So, what is it really like to work at Finlabs?
Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.
-Confucius
This is the story of how I ended up at Finlabs and my first 6 months in the company. We are starting from way back so bear with me.
Growing up, the most important thing I learned from my parents is to be curious. Learn, learn, learn! Don’t settle. Find what makes you happy and don’t stop making life exciting. Now, you might think that my parents had a very exciting and smooth life? Well, being a lawyer and a doctor, they didn’t have much of a life other than work. But through their love for their work and I got to observe them and learn from them. I also found out that I want a profession that will make life interesting, but at the same time won’t become life. My mission was to find a profession that feeds my curiosity, gives me an opportunity to learn every day, throws me new challenges constantly, makes my imagination run wild with solutions, and gives me a chance to make my ideas a reality. Finally, I found my calling, DESIGN!
First, I found out about Industrial Design. I went to university and studied Industrial Design and loved it so much that I graduated with high honors and as the first of my class. Although I was studying Industrial Design, I learned about Service Design in the process and that was instant love. I knew I had to pursue it, learn about it, study it and I knew I had to do it somewhere that was known for it, FINLAND!
As a first step, I applied and got accepted to study in Finland to do my master’s in Service Design. Moving from Turkey to Finland was not easy, but I was quite excited. I got to study what I love and work on projects that I knew were going to make an impact. As a result, I graduated knowing that I had accomplished my mission.
Then came the hard part, finding a company I can do what I love, and love what I’m doing. This was a 6-month search that resulted in the company I chose to join, FINLABS!
I had my first conversation with Finlabs exactly 1 year ago and I immediately knew that I belonged there. But I had to look at my other options as well, get to know the working culture, different companies, cities, and opportunities. I attended hackathons, jams, events, went to networking events, and met many awesome people. 5 months into my search, at one particular event, I came across the people I talked to from Finlabs again, and at that point, it came back to me. Finlabs is the place for me. 2 weeks later I had my interview and 2 weeks after that I started working at Finlabs as Junior Designer! Hurrayyyyy!!!
Now, after completing my first 6 months in Finlabs, you might be wondering if I made the right choice and if I am happy. I am over the moon! Let me walk you through why.
Week one I met the team, explored the office, got my desk, and my equipment with access to everything I needed, I learned about the practical things and had an introduction to the company culture. Now, this is all standard for starting a new job but here is the catch. After 1 week it felt like I was there for years and that’s because of the awesome people of Finlabs. They welcomed me to the team with enthusiasm and were looking forward to my work. Plus, I got the best equipment, had the opportunity to work remotely, be flexible, work side-by-side with the team, and enjoy the fun team-building activities.
After my first month, although I have supervisors and mentors in the team, it was clear they trusted me, they trust my work, and they would give me the freedom I need while giving me a chance to prove myself. I learned that good leaders make life much easier and more fun. I can talk about my ideas, give and receive feedback, get into the client projects, join and plan events for the team, and recommend new ways of work. Awesome!
After 3 months in, I got my very own in-company project. At first, I was terrified. But that fear was soon replaced by excitement because with the team I’m working with, I knew I would be supported all the way. Working with developers is not an easy job. But I got to observe them, know them, interview them, and I got the hang of it. My next step was to form new behaviors, something I am continually working on.
After 4 months in, I am pretty sure my blood runs Finlabs’ colors and I look forward to every day at the office. But then we are struck with the Coronavirus epidemic and we have to follow the government recommendations for social distancing and work from our homes. I was bummed, but thanks to our flexibility at Finlabs, I could work from home just like I could from the office. Blew my mind! Throughout university and master’s I worked for several design companies and teams, but working remotely was always unheard of. What a change.
After 5 months, with the last month working from home, I missed the office but I’m connected more than ever to my team. We have coffee breaks daily, mindfulness sessions, workout sessions, team meetings, and company meetings, all virtual. I get to see my team and I still get to connect to them. Work is moving on and is even busier than before, and I can’t possibly imagine working with a better team.
Finally, in May 2020, I’ve completed my first 6 months at Finlabs. I can safely say that it was both terrifying and challenging, but also exciting, fun, interesting, enlightening, and relaxing. Here is a quote from my team-leader, Niko, which pretty much covers working at Finlabs “At the end of the day, it’s your wellness that is the most important thing. When you feel good and enjoy work, you get results. We’re not robots. We need to listen to ourselves, and we need to have the courage to say how we feel.” I couldn’t agree more and couldn’t have a better team leader.
Also, I’m more curious than ever. So, you get the point :)
Thanks for reading my story and stay tuned to learn more about working life at Finlabs.
About The Author:
Hazal Doga Kilickap is a part of Finlabs design team. She is a Service Designer interested in Behavioral Design.
Hazal has a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Design and a Master’s Degree in Service Design. She has experience in different design fields including UX design, social design, and behavioral design coming from working with Garanti Technology, Tasarim Ussu, and Mercedes-Benz.
Hazal is the avid researcher of our projects. She’s making a big impact and strengthens our capability to problem solve and craft products and services.
