support&amp;page=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">our open roles</a> and apply for one that interests you. <a href="https://careers.vinted.com/hiring-process?gh_src=4dae07a2teu&amp;utm_source=web&amp;utm_medium=blog" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The hiring process</a> involves an over-the-phone interview and an introductory meeting, followed by a homework task and a try-out day. After that, our approach to training is pretty flexible – once you've made it past the hiring stage, you'll step into a 10-week program held in a hybrid setting. For the first month, we require our new team members to be in the office on certain days, but you can work from home for the rest of the training period. You'll even get the chance to try out the role for a day to ensure you like it before committing to anything. So, if this sounds appealing to you, why not learn more about life in the Community Support department in <a href="https://careers.vinted.com/blog?categories%5B0%5D=community-support&amp;gh_src=4dae07a2teu&amp;utm_source=web&amp;utm_medium=blog" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">our blog</a>? And don't forget to check out our <a href="https://careers.vinted.com/jobs?gh_src=4dae07a2teu&amp;utm_source=web&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;departments%5B0%5D=Community%20Support&amp;page=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">open job vacancies</a> while you're there. &nbsp;

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A Day in the Life of an Anti-Counterfeit Associate

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;city%5B0%5D=Kaunas&amp;q=" 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 Agnė, Analytics Engineer at Vinted. During our interview, Agnė talked about her career journey to Vinted, explained her role-switching career jump, and shared what makes her current work meaningful.

What’s your name and job at Vinted?I’m Agnė, and I work as an Analytics Engineer in the Transactional Experience domain. Analytics Engineers at Vinted are responsible for taking raw data from different primary sources and translating it into meaningful analytical tables, which can help tackle business questions for anyone interested: data scientists, product owners, leaders, customer support. The Data Science &amp; Analytics department’s vision is to make data obvious throughout Vinted, and I feel my role plays an important part in achieving this.&nbsp;When and how did you join? Why? (Be honest!)I joined Vinted four years ago when there were only around two hundred employees here. Before that, I was a financial analyst in a manufacturing company, doing all kinds of reports, analyses, and process improvements. Even though I wasn’t looking for a change, somewhere deep down I wanted to move into the tech industry.I’ve heard friends talking about Vinted’s culture before. It caught my interest. So one day, when I stumbled upon an ad for a Product Data Scientist role, I decided to apply, wrote a warm motivational letter, put an honest effort into my homework assignment, and, to my surprise, was hired!&nbsp;How is Vinted’s mission important for you?&nbsp;It’s a great feeling to be working with a product that contributes to the growth of sustainability worldwide. It brings a deeper purpose and meaning to everyday tasks.&nbsp;Tell us about your typical work day? Do you have a morning ritual?I usually prepare for the workday ahead before it even starts. I wake up, drink a glass of water, do a fifteen minute morning exercise, meditate, prepare a nutritious breakfast and treat myself to a cup of strong black coffee. A successful morning routine sets the mood and productivity level for the whole day.During working hours, I divide my time between concentrated individual work and collaboration with stakeholders while sorting out data nuances or requirements.&nbsp;What makes you excited to wake up and go to work each morning?Firstly, no two of my work tasks are the same — and that keeps me continually stimulated, and always learning something new. For instance, we’re now preparing for the migration from the on-premise data warehouse to BigQuery (Google Cloud) and dbt (Data build tool). I feel a bit nervous about it, but it’s a good feeling because it will be a tremendous opportunity to grow my knowledge.&nbsp;Secondly, we use world-class technologies and processes, which put us at the forefront of the world’s data market. In parallel with the cloud migration, we’ll also be building a Data Mesh — the data platform version of microservice architecture. It's one of the hottest data buzzwords right now, and I’m more than excited to be a part of this.And finally, we truly have a data-driven culture here at Vinted, so the work I’m doing feels necessary and meaningful.&nbsp;&nbsp;You’ve been at Vinted for 4 years now. What was your first position?I started out as a Product Data Scientist in a cross-functional product team in the Trust domain. My responsibility was to answer various business questions using data from our app. Sometimes those questions were very abstract or oriented toward future opportunities. You had to call upon your knowledge, data, and creativity to answer them.&nbsp;Product teams act autonomously, so it was great to drive our initiatives and see the impact we make. It’s like a micro-entity inside the company.&nbsp;Why did you decide to switch career paths? What was the main motivation?While working in a product team, I felt I enjoyed and brought more value to the technical side, such as writing data jobs, tackling data inconsistencies, and improving datasets. Back then, we didn’t have specialisations. Product Data Scientists were responsible for the whole pipeline: from preparing data in the data warehouse to providing business insights out of analyses.&nbsp;With Vinted’s growth, the role inevitably split into three positions: Data Scientist, Decision Scientist, and Analytics Engineer. Then I realised that it was a perfect opportunity for me to switch roles. My lead was super supportive, and here I am.&nbsp;What was easy and what was hard about it? Tell us about the process.I wouldn't say anything was particularly hard. I was already doing some analytics engineering in my previous role. The only difference was how I divided my time; I switched from full-time analyses to full-time engineering. It wasn’t a massive change, but significant enough. It also didn't happen overnight. I shifted into it gradually and had to prove my capabilities.I had (and still have) to deepen my technical knowledge, which was challenging, but also enjoyable. My greatest advantage was my knowledge of how both the data and product teams work.&nbsp;I now see my work as a product I supply to the end users. The end user used to be me, so I find it pretty easy to understand data requirements when the demand arises. For example, when we launch a new feature, I can quickly understand what kind of tables will be useful and how to design a new dataset from the raw backend data or tracking events.&nbsp;What would be your top advice for someone who wants to change careers to something they virtually know nothing about?The most important one — please don’t hold yourself back by thinking that something's too complicated or impossible.&nbsp;One interesting fact about you?It might sound unusual, but I’ve been wearing only black for almost twenty years. It started as a gothic teenage rebellion and developed into my own individual style over the years.&nbsp;No, I don't get bored of it, and yes — it gets a bit warm during the summer!&nbsp;By the way, do you use the Vinted app? If so, what’s your way of using it?I was using it a long time before joining Vinted as an employee. Usually, I buy black clothes!&nbsp;When I see something I like in a clothes shop, I memorise or write it down and wait for the item to appear on the Vinted app. Someone might have bought it and didn’t like it, so I’ll buy it second-hand from them. It's a definite win-win situation.&nbsp;Aiming high daily is not easy – how do you relax?Music takes up a lot of my spare time. I listen to a variety of genres, visit concerts weekly, and travel to watch my favourite artists’ shows across Europe. I also attend online music history courses and read biographies and I’ve been going to music quizzes with a group of friends for years. I secretly cherish a dream of creating some music myself. I reckon it would be very structured and mathematical, yet delicately emotional.&nbsp;Pick one piece of media to recommend. Why do you think it deserves someone’s attention and what role does it play in your life?The School of Life&nbsp;instantly pops into my head. If you’re either going through a tough period in your life, as we all sometimes do, or you simply want to grow as a better human being — The School of Life <a href="https://www.theschooloflife.com/shop/">books</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/theschooloflifetv">videos</a> are a great source of wisdom. They cover various themes. From relationships, self-love, and work to philosophy and art. But most importantly, they teach a more empathetic approach towards life, ourselves, and others.

