Hire Aleksandra: 2015

2 December 2015

VALUES

When you get rid of your fear of failure, your tensions about succeeding... you can be yourself. Relaxed. You'll no longer be driving with your brakes on.

― Anthony de Mello.

Here are the most important values in my professional life. I hope they are significant in your company, as well. By knowing each other's conditions, we can elaborate greater outcomes in the future and make a positive change possible.

Positive Attitude. I believe everybody deserves being free and live their lives fully breathing in and out. Freedom is one of human desires. I reckon that positive attitude is not only a sign of healthy and sincere mind, but also a picture of a personal integrity. Optimists are happier, more successful in professional careers and more effective in interpersonal relations.

At work, possessing a positive attitude enables me to take initiative and have more motivation for upcoming tasks. My colleagues kept saying: "I like to talk to you, you are always so affirmative". In my opinion, my sense of humor and ability to see positively gave them strength and motivation for further work performance. Enthusiasm is contagious and I enjoy spreading it.

Adaptability. Flexibility might be the most important business value in nowaday's reality. It is significant not only because the world changes so fast, but also because there are as many cultures as people in the world. Similarly, in a business world each company has its culture and a system of values. Being open to change and culture provides an opportunity to complete work assignments in a more efficient manner. Openness is a strength in team working: adapting personal behaviors to accommodate others leads team to success.

My studies and personal experience helped me to develop adaptability instinct: I was studying in four places in the world (every each of them was different). Small and cozy Cracow; multicultural and innovative Frankfurt; hasty and vivid Warsaw; organized and traditional Basel. Every place means different experience, but the same desire to adapt.

Strong work ethic - hard but smart. As a young professional I understand how important the willingness to hard working is. However, spending hours on meaningless job does not bring the excellence. It is also important to work smart. My grandpa used to say: 'act courageously but advisedly'. That means attentively and efficiently. Finding ways to save some time while completing daily assignments proves that I care about a job to be done in the best way possible, maintaining my positive attitude at the same time.

Dependability. I value my job and responsibilities. Employing me, you are not only certain I will come to work on time, keep up with projects and keep you informed. This means that I am trustworthy, too. I want to see my employer succeed. This gives me a satisfation and empowers to do my work the best I can. Above all else I maintain integrity and honesty. Thanks to those qualities, business meet the success, gaining trust of customers.

Motivation to grow. I never leave myself in motionlessness. I believe that the more I experience, the better I know myself. Constant learning, keeping up with advancement in marketing, branding, market research, business and culture are very important to me. On daily basis I learn languages, read branch articles, keep pace with changing social media reality. My blog is the best prove of that quality.

Learning and adapting to new trends and skills makes job more interesting and exciting. Following current changes and embracing them is vital for success and job security.

As a young and passionate professional I would like to embark on your board. I am not only creative, energetic and with agile mind, but also loyal and reliable. The best proof of that is that after my two jobs I stayed in excellent relationships with my supervisors. We became friends.

I love marketing and the business reality. My long term goal is to become a Senior Brand Manager. I would like to acquire this position joining your company and working my way up. To make my experience even more educative I joined the FHNW School of Business in Basel, where I study for MBA.

I love working. That gives me a sense of purpose. I am a hard-working young professional. I earned my first money when I was 14. The job was easy: I curled window gaskets and packed them into boxes. In two months I earned enough to buy a first ski jacket. That gave me an idea about the real value of money.

I am passionate about stories and values. This is why I studied social sciences. Whether there are narrations about human beings, about products, about consumers or company revenue - there is always a story behind it. It is just waiting to pick it up.

New challenges in Swisslog AG

At the very beginning of the year I started working for Swisslog. This great company does really cool stuff, like robots and automated storage system, of which my grandpa (an engineer) only dreamed. Here I developed myself on an every facit. Culturally - as my first work in a foreign country I faced a completely new business culture; in communication therms - my English was always stronger than German language skills; professionally - I managed to develop some projects only by myself.

I was given a great trust and power over my time-management and task-management. Thanks to that, I composed a great database on Automated Material Handling, which is used for strategic plans of Swisslog. I introduced a new system of market intelligence, that consists of eg. competitors monitoring.

