Ever since learning about WiseTech and our approach to designing software solutions, Ivi Olszewska decided it was a place she wanted to work. She initially joined as a delivery manager in 2019, but her background in UX design quickly led her to find her place as a senior user experience designer.
We sat down with Ivi to find out why she was drawn to a career at WiseTech, what she enjoys about being a UX designer, and how our culture encourages people to find what they enjoy and shape their career.
Can you share a bit about your career journey at WiseTech?
I’d had my eye on WiseTech for quite a while after hearing about the company from someone I know. I'd always been intrigued at how differently they approach software design solutions, and I knew it was somewhere I wanted to work. I was waiting for the right role to come up, and at the time it happened to be as a delivery manager. This was a role change for me from my previous role as a UX designer, but I really wanted to get my foot in the door, so I applied and luckily got the job.
What made me really want to work here was the fact that WiseTech does things differently. It’s a fast-growing software company with a very specific solution for the logistics industry, and I thought that this would be a challenging and interesting solution to work on. I think WiseTech were way ahead of their time with their approach to agile software development and rapid engineering. So I was very intrigued to talk to people at WiseTech about the way they approach software design and development.
What was the process of transitioning from a delivery manager to UX designer role?
I think WiseTech really allows people to find their way and choose what they really want to do. After joining as a delivery manager, a few months in I started missing the UX design aspect of my role so I started talking to people around the business, and I realized that there was a place for me in this capacity.
What really surprised me was how accommodating everyone was in allowing me to transition to a different role. We spend a long time hiring you, so why not take your time and find where you really want to be. I think the fact that I could move around and find a place where I fit was really great.
What does being a UX designer involve?
The thing that I enjoy most about being UX designer is being able to solve very complex problems. This is a business to business model, so we’re challenged with very interesting solutions on a daily basis. You really need to flex your creative muscles to apply something that isn’t just a cookie-cutter solution for a user that is going to be using your application in an app on a mobile phone.
We’re creating solutions for large, global businesses with very large complex problems, and we’re talking through cross-boundaries, languages, and different business models and country legislation.
As a UX designer, I have an incredible opportunity to learn about this subject. Getting to know the users that we’re building our software for is extremely rewarding, and understanding that their day-to-day work environment is so different to what we can imagine.
Knowing that through the work that I do, I may be impacting not 500, not 5000, but 50,000 people is a huge burden of responsibility, but it's also extremely rewarding.
How would you describe the culture at WiseTech?
I think the culture here is about being open, transparent, accommodating and creative. I personally have never feared speaking out if I notice something alarming. Certain projects may have their own risks, but everybody feels comfortable to each other and share their thoughts. The level of transparency and open communication we can have here is quite unique.
We also have a very diverse and inclusive culture, and I’m lucky that I get to work with people from many different backgrounds, this includes people from different countries, cultures and neurodiversity backgrounds. I'm originally from Poland, so I love that I get to interact with people from all over the world and really get to experience all the different people and cultures we have.
How can someone shape their career at WiseTech?
I always say to people that it’s really not about the role you're applying for, it’s about the skill set that you bring with you. I’ve probably brushed over at least three careers in my life, so I’ve acquired quite a unique skill set and I think a lot of other people have done the same.
These days, people don't want to be locked into just one role, they want the opportunity to explore and move around and find out what they’re good at. So this is something that I think is quite special here because you have that freedom to move around, and it’s actually encouraged.
When you join WiseTech in a particular role, it’s kind of soft placement. After a while if you decide that you want to move into our content team or marketing team or you want to become a developer, then we have the tools and resources here that will support your transition.
I'm currently in a leadership program, and WiseTech is the first company to have given me this opportunity and recognize my skills in this way, and I'm extremely grateful for that. We have a very robust program that pushes you to become a better self and helps share you into a leader, which can lead to future opportunities. So I can see myself staying here for a very long time.