Meet Vaida! The person who knows every corner of our beloved office, helps us every day and organizes the best parties. Vaida joined our team more than one year ago and became an essential part of our culture. Read this Q&A to find out why we are so happy to have her on our team.
Tell us more about your job. What do you like the most? What inspires you?
My job is to work with various administrative duties, manage office supplies, handle internal communication, assist employees, organize events, and sometimes deal with unexpected issues which can happen in the office.
What I like most: For as long as I can remember, I have always liked communicating with different people (every PC member has different personalities, which is even more interesting and fun) and helping them in different situations. So in this role, I face it a lot. Also, this job has no routine, as the tasks can vary daily. There is a lot of room for creativity and ideas. Events organizing is also the part I enjoy – it is inspiring when a fun, sometimes huge event is created from a small idea in small steps.
What challenges do you face in your role, and how do you overcome them?
Sometimes there are situations when several important things come together at the same time. Then it is important to prioritize tasks and deadlines effectively to ensure everything gets done on time. Time management is essential in situations like this. Also, when dealing with difficult people or situations (I mean not colleagues but sometimes, for example, service providers, etc.). My communication skills help me the most to deal with this and stay professional.
Are there any specific moments or accomplishments you are particularly proud of in your role?
It may seem like a small thing, but first of all, I am happy and proud that my ability to communicate and understand people, and my responsibility to my work, helped me successfully integrate. I feel like I am part of the Present Connection team every day.
Specific moments which I am proud of: I would like to mention the two biggest events that I had the opportunity to take part in organizing. The first was when I started working last year- 10th Anniversary of Present Connection. I felt a strong responsibility to ensure everything went smoothly (agenda, music band, awards, place, and all other small details). The celebration went as planned and was fun – starting with a great atmosphere, a fantastic company of colleagues and ending with a surprise concert.
Another one was this summer – a PC trip to Malaga. This trip was unique because all PC people went to Spain. Plane tickets, hotels, agenda, and all other details had to be planned. I was working with a Spanish agency to manage all the details. I think that successful and detailed preparation ensured that everything went smoothly there, and we enjoyed Malaga with its amazing weather, Catamaran trip, and impressive Flamenco show.
I had some stress on the way back to Lithuania – because of the flight delay, we were pretty late to our plane, but everything ended well – we did it on time and now can share this fun moment when we all were running with luggage through the Madrid airport (it turns out that the running challenge we have in PC every year is beneficial in real life sometimes.
What do you enjoy most about being the office administrator?
I enjoy the people I work with and the atmosphere at work. Also, I like culture and the fact that I can participate in its creation and maintenance. Even small daily tasks contribute to the overall well-being of the office atmosphere. I feel like the work is meaningful.
Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of work?
My first (and I think trendy) hobby is traveling – It all started with my first trip to New York a long time ago. Since then, I visited many countries, and my favorite one is Italy.
On the other hand, Mexico is the most memorable (because of the different culture). Usually, I travel with people, but I would like to try Solo traveling soon.
Another one (also pretty popular these days) is practicing mindfulness (yoga, meditation) – it helps physical and mental well-being.
I am into trying new things and adventures sometimes. I recently had my first parachute jump with an instructor from a height of 3 kilometers (I still can’t believe I did, but I have a video as proof for myself) …and I will soon do my very first flight with the acrobatic plane!
How would you describe the office culture?
When I started to work here at Present connection, I often heard that it’s all about people. And it really is. Culture is based on the main values, oriented to people’s well-being in many ways (flexible work hours, learning opportunities, sports initiatives, etc.). Communication between colleagues is professional but, at the same time, very friendly and informal. This creates a great atmosphere in general.
Can you share examples of how you’ve upheld the company’s values daily?
First, it’s great when companies’ values align with personal matters, so it’s easy to follow them. The administrator’s work is related to fostering values every day. One of the main values of PC is we CARE, and I meet it often. Recently we had an internal event, Friday Lunch, together with the Running Challenge awards, and I was really into it to organize everything on time. Sometimes, It seems like minor details, but it takes time and effort.
Do you have any stories where the company’s values helped you personally?
At Present Connection, we care about Employee Wellness in many different ways. Sports initiatives and challenges are a huge part of our culture. Running challenge is one of the most popular ones.
It motivates me as well to exercise and be disciplined. This year it was even more interesting for me. I had a bet with a colleague, which he initiated: if I ran 500 kilometers during three months of challenge, I could ask anything from him (with some exceptions). And I did it! Now it’s the fun part – to think about the prize, but since I have so many options to choose from, I’m still thinking (if you read this and have some ideas – feel more than welcome to share).
