Kateryna Kysla’s career path at Aurora began more than 8 years ago as a sales assistant in one of the chain’s stores — and it’s still ongoing. Kateryna never stayed in one place; she continuously sought growth and kept moving forward. Her journey has been full of diverse, interesting, unusual, and quite often even fun adventures.
Let’s add a little spoiler to capture your attention — once, Kateryna interviewed her future manager. Read on to find out how it happened...
How did your journey with Aurora begin?
It was my second year at university, summer — staying at home was boring, and I wanted to earn my own money. I saw a job ad on a store door and called. I was hired at one of the largest stores near the market.
I really enjoyed merchandising and arranging products. Overall, I worked in the store for 8 months. Back then, there were no strict planograms, so we were like artists in the store — redoing displays 20 times until they looked just right.
What motivated you to move up the career ladder?
I just couldn’t stay in one place. While working in the store, I constantly kept an eye on new job openings. Around my second month, I caught myself thinking that I wanted more.
At first, I saw a merchandiser position, but it was winter — the streets were icy, I fell and ended up in the hospital for a few weeks. Of course, by the time I recovered, the position had already been filled.
I returned to the store, and then I saw a dispatcher role in IT. It felt like an unexpected twist of fate, so I submitted my application.
At the same time, we were also hiring at my store. One day, a guy came in and said, “I’m here for an interview.” So I started interviewing him, telling him about the store...
Turns out, he was actually my future manager in IT — the one who had come to interview me.
What motivated you to move up the career ladder?
I just couldn’t stay in one place. While working in the store, I constantly kept an eye on new job openings. Around my second month, I realized that I wanted more.
At first, I noticed a merchandiser position, but it was winter — the streets were icy, I fell and ended up in the hospital for a few weeks. Naturally, by the time I recovered, the role had already been filled.
I returned to the store, and then I saw a dispatcher position in IT. It felt like an unexpected twist of fate, so I submitted my application.
At the same time, my store was also hiring. One day, a guy came in and said, “I’m here for an interview.” So I started interviewing him, telling him about the store…
As it turned out, he was actually my future manager in IT — the one who had come to interview me.
I don’t see myself in any other department. I’ve found MY place!
What challenges did you face along your career path?
I wouldn’t say I faced any major difficulties… The only thing was a moment when I burned out. I remember standing at a bus stop, thinking I was going to quit… And then suddenly a car with a huge Aurora logo drove past me, and I thought, “Where would I even go? How could I be without my Aurora?))”
That’s when I realized: if I wanted change and growth, I needed to keep moving within the company. So I went to HR and said I needed a position created specifically for me. They told me they were looking for an assistant to the Head of the Foreign Economic Activity (FEA) Department.
I remember back in 2016, at a корпоратив, I saw Iryna for the first time and thought she was an incredibly strong woman — a true role model. I remember that moment vividly and the impression she made on me. Who would’ve thought back then that судьба would give me the chance to work with her for many years.
And that was it — Iryna interviewed me. Since she was in China, it happened via Skype. By the way, I seem to have a knack for unusual interviews. First, I accidentally interviewed my future IT manager myself, and this time, the head of the department asked me to recite a poem 🙂
Everything worked out — and that’s how my journey in FEA began.
What advice would you give to those who want to grow at Aurora?
Don’t be afraid! Don’t dwell on your weaknesses or failures. Motivate yourself, keep developing, and move in the direction you truly want. It can be hard — sometimes very hard. But stepping out of your comfort zone is exciting and rewarding, because your knowledge keeps growing and so do you.
I joined FEA without any relevant education or experience, and my starting salary was twice lower than before. But I made the right choice, and over time I’ve only become more confident in that.
Finish the sentence: For me, Aurora is…
A family. It’s a major achievement in my life. Aurora has given me so much: people, emotions, events, feelings, and feedback. We ran together, отдыхали together, spent our free time together. We truly lived.
Agree, this was a very inspiring story — proof that you shouldn’t be afraid of anything. Get inspired and stay tuned for more stories from our Aurora team 🤓