Besides, I developed my new skills in vector design. Infographics, that I made, are valued and published at the social media. That is the part of it:

GfK experience

I worked as a Research Assistant in GfK Polonia. This was a wonderful time. I was lucky to work in my field. Learning the commercial reality of our life, I analyzed consumers, their shopping behaviors, their willingness to purchase new products, their familiarity with brands. Consumers use to attach to brands. They work out the attitude and relationship with products they like or dislike. They also have different characters: some of them are more traditional buyers, some are technological savvies, some are trialists or realists. Behind every brand and every consumer is a story hidden in numbers. I was lucky to tell those histories to Brand Managers or even to Market Directors.

I was active in a sales process. That was extremely challenging. But I believed what I was offering. My positive attitude and client-oriented personality were my strengths. After some time I could act independently and take the initiative. Selling analyses is strongly associated with consulting, because the client is not always sure what need to be analyzed. I was there, asking appropriate questions, tailoring research studies and showing directions for brands' development. It brought enormous satisfaction: especially when my analysis was then used to change brand communication or reorganize the assortment.

Selling process demands some special qualities like negotiation skills, confidence and listening abilities. I developed those three not only during sales activities, but mainly in internal communication. My work and its first shape depended on other departments. Sometimes our interests contradicted, there was never enough time, never enough workforce. But I managed to overcome those hurdles and not only I always got what I wanted, but also I was remembered as a peaceful colleague. I just call it efficiency.

My colleagues enjoyed working with me. I have a sharp eye for details and a percipient mind. They asked me for expertise and could always rely on me. As an assistant I was designed to support my colleagues. I was good at sharing the knowledge - several times I conducted methodological trainings, I was confident to show my ideas during team meetings. I felt our business is growing thanks to the team spirit.

I was also managing some administrative activities. Scheduling meetings, organizing appointments, managing the CRM and carrying the detailed documentation was my daily task. My main tools were Microsoft Office programs: Power Point, Excel, Outlook and Word.

SW Research

Thanks to the experience with this small social research company I met great analysts. Those guys really know what they are doing. I was assigned to three projects with them:

1. The desk research for Children's Ombudsman. The analysis was sent to the Polish government.

2. The desk research for a private real estate developer about student dormitories in Poland.

After those two assignments I was regarded as a trustworthy and dependable employee. That is why I was invited to conduct far more difficult task:

3. SPSS analysis and report on financial situation and migration of students in Poland for the project 'Eurostudent V'. This was an international - European research. The recipient was also Polish government. All data used originated from huge databases of SW Research. Was carefully analyzed by me and shown on graphs presenting one clear story.

Internships

Like many students, I joined some companies as an intern. But what distinguishes me is what I carried them out completely for free and during summertime breaks, while other students were having fun by the seaside. I find interships highly educative. They unveiled the secret about the business reality. Thanks to them, for the first time could I speak directly to clients, learn by mistakes, excel in multitasking and prioritizing. Business is so much different than safe and warm academic field. It is more vivid, challenging, fast, demanding but cruel at times.

My first three internships were to explore different fields. I was in the radio, at theater and in research company.

I particularly appreciate internships in Exacto. (PR company) and Inventi Consulting (events, workshops, conferences, trainings, HR). The first one was highly creative and fast-paced. I was asked to take part in a yearly operational program for the key client. It was not only enlightening but also kind of fun. The latter was more product-focused. I was the person to build the clients database, then to sell products of the company. I invented marketing materials for the company and took part in promotional activities.

Non-profit

All my internships were done voluntarily. I invested my time in order to learn something. But one of my longest achievements is writing for Teatralia.com.pl. I am from the begining of Teatrala's existance. 8 years together. I write about theatre. I conduct interviews with theatre personas. I create news-sheets during festivals. This activity nurtures my desire for creativity. I not only see a theatre play at least twice a month, but also create the reviews, writing stories about theatre. Due to my migration to Switzerland I was asked to lead the foreign office of Teatralia: I am in the middle of gathering new team and managing them internationally.

Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.