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Agnė Misiukonytė: Don’t Hold Yourself Back by Thinking That Something’s Impossible

Meet Eidvilė and Agnė – our newest Product Designers – who joined Vinted after graduating from Vinted internship programme. During our talk, the alumni get into the details of their internships, the opportunities they provided, the lessons they learned, and tips for future interns.

Hi! Can you introduce yourself and tell us what your roles at Vinted are?&nbsp;Eidvilė: Hi, I’m Eidvilė, and after my internship, I joined Vinted as a Product Designer in the Monetisation domain.Agnė: Hi, I am Agnė. I joined the Design System team at Vinted as a Product Designer as well.&nbsp;So, Agnė, tell us a bit about your professional background and what led you to apply for an internship at Vinted.Sure! My background is in architecture, where I worked for eight years. My work consisted of creating functional, sustainable, and aesthetically pleasing designs, which I enjoyed. But then I found out that designing products is very similar. It’s also about creating a structure that should be useful, usable and visually appealing – but in the digital world.&nbsp;

&nbsp;Eidvilė, what about you?My road to product design also wasn’t straightforward. After several years across different roles in tech marketing, communications, and visual design, I switched my career to product design. During this time, I got to know myself and figure out where my professional curiosity lies. Product design seemed to combine it all – technology, visual aesthetics, and human-centric problem-solving. I love the multidisciplinary aspect of this field, where I can put my curious explorer nature to use.&nbsp;Splendid! Let’s move on to the Vinted Academy itself. What are the most important things you’ve learned during this internship?&nbsp;A: I think I learned many valuable skills. One of them was time management. Because we had to narrow down the scope and deliver designs that developers could implement in quite a short time – we had to plan and prioritise the main features without getting lost in ideas.Another valuable skill was collaboration. It may seem simple, but in truth, it can be hard to stay open-minded and listen to different ideas and solutions all the time without getting defensive. Receiving feedback from a diverse audience was a great thing! Not to mention the design critique sessions, where we could listen to other designers' feedback and share our thoughts as well.E: I share many similar thoughts to what Agnė mentioned. What I would add is that, most importantly, I learned how to better frame problems and have a clear approach to what I am trying to tackle with the designs.Receiving and giving feedback was also a crucial piece of learning. Gathering relevant information and feedback is essential in this role, and I am happy to have had space to develop the skill to do this better.&nbsp;Eidvilė, has the mentorship you received during the internship boosted your career?It definitely did. During the Academy, mentorship was at the core of our learning. We had personal mentors who helped us address general professional growth questions. Also, we received more project-specific mentorship in the form of design critiques and such. I learned a great deal from the questions they raised to challenge us. They helped to create a solid base for our decision-making.

