We’re Expanding! Meister Welcomes Nine New Members

Another month, another batch of enthusiastic new additions to the Meister team. Our latest intake of recruits sees us well on our way to fulfilling our New Year’s Resolution to bring high-quality, fresh, new talent into our ranks.

We’re Expanding! Meister Welcomes Nine New Members

Each department has welcomed at least one new member, which means we’re all celebrating. In this post we asked all nine to share their first impressions with us. Welcome to the Meister family, everyone!

Katy Witkowski — Content Writer

Quick facts

Age 29
Nationality American
Previous Job Senior Student Resource Center Officer at Webster Vienna Private University
Describe your role at Meister in 10 words or fewer. I write, edit and proofread English content for Meister. 

Describe yourself in 50 words or fewer.

I enjoy music, nature, films and being with friends. In winter, I crochet; in summer, I travel to cold places. I’m always in the middle of a few books. When I’m not writing, I’m listening to podcasts, cooking or walking my puppy.

How was your onboarding experience?

My onboarding has been fantastic! The People and Culture team organized a full week of sessions and tutorials to get us up-to-speed on Meister’s product family and company values, as well as to outline the potential for our personal and professional development. While there has been a lot to take in, the information is easily digestible and crucial to starting on the right foot. 

What were you most excited about when you decided to join Meister?

I was most excited about Meister’s reputable work culture. In my pre-interview research, I read that the company focuses heavily on each employee as an individual, not just on output. Each team member not only does fantastic work, but they’re also inspiring people. The company’s values shine through each meeting, each project and ultimately each product we make.

Marin Frecautan — Backend Developer

Quick facts

Age 25
Nationality Romanian/Moldovan
Previous Job Ruby on Rails Developer at Salt Edge
Describe your role at Meister in 10 words or fewer. I write and fix MindMeister code using Ruby on Rails.

What inspired you to become a developer?

I never thought I would become a developer. I used to mess around with website building tools and HTML/CSS in middle school, but I had no interest in pursuing it as a profession. After graduating from high school, I wanted to study economics but was convinced to give programming a try. I then applied for an Economic Cybernetics & Informatics specialization in my home country, which was supposed to teach me the best of both worlds. I quickly realized that economics is not for me and that I had to learn programming by myself.

How would you describe your first days at Meister?

My first days in December were cool. I got to meet some of my direct team members virtually, though I wish we could have met in person. I then started researching the codebase to get up-to-speed on MindMeister’s backend.

What single aspect convinced you to join the Meister team?

They replied to my job application! It is not easy to find a new job abroad during a pandemic (unless it’s a remote job). On a serious note — the city, the products, the culture and the fact that I had heard about the company before were all important to me.

Ángel García Fernández — Backend Developer

Quick facts

Age 39
Nationality Spanish
Previous Job Full Stack Developer at Factory3
Describe your role at Meister in 10 words or fewer. I fix bugs and review and create features for MindMeister.

Why do you love doing what you do?

Coding involves the kind of creativity that allows you to put your soul in your work. I also love the math that goes on behind the scenes. When your code has a problem, you need to solve it in some way through modeling. 

How would you describe your working style?

I really enjoy working in groups, but I’ve unfortunately not been able to do so in person for quite some time — I’ve been working remotely for three and a half years. I like to help, teach and be around people. 

What is your favorite project you’ve worked on so far at Meister? Why?

I’ve really enjoyed inspecting MindMeister’s code with fresh eyes since starting in December. Our main priority is making the app as great as it can be. It’s been fun!

Henning Möller — IT Recruiter

Quick facts

Age 29
Nationality German
Previous Job Learning & Development Specialist at A1 Telekom Austria Group
Describe your role at Meister in 10 words or fewer. I recruit people who do things that I cannot.

What is your defining characteristic?

I have a great memory, especially when it comes to useless random details. For example, did you know that Bela Lugosi was buried in his Dracula costume?

What inspired you to become a recruiter?

To me, no element of work is more important than the people who you collaborate with. If the bond of friendship is woven between team members, the work we do can only improve. Recruiters bring in new team members they think will contribute to the cultural fabric of a company, which makes recruiting both fun and inspiring.

Why is Life@Meister different to working at a different company?

A lot of companies claim that they put their employees first to create an inclusive and open-minded environment, but often it’s hot air. Meister truly walks the walk. Despite rapid growth, the team is still the heart of the company. Even if the family is much larger than it was before, it is still a family.

