Employee of the month – Julia Kovaleva

September 21, 2018

Julia is a very talented designer.  Not only that, but she is quick to understand what is required and always meets the deadlines set for her.

Julia, tell us about yourself.

I was born in Minsk, Belarus. This is not a very large country and is bordered by Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Latvia and Lithuania.  Many years ago my country was known as White Russia. Maybe because the local Slavs used to wear white clothing or perhaps to contrast the mainly Christian population with the neighbouring pagan Balt tribes. Belarus is mainly flat with extensive marshy areas, but almost half the country is covered by forests.

There are two official languages – Belarusian and Russian. Most people here speak Russian. But in the last few years, more and more young people are beginning to speak Belarusian.

My family consists of my mother, father and my younger sister who is 16. Oh, and I mustn’t forget our pet cat!

I like reading especially classics and books of scientific interest.  My favorite genres are Popular science, Dystopia, Post-apocalyptic, Classic. Books: Roadside Picnic, Pride & Prejudice, 1984, Time machine, When the Sleeper Wakes, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, The Code Book: The Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptography.

Corfu, Greece. In fact, I’m afraid of heights.

An impressive list!  Do you have time left for any other interests?

I really enjoy photography. I don’t have any expensive equipment, just my smartphone which is always with me when I explore new cities and places in my free time.

This photo was taken on Canal D’Amour.

I recently returned from my vacation. I was in Corfu, Greece. Amazing nature. I hope you enjoy the photos.

It’s been around 10 months since you joined OTGS. What were you doing before that?

I studied psychology at the Belarusian State University in the specialty and graduated in 2015. My diploma reads “Psychologist, a teacher of psychology.”

I started to design in 2012. At first it was a hobby. Later, I started earning my first money with this although I was very unlucky with my first client. He needed a package design, but after a month of working on this every day, he was still not satisfied. In the end, I got $30 and a box of chocolates!

After I graduated from university, I was working as a freelancer. Most often it was a project work. Last summer I registered on upwork.com. After a while, I started working with Amir through this website for several months. The next time we were working, Amir made a job offer. Officially, I joined the company on December 18, 2017.

Wonderful landscape of Paleokastritsa.

What is your role exactly and what qualifications do you need to have?

I specialize in web design and graphic design. My main task is to create a user-friendly and understandable (UX), pleasant and modern (UI) interface.

A designer should be able to work with raster and vector graphics.

A web designer should understand the basics of html, css. Otherwise, there is a risk that the design will be very difficult to implement. Also, the designer must provide the frontend-developer with all the necessary files (images, icons, fonts …)

I’d like to add that because of my work in the company I have learned a lot more about animations, vector graphics, preparing printed materials. 

One of the evenings at a local restaurant.

And which people do you usually work with on a daily basis?

Most often I work with the Marketing team (Ben, Agnes, Peter, Marine, Joe, Dario, Amir) and also with  Kasia and Jakub Milczarek (Frontend development).

I start work at 9am. Usually after 7pm I go out for a walk, meet with friends, go shopping or sometimes attend special events. The evening over, I return home, read and go to bed.

Apart from doing work you enjoy, what else makes you happy about joining OTGS?

I’m glad working remotely gives me the opportunity to travel more, to see many more interesting and beautiful places!   

I am trying not to fall from the rocks.

Any plans for the near future?

I would like to reach a good level of spoken English. Now I have many daily opportunities to express myself in English and this is encouraging me to improve.

Also, I hope in the future I am going to be healthier, more athletic!

 

Julia’s experience shows us that being talented is a blessing.  Combining talent with thoroughness, attention to detail and especially a friendly and cooperative disposition is exceptional.

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