I also got a more realistic view of what a product designer's role means. Each of the mentors had a unique way of approaching the same problem. I found this inspiring, and it helps me when I'm looking for a way to tackle the challenges I face.&nbsp;&nbsp;Agnė, what's your outlook about the mentorship you received?I found mentorship at Vinted a valuable experience, especially at the beginning of my career. Eidvilė and I were challenged to think, find the most suitable answers and make independent decisions with the given tools, guidance, and honest feedback. That helped us to move forward and be able to navigate almost independently.In addition, I had 1:1 meetings with my mentor to talk about future growth possibilities, how I was feeling, what challenges I was facing, etc. Sometimes that helped as mental support as well.&nbsp;How were you feeling before the application? Did you have any hesitation? What finally made you apply and go for the opportunity?E: At the time, I was already well invested in switching my career to product design. It was yet another lockdown, and I’d spent my after-work hours doing upskill UX/UI courses.&nbsp;So when my sister shared a post about Vinted looking for interns, I was sure that it was the opportunity and place I’d been waiting for, so there wasn’t much hesitation, to be honest.A: Back then, I was actively looking for a start-up or company I could join to gain real on-the-job experience. So I did not hesitate and applied immediately. I had heard many good things about Vinted’s culture from a few people who work there and was thrilled to see the UX track added to the Academy that year. After a while, I received an email about proceeding with the selection process and was very excited!&nbsp;How would you describe the people who work at Vinted? What should anyone applying for an internship have in mind?E: Well, every person applying should have in mind that they will have a chance to work with many talented people. Vinted is a positive work environment where everyone seems to share the mindset that in order to reach the best result collectively, one has to be open to diverse perspectives. Generally, I feel lucky to have joined colleagues who have a sense of purpose and are excited about what they do.A: The atmosphere is quite relaxed at Vinted. People are encouraged to express themselves, be proactive, and share their opinion. I find people here very professional and would describe them as friendly, supportive, and collaborative colleagues who enjoy what they do.&nbsp;What are you currently working on within your team, and how much time at work do you spend learning new things?&nbsp;A: I work in the Design System team. We are responsible for maintaining a&nbsp;unified visual language at Vinted. Our task is to help designers and developers collaborate more efficiently and optimise their work by creating UI and UX elements they can use as a kind of LEGO blocks in their designs – made to build anything.A collaborative atmosphere&nbsp;helps immensly and prevents you from getting lost in too many technical details. I learn all the time with every task I do. It’s fun and exciting because there are always supportive colleagues who are glad to help and share their experiences or resources. Besides, at Vinted, every designer has a learning budget for books, courses, and conferences which helps you gain knowledge as well.E: During the first couple of months in my new position, I learned new things every day, including processes, tools, and the best ways to collaborate with the team across different roles. Once everything settled down, I started using another great Vinted perk for employees – the&nbsp;learning budget. Currently, I am attending a Behavioural Design course at Hyper Island. I’m happy that Vinted provides me with so many ways to grow.&nbsp;And last but not least, a question for both of you:&nbsp;are there any unsung heroes that help you in your work (perhaps people from other teams)?A: Vinted people are so collaborative, willing to share their knowledge, give feedback, and be friendly, supportive, and positive. I would say that everyone is an unsung hero at Vinted.E: Thanks to all the unsung heroes, Vinted is working smoothly across several different countries and offices. We have the best work conditions and equipment and do not have to worry about anything. What's left for the rest of us is to focus on how we can do our best work. &nbsp;

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Former Vinterns: Constant Learning and Growing at Vinted

Meet Witek, Manager of Data Science &amp; Analytics at Vinted. During our interview, he talked about his day-to-day work at Vinted, told us why growth is vital in personal and professional life and opened up about his curiosity for life.

