In the next installment of the series, we will present Gabriela, our new wood production technologist, who joined the Bertrand team about 2 weeks ago. The interview with the new friend was conducted by Wacław, marketing manager.
How did you end up at Bertrand?
Classically, I was looking for a new job. At the beginning of my professional career, right after graduation, I went to work at the place where I had an internship, an interior design studio. As for my studies, I first graduated in wood technology, and then I completed my master's degree in furniture design. However, I have always wanted to go into technology. I dreamed of being an engineer in the future, so at some point I started looking for a job that would allow me to do so. That's how I ended up at Bertrand.
I know that you moved from a completely different part of Poland to work at Bertrand. Where exactly?
I moved from Lublin.
Brave decision.
Yeah. It's actually quite far. On the other hand, I studied in Poznań, from where it is about a six-hour journey to my family home. One can get used to it.
Where did you get the idea to become a technologist? Is this some kind of family tradition or was the motivation completely different?
To be honest, I didn't really wonder where my motivation came from. I remember that when I was still in high school, I was wondering, like my peers, about choosing a field and what I wanted to do in life. I came to the conclusion that I would be interested in a field of study that would include a lot of science subjects. I also wanted the classes to be practical. This is how I decided on this wood technology. Of course, this is not a popular field, it can only be studied in two places in Poland. When I was in high school, I studied biology and chemistry, although I didn't want to go to medical school after high school. So I was looking for a field of study that would include both biology and chemistry. And that's how I came across wood technology at the University of Life Sciences in Poznań.
What grade did you graduate with?
With high five!
Where does this passion for interior design come from?
If only because I have always been drawing. I liked to fulfill myself artistically. Anyway, I still do it, I still draw, I even run an Instagram account with my works. However, when it comes to work, when I had an opportunity to use my passion, I immediately went for it. Besides, I also like to do, arrange and decorate similar things at home. I liked it. And what does the work itself look like? We go to individual clients, measure the rooms, then talk about expectations and show 3D models. And then a visualization of the room is created, including furniture and individual decoration elements. A strict mind certainly helps in this kind of work.
Were there many women in the field of wood technology?
At the beginning, when I started my studies, there were a total of 20 percent of these women. However, much later, towards the very end of my studies, these proportions became very even.
How did your family or friends react when you told them that you intended to be a wood technologist in the future?
They had to check what the hell was going on first, haha. They were happy that it was a field full of technical things. They were also happy that the culmination of their studies is an engineering degree, which sounds very proud. After all, engineers are widely respected.
How did you come to Bertrand?
There was nothing surprising here, I found the offer and sent my application. Of course, before I did it, I checked what kind of company it was, what it did, and what its products were. What I liked was the fact that Bertrand had a lot of ecological products in its offer. I also liked the fact that the company makes many unique products, made to order, and that it is not a serial production.
Did any particular product catch your attention?
Not one particular product, but when I was browsing social media, I liked photos from specific projects.
What do you expect from working at Bertrand?
I would like to learn in practice what it is like to be a wood technologist. I haven't had this opportunity before, so I'm glad I got such a chance at Bertrand. The knowledge acquired during my studies, as well as my previous professional experience, will certainly be useful to me in this job. I am very happy that my little dream is now coming true. I promise myself a lot after this job.