Dorian Strohmeyer — IT Administrator

Quick facts

Age 27
Nationality Austrian
Previous Job IT Consultant
Describe your role at Meister in 10 words or fewer. I work on all matters security, privacy and IT infrastructure.  

Would you consider yourself an expert at something? If so, what? 

At this stage, I would consider myself an expert at learning, adapting and expanding my horizons. I will always strive to improve, which is a very rewarding albeit never-ending journey.

How did you prepare for your interview at Meister?

I envisioned what working at Meister would be like. Having a mental image prior to my interview made me aware of what I would be able to do and under which circumstances my work would take place. This provided me with both clarity and enthusiasm.

What is the most important aspect you look for in a new job?

The most important aspect is understanding how I would fit into the bigger picture. First, I ask myself what I can contribute to the company’s overall objectives. Then, I then try to envision my role in achieving them.

Arcadii Rubailo — Android Developer

Quick facts

Age 26
Nationality Moldovan
Previous Job Android Developer at Kiwi.com
Describe your role at Meister in 10 words or fewer. I develop the MindMeister Android application.

How would you explain your job to someone you’d never met?

MindMeister has a lot of features. My job is to transport these as effectively as possible to the Android app, because developing apps is completely different to developing web-based tools. I also maintain MindMeister’s Android app by testing the code and making sure that the app’s design is beautiful and intuitive.

Why did you decide to join Meister?

Meister seemed like the perfect place for a fresh start in the new year. I was looking for a new project, and working on Meister’s apps looked like a great opportunity. I moved to Vienna in January to get used to the city before starting my job, and I haven’t looked back.

What made you decide to become a developer?

I actually always wanted to become an architect, but I lack the drawing skills needed for that profession. However, my first computer science class showed me that I could still apply my passion for engineering and design in meaningful ways. When I wrote a very simple program that moved an animated kangaroo to reach its fruit, I realized how many useful things I could do if I told computers exactly what I wanted.

Marvin Dikic — Business Development Intern

Quick facts

Age 25
Nationality Croatian
Previous Job Capital Adequacy Intern at Deutsche Bank
Describe your role at Meister in 10 words or fewer. I support the sales team with research and analysis.

How did you find out about Meister?

Rabea Thies, our Head of People and Culture, told me about the company. She completed the same Master’s program in which I’m currently enrolled. After talking to her, I checked out MindMeister and MeisterTask and found them incredibly useful for my studies.

What excites you most about your position at Meister?

The amazing team that I am part of! I get to work with great people, and I learn so much from them. I’ve only been here for a month, but it feels like I have grown so much already.

How has your education supported your current job?

I think my education provided me with a lot of hard skills that I find very useful for my day-to-day work, such as working with bigger datasets in Excel, conducting research properly and presenting conclusions concisely.

Klelia Bilani — Finance Intern

Quick facts

Age 28
Nationality Albanian
Previous Job Accounting department at a now non-existent start-up
Describe your role at Meister in 10 words or fewer. I help to balance Meister’s books in the finance department.

What aspect of your position are you most excited about?

I’m excited to learn more about finance and work on something new. I believe that using new tools like Odoo will be challenging and rewarding for me.

Describe your onboarding experience.

It was unexpected, exciting and refreshing. The People and Culture team revamped the entire program, with a focus on easing us newcomers into the Meister environment. We became acquainted not only with what we will be doing in our jobs, but also with how the company works and the amazing people that make it great.

Describe Meister in five words.

A family growing through excellence.

Fiona Burke — Customer Success Manager

Quick facts

Age 27
Nationality Irish
Previous Job Teacher (English and Dance)
Describe your role at Meister in 10 words or fewer. I help customers get the most out of our products.

What drew you to Customer Success?

I’m happiest when interacting with people, and I believe that making people smile is important. Coming from a teaching background, I get great satisfaction from helping others reach their goals.

What are you hoping to achieve in your time at Meister?

My hope is to deliver a quality of work that I can be proud of consistently whilst continuing to bond with my fellow team members (who are a fantastic bunch).

What was your favorite previous position? Why? 

I loved teaching ballet. The mixture of technicality and artistry in ballet is something that you just don’t see every day. I loved getting into the nitty gritty details of the steps and finding methods of teaching that worked for different students. Plus, babies in tutus are so cute!

Sounds like you? Check out our current open positions and kickstart your career with Meister!