What’s your name and job at Vinted?I am Witek. At Vinted, I work as a Manager in the Data Science &amp; Analytics team and the Leadership team of the Monetisation domain. The latter department is responsible for the added value from paid services and advertisements. These additional revenue streams allow Vinted to reduce buyer fees or shipment costs. And as a result, improve the proposition to all Vinted users.&nbsp;When and how did you join? Why? (Be honest!)I joined Vinted when it acquired Bloom, the company I had worked for before. It was an Amsterdam-based consulting company that combined strategy and data science to accelerate digital growth. We had been consulting with Vinted for almost two years. So I had first-hand experience of how the values and mindsets of the two companies aligned.&nbsp;How is Vinted’s mission important for you? What extra efforts do you take to live sustainably in your life outside work?My professional background is in sustainable energy. I studied nuclear physics, and my first job as an applied physicist was all about solar energy. I see sustainable consumption (next to sustainable energy) as a crucial element that we should embed in our society.Personally, I have reduced eating meat and switched to one of the most sustainable energy providers and banks. Besides, I take trains instead of planes where it makes sense.&nbsp;Tell us about your typical workday? Do you have a morning ritual?There is no typical workday. But a week usually consists of having talks and discussions with my data team about the insights of analyses, as well as personal development.With my leadership team, we have workshops to develop the domain strategy, identify growth opportunities, and build the roadmaps and organisation around it. And individually, I always look into our key metrics to understand drivers of change and the possible actions we should take based on those drivers.&nbsp;What makes you excited to wake up and go to work each morning?Vinted has large ambitions. The company grows and changes extremely fast, which requires a lot of flexibility and energy. But this is also what makes it very exciting for me. It is an adventure that I go on with very smart, motivated, and supportive colleagues.&nbsp;How important is growth to you? What role does it play in your life outside work?&nbsp;I’ve always been eager to learn and understand things. I enjoyed studying applied physics because I am curious about how the world works. Then my interest in how business and strategy work was the reason why I switched from my first role to my second job. And now, my personal growth is mostly about learning what drives and motivates people.&nbsp;How does Vinted contribute to your growth? What work and side projects could you name that have taught you a lot?No week is the same at Vinted. That’s why most learning and growth is on the job. Next to that, Vinted highly encourages learning and personal improvement. We have a significant learning budget for anything that helps you grow faster and better. You can use it for books, training, courses, or coaching.&nbsp;Also, Vinted has multiple in-house training programs. For example, the Data Science and Analytics program, where you can develop technical, business, and people skills. Personally, I learned a lot from the leadership training series offered by Vinted.&nbsp;Usually, when people talk about growth, they mean advancing to a higher, often managing position. What do you think about horizontal growth?Well, we cannot live in a world with only managers, right? Within the Data Science &amp; Analytics organisation, we have two tracks: the people-lead track and the individual contributor track. Both are equally important, have equal growth potential, and are rewarded based on the impact you make.&nbsp;People say you can learn a lot from teamwork – is it true for Vinted? Could you give an example?In my previous job as a consultant, I worked on most projects independently. At Vinted, we take a different approach. Here, working in a team brings me a lot of value because we learn from each other's backgrounds and experiences. We complement each other's strengths and weaknesses. This gives us a strong sense of achieving things together.&nbsp;What has Vinted taught you that is not directly related to your job?Vinted's headquarters and most of my colleagues are in Vilnius, Lithuania. The place where Vinted was founded. I've managed to learn a lot about its history, culture, and people.&nbsp;By the way, do you use the Vinted app? If so, what’s your way of using it?Yes, I started using it when I joined Vinted. By now, I’ve bought shoes, shorts, a sweater, a jacket, and swim shorts via the app.&nbsp;One fun fact about you?I participated twice in the Dutch Championship of jigsaw puzzles. With a team of 4 people, we had to complete a 1000 piece puzzle as fast as possible while competing against 40 teams. Too bad we did not win, but it was quite an experience!&nbsp;Your favourite place in the world?The mountains are the best place in the world. I enjoy hiking a lot and took up mountaineering a few years ago. The mountains never stop to amaze and impress me. Being there can be a humbling experience and gives a feeling of fulfilment when you reach a summit or complete a part of the journey.&nbsp;&nbsp;Aiming high daily is not easy – how do you relax?Sports make me feel good and relaxed. I like to swim, cycle, and climb. Additionally, I play the piano. It was during the pandemic that I started taking piano lessons. Now I try to play every day.

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Witek Nawara: Growth Requires Teamwork

Meet Modesta, Vinted's Marketing Production Lead. She shares the story of her unusual journey to Vinted, what makes her job meaningful, the impact of the company’s growth, and how her leadership journey is going.

