Maja Mahalec
Team Manager
Before joining heloo, I worked as a German language professor for several years. I loved my job as a professor but working in four different schools at once was exhausting, so when a friend recommended me heloo, I decided to give it a go. Looking back, it was one of the smartest decisions I made in my professional life.
At first, I was really bad at my job as a customer care specialist. Dijana, my team leader at the time, later admitted she was worried in the beginning if this was the right job for me. I remember sketching the processes on paper and doing whatever I could to comprehend the job. After three months and a lot of operational, mental, and leadership support from my team leader, I went from “I don’t know how am I going to do this” to “OK, I know how to do my job now”. And after working this job for six months, I got my first promotion and an opportunity to connect my new skills with my teaching experience as a Trainer of my team.
The team grew quickly and needed another team leader, so I didn’t think twice when the internal team leader opportunity arose. Even though I fell ill around the application deadline, I was determined to submit my application. A couple of interviews later, I got the job! I was so excited I even held a mini Oscar-like speech (a bit funny and embarrassing to admit)! Once again, Diana was there every step of the way, supporting me with advice and practical hacks.
After leading my team, I advanced into leading several smaller teams. Tin, my team manager, introduced me to a different leadership style, putting a lot of focus on independent problem-solving and reaching out proactively when I needed support.
All of these experiences shaped me for the role I’m in today, a team manager one. This position requires me to make the right decisions that reflect on the wellbeing of my specialists, support trainers and team leaders, and challenge and grow my own team of team leaders – basically all the roles that I went through myself!