Welcome to the latest edition of our ‘Introducing’ series where we’ll be catching up with Back-end Developer (International), Dennis Peld. Read on to hear more about Dennis’ unconventional route to a Vaimo interview, what he’s most proud of so far and how the office has taken to his 4-year old black labrador, Karu.
Hi Dennis, good to see you! To kick things off, maybe we could rewind to your first day here at Vaimo’s Tallinn office. What are your memories and how has it progressed since then?
My first day here I remember I was just so keen to try out everything at the office, to meet everyone and to get used to the environment. Everything was so new—I was like a headless chicken! But I soon completed the induction and introduction programmes and then after a month started to get stuck into projects alongside my team. I was super excited to work on projects and to contribute as I believe that the best learning is from doing.
What was the moment you knew you’d made the right decision to work here?
It’s hard to pinpoint one exact moment as every day has been good! Compared to previous workplaces, you can’t beat the level that Vaimo is operating at, working with huge brands around the world to help them succeed. But from a personal perspective as well, an office is somewhere we spend a large portion of our days, so for me it’s crucial that it’s comfortable and the right fit—which Vaimo is. My colleagues are friendly and supportive and there are always lots of exciting things happening. Another big, big plus for me is Vaimo’s international and multinational outlook. As someone who is half Estonian, half Swedish and has lived the last 7 years in Berlin, I really appreciate the international atmosphere at Vaimo.
What does an average day look like for you?
I’m definitely a morning person, so the day usually starts early with a walk to work with Karu (my dog). Before anything, I’ll dive into the kitchen for a morning coffee. And I must say that the coffee here is tasty—if you’re in town, I’d definitely recommend giving it a try! I’ll then use the quiet of the morning to work through emails and then we’ll have our daily team meeting to get aligned on the day’s goals. And after that, it just depends on what tasks we have to focus on that day.
What do your family/friends think you do all day?
Hmm, good question. I’ve tried to explain to my mum exactly what it is I do, but her knowledge of technology is pretty limited (I’ve just about got her started on video calls). So, who knows? Maybe if you asked her she might say that I’m fixing fridges or something similar! But no, in all seriousness, she probably knows it’s *something* to do with technology.
How did you discover Vaimo and what was the recruitment process like?
Well, that’s a funny story actually. I hope you’ve got a moment? (laughing). Previously, I was working directly opposite the building where Vaimo is located. One day, whilst going about my business, I saw a sign on the window made with post-it notes which said, “Join us, we have cookies.” I’m not even a cookie fan, but the sign was friendly and it made me smile. I remember thinking to myself that they must be a friendly bunch and that maybe I should pop over to say hello (and see if they had anything else apart from cookies). But then another part of my brain was saying “oh, maybe you shouldn’t” so I just left it, but would keep seeing that sign every now and again.
Skip forward in time and I was looking at new career options and managed to secure an interview at a company in Tallinn. Then, when speaking with the HR representative, I realised that this company was located in the same building as the cookie sign—and not only that, but it was the company with the cookies! So as fate would have it, I would indeed visit Vaimo eventually!
The interview process itself was smooth and I was pleased to get feedback so quickly and so transparently between interview stages. From previous experience, it can take weeks to hear anything back, but Vaimo made the whole process speedy and straightforward!
What are you most proud of?
I think it’s one particular task I’m most proud of. We’re working on quite a complex project at the moment and I managed to complete this one task in 4 hours. This was a big success for me. I received positive feedback from my team and it was encouraging to see that I’m doing a good job which is valued!
And finally, we couldn’t let you go without a quick mention of Vaimo International’s new Chief Motivational Officer—your dog Karu…
Haha, yes I live nearby to the office so bring Karu along a couple of afternoons a week. I was a little worried about how it would work out—Karu is great around people and I thought he might start bugging everyone for attention. But as it turns out, it’s the complete opposite—everyone wants to play with him! So he’s definitely getting a lot of attention and usually returns home from Vaimo one very exhausted doggo!
A big thanks to Dennis for joining us in our latest instalment of ‘Introducing’. Stay tuned to hear more stories from new Vaimoers across our offices!
