Diana Ignatyuk
Optimisation Engineer Lead at CoolPlanet
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a kindergarten teacher. Then at university, I started thinking that I don’t want to be a kindergarten teacher, because these kids don’t pay attention to whatever you do. Funnily enough, what I do now is a lot of teaching as I teach customers how to use CoolPlanetOS and make the most of the various features available.
What is your favourite part of your job?
I like that I interact with so many people. I interact a lot with customers and I take a lot of energy from those interactions. Most of the interactions I have are positive, and I really like when customers come up with questions because I can always show them tips and tricks on how to do things faster. Every time that I show them something, they are amazed and happy to discover an easier way to do their job.
What do you enjoy most about working at CoolPlanet?
Since I began working with CoolPlanet, my personality has really surfaced and this is because of the culture that is here. The culture is super positive and open. There is a lot of work that is happening, and that we need to do. But the way that we are interacting with each other doesn’t make that work feel stressful.
What keeps you motivated and driven on a daily basis?
The energy I get back from customers. I think that is one of the main drivers. Also, the fact that I can grow and learn new things every day.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Know your audience whenever you are delivering a message. It is important to know your audience so that you can convey the information in the best way possible without sharing too much information to a person that only wants the compressed version, or not enough to someone that is interested in the details.
What women most inspire you and why?
I am inspired by successful women that can portray a strong and feminine attitude at the same time. My mom was always strong every time that we needed to take decisions in the household and I really appreciated that. She is a beautiful woman that doesn’t invest that much in her looks. Working in the manufacturing industry I worked with many men, so I was missing out on the feminine attitude as I rarely saw it. So whenever I see strong and feminine women, I am inspired.
How can we better support women to get ahead in the workplace?
Growing up, women are often directed away from jobs like engineering, and into more girly jobs. I don’t really think that there are jobs for girls, and jobs for boys. Everybody should help women understand they can do anything they like doing, and then empower them to reach those goals.