-Mahatma Gandhi

As you probably read in the "Values" section, I care a lot for personal development. I strive to learn more: about other people, about the business, about myself. I was born to constantly ask questions and look for answers. I particularly like exploring human or social behavior. That is why, I started with social sciences, but I needed more holistic understanding on business:

EMBA FHNW / MBA EBS

2015 until now

I always dreamed of studying MBA. This is a life experience. It gives great opportunities, like networking, learning transferable skills, improving credibility, learning leadership and management, deeper studies on consumer behavior. Amongst all it provides a holistic perspective over the business world.

I am particularly happy to deepen my knowledge in such areas as: marketing, consumer behavior, social media management.

Sociology - Warsaw University, Poland

2011-2013

Finishing my master studies I decided to move to Warsaw. Capital city of Poland provides better outlook on business. The commercial reality is more complex, the people vary, there are more international companies.

During that time I was helping in organizing event for HR students called Academia HR. For that time I joined the Student Association for Labor Psychology.

I am also proud of my master thesis. It was an attempt to combine business theory with cultural reality. I analyzed Polish theatres' models of management. This was extremely tiring job. I interviewed eleven managers of theaters. I got to know their way of developing and managing theatre, their way to promote the culture, they receipt for the best cultural organization.

Erasmus - Fachhochschule Frankfurt am Main, Germany

2010-2011

As a part of my bachelor studies I decided to visit Germany and learn some more about communication, business psychology and get some international outlook.

That was very nurturing experience that empowered me to be more confident in communicaiton in other languages, learning new cultures and wakening the awareness of other cultures' habits.

Sociology - The Jagiellonian University in Cracow, Poland

2008-2011

That was the first time I came across the academic world. I learned from Polish famous sociologists. I particularly liked the methodology classes, where I was trying to explore the relation between social behavior and culture

I was proud of my bachelor thesis. They concerned "Foreign students' satisfaction of studying on the Jagiellonian University". Both quantitative and qualitative research were included. I spent a lot time to draw conclusions and conduct IDI (Individual in-Depth Interviews). But the result was worth the effort.

Do you know this feeling when you are focused on a task. You are so deep into your work that you almost forgot it is time to go or to take a break. You are on fire. Numbers start talking to you, graphs are making a clear story, documents are being organized themselves. Presentation speaks for itself, you feel that energy, you have a flow. This is a moment of inspiration. This is a time you are feeling something good is happening.

I have it.

I would like to keep it.

To evolve this emotion I surround myself with the greatest things ever experienced. That is love: my family, my husband, friends. Art; theatre and contemporary art. Calm: I find piece and integrity everywhere around me also by searching for a job that provides a sense of purpose.

The purpose of human life is to serve, and to show compassion and the will to help others.

- Albert Schweitzer

Free time, as the name suggests, is the time when you can feel free.

I feel that when I read about theatre, when I watch the play or movie.

I feel free when I travel. My husband and I enjoy hiking. Mostly in mountains. Climbing up the hill is like greek tragedy. At the dramatic climax point there is katharsis. It provides greatfeeling of self-dependence and overcoming weaknesses. My great Achilles' heel is heights. Wandering in high mountains costs much of my emotional effort. But it is a risk I like to take. I enjoy the moment of overcoming the self-doubt and helplessness. That what gives me strength. What empowers me to feel free.

I feel free whenever I speak to my family and I feel at home. Whenever I set the CD with John Contrane, Otis Redding or Nat King Cole. Whenever I watch a good movie. Whenever I find peace in myself

Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.
-Albert Einstein

I love this guy. Did you know that he studied on ETH Zurich? I have a firm belief that imagination is one of hallmarks of human being. Thinking outside the box is what drives our quality of life. Imagination is sometimes regarded as a creativity.

Being creative makes your life longer. On the other hand, stress shortens it. It is my firm belief (and scientificly proven fact) that creative people are less affected to stressors. They tend to see them as challenges rather than hurdles impossible to overcome. You can read more in the Scientific American.

Dr. Leo Esaki, the Nobel Laureate, indicated that the most creative period in human life is exactly the age I am (20-30 years old). He had shown that the most of innovation and discoveries by other Nobel Laureates were made at the average age of 32 (but Nobel prize itself was awarded even 10-20 years afterwards). More about that fact is here.