We sat down with our colleague Ness Sakalouskaya for an interview. She works as a Talent Acquisition Consultant in our Basel branch. Ness joined Coopers one year ago and is an essential part of the Coopers Life Sciences team, sourcing and caring for Life Sciences specialists and executives.
Ness, you have a real talent for languages: You are originally from Belarus and speak Belarussian and Russian. Moreover, you are fluent in Polish and hold a bachelor's degree in Business German and English. Does that make your life as a recruiter easier?
I'm grateful to my grandmother from whom I have my love for the native language of Belarussian. Speaking multiple languages makes the communication easier and it helps to have no barrier when initiating contact with candidates. So, I'm pretty sure it helps in my daily business.
How did you find your way into recruiting?
Usually, I let life show me the way and listen to my intuition. After school I was very much into English literature, passed all tests very well and planned on becoming an English teacher. Then, an opportunity to finish my studies in Poland came up; my home is very close to the Polish border. I flipped a coin three times – and it said Poland three times. So, I went for it! With my English skills I landed a job at a UK based recruiting agency for medical personnel; I worked for them from Poland and that's how I first got into recruiting.
Life has its ways. So, you stayed in Poland to get your career started. What brought you to Switzerland?
Sounds cheesy, but it's true: love. I enjoyed living in Poland, where I also worked at PwC for a while. The job was quite demanding, but it taught me a lot: how to set clear priorities, how to work fast and efficiently, and how important it is to take care of yourself. Also, I got to improve my German from A2 to B2. But the best part of it: I met my boyfriend, who is from Switzerland.
Almost like in the movies. Did you move to Switzerland to be with him?
Not quite. I needed a break from the corporate world; the job at PWC and the parallel studies drained me, mentally as well as physically. Yet, I still wanted to improve my German skills further, which is why I became an Au Pair at a German family. And as luck would have it, they moved to Switzerland, and I tagged along. I came to work for another family there, the mother being from Poland and the father from the USA. It was a very multilingual setting, I really enjoyed it.
It was also nice to be close to my boyfriend and I ended up moving in with him. I had to find a job and looking back on what I did before, I really liked recruiting. The networking, connecting, and interacting were my thing. Before joining Coopers, I worked at other recruiting agencies and got into life sciences recruiting.
You joined us amidst the Corona pandemic, an extraordinary time for everyone involved. What was that like for you?
I was just about to extend my contract with my former employer when Claudia contacted me on Linkedin. Then everything went smooth and quick – I had great interviews and soon after that I got an offer. Coopers considered my wishes and I felt like my previous experience was truly appreciated. So, I didn't hesitate for a second and signed it right away.
Even though most of the onboarding process took place online, I felt welcome and as a part of the family from the start. The onboarding was very well organized, and we communicated frequently.
Lucky us that it all worked out so smoothly. What do you mean by considering your wishes?
I really wanted to stay in life sciences recruiting. Contributing to the health and well-being of people. There was so much more to learn in this field, and I was eager to do so. Also, I got to start part-time, while now I am working 90 percent. Most importantly, though, I was looking for a job that allowed for personal as well as professional development.
Did you find that at Coopers?
Definitely! Coopers is the perfect mix of professionalism and a family-like feeling. Big enough to offer the right opportunities yet small enough to be able to listen to each employee. It is such a healthy atmosphere, and we all support each other. I have experienced the opposite before and appreciate the positive change a lot.
We are still building up the life sciences business and never have a dull moment. This gives me the chance to grow. I have many different tasks and can evolve.
We are very happy to hear that and are grateful for your commitment. You told us before, that you have learned how important selfcare is. Can you tell us how you wind down, what calms you?
I'm happy to. First of all, music makes everything better – and so does tidying up my flat, which is like a ritual to me. When it's nice outside I really enjoy running and I do practice yoga. Oh, and puzzling. I like the focus and concentration; I've recently completed a completely black puzzle. Quite the challenge.
Another thing I do is walking to work most days; it takes me 20 minutes and I listen to my meditation app. Moving, fresh air and mindfulness – it's the perfect start into the day for me.
That does sound like the good start, indeed. We usually finish our 5 minutes interviews with a few informal questions. Are you ready?
Yup, go ahead.
Mac or PC?
For my phone definitely iPhone; I cannot imagine any other phone. But PC for my computer. So, both.
My favorite app is...
Meditopia. It's in my native language and it's the app I was talking about before that I use when walking to work. It helps me to let things go, it's really nice.
Whom should we follow on Instagram?
My cats, they have their own account. LOL.
And also, Rare Beauty from Selena Gomez. She is an advocate for the mental health of women and donates part of her sales to that cause. And I really love the quality of the products and how aesthetically beautiful the package is.
Which three things would you take to a desert island?
Sunscreen, because SPF is BFF. My family, that is my boyfriend and my cats. And a water filtration system.
Do you have a guilty pleasure?
Yes, I do! On Saturday mornings I start the weekend with crème brûlée for breakfast in bed.
Please finish this sentence: "I love working in my job because..."
...too many things to name them all. But what I love most: The healthy environment and to have a job that helps me to develop personally and professionally. To be a better person than yesterday.
Thank you very much, Ness, for your time and the sympathetic interview!
If you would like to read more interviews, you can browse through the Coopers blog, find out more about our sports icon Cynthia here or read about Leonie and the dynamics in her team. Have fun.
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