Hi! What is your name and job at Vinted?I am Modesta Vaitonytė, and I work as a Marketing Production Lead at Vinted. My job is leading one of the Production teams and managing its creative projects, including TV and digital video content, radio, and OOH (out-of-home advertising) production.&nbsp;When and how did you join? Why? (Be honest!)It is quite a story! In fact, it was not on my first try that I joined Vinted. In 2018, I was working in a digital agency as a Project Manager. I had worked with multiple brands but wanted to move to the clients’ side. My sister told me that Vinted was hiring a Marketing Project Coordinator, so I applied.The whole application process was smooth, but I did not get an offer after my try-out day. It was a bit sad, but Vinted made it easy as I got a personal and warm reply with their decision. They did not send me a message from a template – they shared the clear and transparent reason behind their choice. Maybe it was not my desired outcome of this story, but I felt motivated as I’d gotten so far.Besides, Vinted made an impression as a workplace where people love and believe in what they do. So when after six months, I got a call from Vinted asking if I’d like to apply again, I did not hesitate. I didn't have to do the homework tasks again – I just had one interview and moved straight to the try-out day. I was even more overwhelmed by this second chance, as I truly wanted the position. This time, I got a phone call with great news. Vinted wanted me on the team, and I joined in October 2018.&nbsp;What do you find meaningful about your job?I like the dynamism of my work. Even though the processes repeat, every project is different. Hence, I can always learn, grow and find new approaches to my work. Another thing that I admire is constant problem solving because every time new challenges occur, you need to overcome them. That requires creativity – in a management position, too. This is because nothing is set in stone, and you, together with your team, need to find the best solutions to ever-occurring problems.Also, I am fascinated by the team I work with. People often say how many talented, intelligent people work at Vinted. And that is true. When you work in an environment like this, you always feel inspired. We work as a team, where everyone cares, discusses, collaborates, and works together towards a common goal.Besides, I have always wanted to work with one brand, know it and understand it inside out. That was missing when I worked in an agency. There, you work with multiple brands at the same time. But then you do not know them by heart. Here, at Vinted, it’s a different story. Now I can say that Vinted is my soulmate.&nbsp;What makes it exciting for you to manage creative projects at Vinted?To be honest, it’s all about people. We take a human-first approach in our work, as Vinted is a product and platform which connects people. So in creative projects, our style and direction are about being relevant and down to earth. We do not create advertisements about utopian fantasies but rather look back at people’s everyday lives to find inspiration.It’s always easier to work on projects you believe in. That is the case at Vinted. In our advertisements, we tell honest stories that come from the real world. We create a product for people like us.&nbsp;What are the most memorable projects that you have worked on?One of the most memorable projects was the Vintedist, during which we did documentary-style interviews with Vinted members. We used no scripts, only real people and unique experiences. The whole process was enriching for everyone involved in this project. It was an ice-breaking project which gave a start to other beautiful creatives: from Vintedist-inspired execution in different markets such as <a href="https://vimeo.com/474715028">the UK</a> and <a href="https://www.eddy.tv/film/work/1449/vinted-director-s-cut">France</a>, to the latest projects we are currently working on.It was memorable to learn how to participate in the video shoots online for the first time during lockdown. As well as to come back on a live set after almost two years. The shift takes 12 hours, and we work 3-4 days in a row, so attitude matters. For example, in one of the last shoots in Madrid, the director had the tradition to play a special song for each shot to enhance the mood for the actresses and actors. The result? The team of more than 20 people ended up dancing while the camera was rolling.&nbsp;How is Vinted different from the last places you have worked at?At Vinted, I would never describe people as a labour force, and our work is not only about monetary value. Everyone takes care of each other and works towards the same goal. Therefore, you feel appreciated for your work and feel the same about the people around you. That’s important because when you feel happy, you can achieve more. There is zero competition between employees, and we work together as a team, supporting each other. We value mental health and the human side of our work too.&nbsp;What would be the top three things that have changed in the company since you started?&nbsp;I’ve been working at Vinted for 3 years already, and the biggest change, of course, is the number of people that have joined the company. When I started, there were 200 of us. Now there are over 1000. Speaking about the Marketing department, it went from 20 to 100 people in three years. So the number of different people joining Vinted skyrocketed. But this large group has managed to preserve the culture and even enrich it. We are more diverse than ever before.Of course, this has had its own challenges that drove change. When you work together with so many people, you must find new ways to work smarter. Therefore we are continuously working on adjusting our work processes. There is a need to be flexible when more and more people join our team. Also, new written rules appear. This is unavoidable because such a big group cannot work without them. Rules agreed on by word of mouth became formalised to establish clear processes and make sure we treat each other equally. For me, it’s exciting to see how we all manage to work in harmony.&nbsp;When you joined Vinted, did you think that Vinted would scale up so fast?I did not think that it would happen so fast. But all of us knew the ambitions. So together as a team, we worked towards achieving them. For me, the growth of Vinted became so visible after the quarantine period. It felt like a different company when so many people joined us, but as I said before – we managed to preserve the culture, which I care about.&nbsp;How do you stay interested in staying with one company for a prolonged time?&nbsp;In my previous work, I wanted a change after 2 years. Vinted is a different experience because of two things. Firstly, what is keeping me here is a strong culture and values which align with my personal ones. We grow, aim high, and work together towards achieving a common goal. Another thing is constant growth. I still feel that the company is vibrant and flexible. I certainly do not see stagnation as we always move forward.Most importantly, I work with a product that I admire, and I think that is every marketing specialist’s aspiration. Vinted creates sustainable value for its users and us, its employees. The idea of a mission-driven approach that also improves Vinted members' lives is wonderful. So I feel complete here, and that, without a doubt, encourages me to stay.&nbsp;What was the biggest challenge you overcame during this time? Was it a painful lesson to learn?There were some challenges during my time here. It would be naive to think that everything is effortless. There are high and low moments. One of the latter was Covid with its isolation and changed reality which sounds a bit cliché&nbsp;but let’s face it – many of us were affected.&nbsp;The company’s growth was a challenge as well. It’s always hard to change your work habits when you are used to working in one way. For example, recently, we changed how&nbsp;the Marketing department is structured and created new&nbsp;teams&nbsp;to operate more efficiently. These changes bring better results in the end, but the process itself is not always comfortable.&nbsp;You recently became a Marketing Production Lead. How is this journey going?It is still really fresh, and it will take time to adjust. But I’m happy about it. My team’s positive reaction was encouraging. So I am just starting this journey of helping my team grow and vice-versa. I get to grow as a lead as well, and the company supports it. There is leadership training, discussions, and other activities. So you can learn both theoretical and practical skills of management.Also, I have a mentor, my lead, from whom I am learning how to ask the right questions and find the right answers. It is a mutual process based on trust and support. So it is an open and helpful environment.&nbsp;By the way, do you use the Vinted app? If so, what is your way of using it?&nbsp;Yes! I use the app at least once a month. I first tried it as a buyer. And when I started working at&nbsp;Vinted, I stopped buying fast fashion. Now, I choose between getting something on&nbsp;Vinted or buying a new high-quality item. It's amusing&nbsp;when people ask me, “where did you get this?” and I say, “Vinted”. Then I feel like I’m in one of our ads.After some time, I started selling on the app as well. That’s because I wanted to declutter my wardrobe –&nbsp;it helps to declutter my head too. I usually give my buyers a good discount, because I no longer need these items but they can make someone happy.&nbsp;Pick one piece of media to recommend. Why do you think it deserves someone’s attention, and what role does it play in your life?&nbsp;I recommend the podcast The Hidden Brain&nbsp;about human behaviour based on brain research. I like this topic because the brain is a magical place for me. I am really interested in why we act in one way and not another in certain situations. And this podcast answers a lot of my questions.

