Once you're Magnetic, you're always Magnetic – Egle Paleviciute, our Sales Executive, stands behind this statement. She joined Magnetic family twice – and probably broke the record of shortest time away. We are happy to welcome Egle on board again and sat down with her to talk about challenges – and opportunities – of the aviation industry and the importance of resilience in this exciting yet demanding environment. Egle, it's great to have this sit-down with you! Let's start with a short recap - how long have you been part of Magnetic MRO family? What was the path that led you here?
In total, I am part of this exciting place for three years – and my path here was quite winding and maybe a little uncertain. One of the people I know approached me encouraging to apply for this position. Then I just knew it's a company within the aviation industry with HQ in Tallinn, but I was already interested! Maybe because I did not know anything about aviation, but I thought WOW! This looked like an opportunity for me to see inside the mysterious field, chance to be "insider" in the industry I always found somewhat strange and fascinating – and so I dived right in! That's how I started my journey with Magnetic.
And I can say that after getting inside the industry, I found a vast number of new and fascinating things!
You joined Magnetic family twice. What was the main challenges you faced before leaving and what made you come back?
That's true! Aviation is like a drug – when you're in, it's tough to get out. And at first, I joined spare parts team – this team's work is very dynamic, ever-changing and requires a lot of quick reaction and resilience.
When I started, I immediately developed a lot of connections with people around the world – and however interesting that is, it also takes a lot of focus and energy. And it takes that from other things – like your free time, family, friends and so on. It was a big challenge for me – and then I decided I'd need to stop, get back to myself, learn again to be present – and also recharge, so I can continue improving myself and give something to the company. Sales always require to give a lot of yourself, and I think I got drained. So I took a break! But I am very happy that I made valuable personal connections with people at the company and then the time was right, we found the possibility for me to come back and use my skills, my experience and my passion for sales in a different unit at the company.
You were away for just a couple of months. Was this break long enough for you – don't you feel like you rushed back?
There's no one-sided answer to this. It was enough for me to understand I want to work with people in this company. And I already knew what I want to do, what to achieve, and it made it hard for me to stand-by already after being away for a couple of months. At the same time, of course, I can't say it would not have been nice to have some me-time still.
What are the most exciting and also the most challenging tasks in your new position? What are the differences between your role previously and now?
In my previous role, it was like running a sprint, and now I see myself like running a marathon. It's the same people, same place and the same company, but the approach in my current position, the nature of it is different from the previous one.
I have the luxury to spend more time on representative tasks, but at the same time, I also joined the team on the verge of changes – so there's a lot of work to be done, many tasks and many changes in the way – this is both challenging and exciting for me. We're again building the unit, and I like being the part of this process.
There's a tendency in your experience to join the team in the development stage!
That's true – I thought the same thing! When I started in the spare parts team, it was rapidly growing and grew in those years when I was part of it. I think I like being in this position. And I am delighted I had a lot of space to experiment, make decisions – even make mistakes! I learned a lot! And now look at them – the team's strong and structured, successful and also family-like.
Working in aviation can be very dynamic and stressful. What skills you think are essential to work in this industry?
Not only in aviation but everywhere I value being able to be, first of all, very humane. Also, in aviation, it is essential to have the resilience and know-how to deal with stressful situations. There's a lot of stress and dynamics in this work, and you have to learn to accept that there will be mistakes, challenges and situations where you can't change anything learn from it and move on. If a person has these traits, they're good to go! The rest can be learned, experienced, but these are the core skills.
Is there anything you do to wind down after a stressful day?
Since I had some time to get back to myself, I re-discovered piano. I used to play a while ago, and now when I got back to it, I realised that this could be an excellent type of meditation for me. So I am trying to spare some time for myself, pick a song suiting my mood, play and meditate a bit.
However, I think doing anything that brings joy, can help to wind down – it just needs to become a habit, and sometimes it takes some effort to maintain it. But it's worth it!
What is the coolest or most exciting project you have worked on or looking forward to? Or your best moment in general working at Magnetic?
I think I had A LOT of great memories with my team – it's hard to pick one! But I also am an optimist. Therefore, I believe there are even more great adventures ahead, and I am ready for it!
When I look back, I remember the great tradition we had with a team – each Friday before starting the day we'd gather together and shared breakfast. During this time, we'd come closer not only like colleagues but like personalities. This contributed to the feeling that we are family. I want to continue this tradition!
Sounds like a great tradition indeed. What about your free time? What are your hobbies or special interests?
Besides playing the piano, I am into cross-fit now. And I even have a new challenge – learning how to stand on my arms! I think sport helps to reduce stress. I like nature and hiking is high on my hobby list – can't wait for hiking trips!
I also like to spend some time volunteering – I support animal charities and their mission and enjoy giving something like time helping. It makes me happy – and it's an actually easy way to make a difference. There're a lot of other initiatives I also contribute to – it is simply amazing to see how little things we do can make a big difference and I am always encouraging others to find the ways how each one of us can give something to those in need!
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