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Modesta Vaitonytė: Vinted’s Values Align With My Personal Ones

Arūnas Umbrasas‘ career path at Vinted has taken him from working as a data scientist in Special-Ops to leading Trust &amp; Safety as a Director of Data Science &amp; Analytics. Arūnas tells us about his journey to becoming a director, and what he thinks it takes to succeed at work. &nbsp;

Hi Arūnas! What’s your “becoming part of Vinted” story?&nbsp;I joined Vinted back in 2019, and luck played a significant part in it! Up until then, my career was in consultancy-type roles. I was looking for an opportunity to move from consulting to a company where I can deliver consistent impact and see projects through from beginning to end.&nbsp;I met for an interview with Artūras, the Head of Strategy &amp; Analytics at the time. One homework assignment and one try-out later, I got invited to join as an individual contributor. I knew very little about Vinted before the interview, and was pleasantly surprised to find such a great company hiding right under my nose in Vilnius!&nbsp;&nbsp;Was managing a Data Science team at Vinted your first leadership position?&nbsp;I became a team lead after a year of working with Vinted, as the company was growing rapidly and a new organizational structure was taking shape. It was my first real leadership position, even though I had experience leading projects and ad-hoc teams as a project manager. But the aspects of long-term people leadership were quite new to me.&nbsp;Was it hard adjusting to having a permanent team that you lead?&nbsp;My first months as a team lead were stressful and awkward. On the bright side, this lack of experience, coupled with the immediate responsibility of a battlefield promotion, was very motivating. Since then, I have read books and taken courses on management, made many mistakes, and collected tons of feedback. Ultimately, it’s about reading a bit, working a lot, reflecting, and improving!&nbsp;So far, what do you think is the key to leadership?&nbsp;To me, leadership is all about caring and taking ownership. To achieve great results, you need great people and processes that enable them - and we have both at Vinted. As a leader, you have to be ambitious and result-oriented, but also care about the people you work with. We’re all in it together and it’s important that everyone is engaged and enabled to aim high and deliver impact.Ultimately, I think there is no silver bullet to leadership – it’s challenging, you inevitably make mistakes, and you never stop learning. Vinted has been a great teacher, because it's an environment that provides loads of responsibility, freedom, and opportunities to learn, both through mistakes and successes.&nbsp;&nbsp;What does a typical workday of a Director of Data Science &amp; Analytics look like?&nbsp;Getting things done and abusing coffee are the only things that are routine about my day. Typical activities during the week will include 1:1 meetings with my colleagues, planning and strategizing sessions, as well as analysis and problem-solving. The Trust &amp; Safety domain is still growing, so figuring out organizational structure, ownership, and having interviews with candidates are tasks that I also engage in fairly often.&nbsp;Is there anything in particular that motivates you to start work each morning?It’s the combination of difficult challenges, pressure, and smart colleagues. At Trust &amp; Safety, our mandate is to keep Vinted and its members safe from increasingly sophisticated fraudsters. There’s always something to do and the right solution is not obvious, which keeps you on your toes. The nature of this work is that it’s adversarial and never fair: the attackers can be smarter than you, there’s almost an infinite supply of them, and they stand to gain disproportionately large rewards. The landscape is also ever-changing: you might be proactively improving your defensive tools &amp; processes one day, but a vulnerability in the system will put you into reactive mode the next day. I can’t imagine work that’s more fun than this!&nbsp;Vinted is all about sustainability. How is Vinted’s mission important for you?I truly believe that Vinted can make a positive difference by enabling a way to trade second hand that’s both convenient and sustainable. The mission is close to my heart: I tend to avoid frivolous purchases, only buying what I need, and trying to buy high-quality, durable items that last long in order to minimize waste. I also believe in consuming ethically-made items: goods made from sustainably sourced materials, without animal cruelty, and produced by workers making a fair wage.&nbsp;What principles do you apply to your mission as a Director of Data Science &amp; Analytics?&nbsp;Working in Trust &amp; Safety, it’s important to be ambitious, accountable, and analytical. We try to be forward-looking but remain flexible. Incidents in Trust &amp; Safety are unpredictable by definition and an attack during the weekend can ruin your carefully crafted plans. Still, we don’t take this as an excuse and try to have ambitious targets for how safe and resilient the platform should be - and we stick to these targets regardless of circumstances.To succeed in an environment like this, we look for people who welcome a challenge. We also take care of each other - it’s a marathon, not a sprint - so balancing intense work with rest is critical. To that end, we collaborate closely, prioritise prudently, and lend each other a helping hand when times get tough.&nbsp;You‘ve told us a lot about the importance of growth and making an impact. Are these the things that give meaning to your job?&nbsp;Yes! To me, meaning comes from having the right direction, opportunity to grow as a person, and working with great people. Vinted offers all of it - our mission is ethical and inspiring, but also achievable, and I get to work with amazing people every day!&nbsp;&nbsp;By the way, do you use the Vinted app?Yes! I both buy and sell items!&nbsp;At work, we‘re most likely to see you in meetings. What would we find you doing during your free time?&nbsp;It depends on whether you catch me on a weekday or my days off. After a busy workday, you’ll find me reading or catching up on some Netflix, but I also try to hit the gym every evening! On weekends, I’m very likely to go running, hiking, or attending endurance events like Bebro Kelias and Alfa Run during the summer.&nbsp;

It sounds like you‘re an outdoorsy person! Where’s your favourite place in the world?It must be Iceland. I visited it years ago, and was fascinated by the country’s nature and infrastructure. It’s cosy, there are landmarks on virtually every kilometre of the country’s excellent roads, and the landscape is just out of this world! Not to mention the Blue Lagoon!

It was a pleasure talking to you, Arūnas. What piece of media could you recommend to anyone who has read this article and shares some of your interests?&nbsp;For all the petrolheads out there, I would recommend a YouTube channel called<a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/RegularCars/videos"> RegularCars</a>. An anonymous ex-English teacher runs it. He reviews regular cars – old, beaten-up, affordable, loved or hated – but driven by ordinary people. What’s fascinating about this channel is that someone with a literary education creates its content. His reviews gloss over the technical details of cars, but drill down into the socio-economic context of the time when the vehicle was designed and produced, the feelings that these used cars evoke, and the portraits of their current owners. The humour is the best I’ve seen in an automotive channel. Through references to transcendentalism and romanticism, the author will explain why when people see a Ferrari they will want to know about its owner, but they usually only care about the car itself when they see other such exotic vehicles.

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Arūnas Umbrasas: Freedom at Vinted is Challenging but Engaging

Ina Semionova is a product designer at Vinted. She shared her story about her main inspirations in life and her attitude towards sustainability which has its roots in her own family.&nbsp;

What do you do at Vinted and why?Here I work as a product designer. In a nutshell, my job is to create the best user experience for Vinted members. This position makes my daily to-do list vary greatly! For example, one day I’m trying to see into company business goals and define user problems, whereas another – I’m thinking of design solutions, participating in user interviews or even consulting with the legal team. Every day is very dynamic, and you rarely feel bored with your routines here! This is why I love Vinted – its environment drives your personal growth.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;What do you like most about Vinted?An opportunity to grow is probably my favourite thing here. I’ve been working at Vinted for two years already, and I still feel like there’s room to grow and there are interesting challenges waiting to be solved. For me, that’s very exciting because usually I get bored in one place after two years! Constant personal growth and self-development are very important for me. Vinted has the perfect environment for that – your professional ambitions are well-guided by your mentors and nicely equipped with a learning budget. You just need to show willingness and not to be scared of a change!Vinted also stands out with its people. It’s an organization full of curious, enthusiastic, well-educated and caring people. It’s not only nice to meet all of them, but also learn from each other and share different experiences!Last but not least is the main company’s goal. By working here you have an exceptional opportunity to be a part of a big social change – promote circular and sustainable fashion. And I think this aspect is very important in nowadays society.&nbsp;&nbsp;What does sustainability mean to you?For me, sustainability is a conscious choice to be less wasteful and more nature-focused. We live in abundance of things and there’s a great need for a shift from extrinsic to intrinsic values. So stripping everything down to the basics and leaving only the things that are indeed necessary is, in my belief, the way we should follow now.&nbsp;&nbsp;Which is your favourite ever Vinted purchase?It’s a jacket from a small German brand. Actually, I bought it a while ago, but still wear it quite a lot! It’s a high-quality and very versatile garment suitable for many occasions. To be honest, before joining Vinted team, I had no idea I could find such amazing things on the second-hand market!&nbsp;Who and what inspires you?Many things inspire me in different ways. Mostly it’s art, cinema and music gigs. I used to visit art galleries while travelling, but now when I don’t have this opportunity I like scrolling through Pinterest or watching old movies. Actually, I’m a bit obsessed with looking for interesting colour palettes and compositions in interiors, fashion and movie shots!I also love looking at paint or design documentaries on YouTube. Something about a secluded artist’s life has always been very appealing to me. Spending time by thinking about the nature of things, mixing paint for me seems very unmodern and extraordinary in today’s fast-paced, work-possessed world.&nbsp;&nbsp;What were the biggest influences in your professional field?It’s definitely my family – very hard-working, DIY-oriented and creative people! None of them are actual artists, but they always strive to be original by making their own pieces of furniture or altering clothing. Such atmosphere made me quite resourceful and persistent, which I believe are useful personal qualities for a designer!&nbsp;Another big inspiration for me is Ash Thorp. He’s a self-taught multidisciplinary designer, 3D artist, illustrator, photographer and filmmaker. I actually studied history in university, and have no other formal education in design or development. Thus, at the beginning, such motivational people as Ash Thorp inspired me to pursue a different career path and helped me realize that everything is possible with hard work and clear goals!&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;How do you keep a work-life balance?Honestly, for me it’s a constant struggle to keep balance in life! I need to be conscious of my decisions and know when to stop, do nothing, don’t feel bad about it and even enjoy it. When working towards a certain goal, I often forget that downtime is as important as the hustle itself. But don’t get me wrong – I don’t want to glorify workaholism as it’s quite dangerous for personal health.&nbsp;Actually, getting a dog has helped me with that immensely. Now I spend at least an hour in nature every day. My dog Nike gets to run around freely and I have some quiet time to organize my thoughts. Also, I don’t open my computer after working hours and silence all the notifications. I believe you can always reach a person by calling if it’s indeed important! I also like calming my mind down by reading some books or listening to my favourite music.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;What are you reading at the moment?Usually, I read several books at a time. I also listen to audiobooks when I’m driving. I just love consuming information and I have to make an effort to quiet down my mind! Here are three books I’m reading at the moment:The first is&nbsp;Alice Knott&nbsp;by Blake Butler – a weird, brain-twisting, apocalyptic, sometimes even uncomfortable to read novel telling about art, family and memory. This is not some summery, holiday or feel-good read that you can easily breeze through and just forget. It’s a book that demands to stop, think and savour the language.&nbsp;Another one is&nbsp;Money: Master the Game&nbsp;by Tony Robbins. Actually, I’m quite embarrassed to admit I’m listening to this audiobook! However, one of my goals for 2020 was to become more financially aware. It’s one of those subjects that has always seemed boring, and I was just simply ignoring it for a very long time! This book is not a deep dive into the finance world, but a nice primer for more serious stuff.&nbsp;The last book I’m currently reading is&nbsp;The Making of a Manager&nbsp;written by Julie Zhuo. Actually, this book has become a classic read at Vinted office! A lot of colleagues have read and recommended this, so there are many on the waiting list. This is not surprising because the book is very practical. It helps you grasp management role better in a very easy to understand way. I’m currently just trying out the waters of what it means to lead people, so this has been very helpful for me so far!&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;What music do you like to listen to?Mostly punk, sometimes metal, and all the music genres in-between these two! Previously, I used to be much more adventurous and liked searching for new and interesting sounds all the time. However, now I don’t have enough time to do this, so I stick to the same genres and just enjoy it.&nbsp;&nbsp;If you could host a dinner and invite three people, who would you invite and why?First of all, a perfect dinner of mine would contain three things – great food, lots of laughs and interesting stories! So I’d definitely invite a French photographer, illustrator and author Garance Dore, an American chef and travel documentarian Anthony Bourdain as well as Trevor Noah – a South African comedian, writer and producer. All of them are amazing storytellers with their authentic lives and extraordinary experiences! They inspire me a lot in setting my goals and making my own path in life too.

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