Today, we would like to introduce you to Sila Altuntas, who is originally from Turkey and works in our Product Management team. She recently relocated to Munich and is now transitioning to a full-time team member after her studies. In this edition of “My life at SimScale”, Sila shares some insights into her day-to-day responsibilities and why she enjoys working at SimScale!
Name: Sila Altuntas
From: Turkey
Position: Junior Designer
Time at SimScale: 11 months
What are your responsibilities here at SimScale?
I work as a Graphic Designer at SimScale. Initially, I was working closely with the Marketing team creating visuals for our social platforms. Then I transitioned to the Product team and now I work on creating visuals for workbench icons. We recently developed a new plugin and I’m responsible for creating in-app icons and various visuals for the installation and set up screens. Additionally, I help the People and Sales team, always keeping an eye on our brand identity at SimScale.
What are some of the challenges you have faced so far?
Overall, the environment at SimScale is easy to adapt to. At first, there was a lot of information to take in, but with the help of my team, especially my supervisor, I adapted super quickly. I have various different tasks. I’m always busy and don’t get bored. All the tasks I get are super exciting. I get to work with different teams and meet new people on a daily basis so there’s always new information to learn. This makes my job and overall experience very interesting and exciting.
What has been your favorite project so far?
My favorite part was working on the design system for our post-processor. I worked with Figma, which is a design program that we use at SimScale for UI and UX design. I created our design system and made our work process more effective and faster. It’s a work in progress, but I have made our workflow more agile and accessible which felt like a great accomplishment.
When are you the most productive?
I’m the most productive in the mornings after I have my coffee. I can work until noon very productively. I like mornings the most!
You initially started at SimScale as a working student, how does it feel to transition into a full-time team member now?
My tasks and workload increased and I have more responsibilities on projects that I find more interesting. I have the ability to work on several different projects which always make my days go by fast. Now, I get to work in different fields of design whether it’s designing an icon or a poster, editing videos, or retouching a logo or an existing design of ours.
You recently moved to Munich, how do you like it?
I moved to Germany about a year ago and I was living in Nordrhein-Westfalen. It was a suburban area, so there were not many things around. When I moved to Munich I realized straight away that the city is more lively and transportation is super easy. I come to the office from time to time which is great. Before, I was working from home and didn’t have many in-person interactions with my colleagues. It’s great to be in Munich!
Is there anything you miss about Turkey?
Of course, I miss my family and friends! I miss the town where my family lives. It’s a great place to live. The natural landscape is very different from Germany. In Turkey, I lived by the coast, so I could observe the changing seasons close to the sea. It’s very different from living in a city. Not being able to see the coast sometimes makes me sad, but overall I really like to be in Germany.
What would you say are three things you can’t live without?
I can’t live without my family. I enjoy chatting with them and hearing their opinions. I can’t live without coffee, I’m a coffee addict! And also, in these modern times, I couldn’t live without my phone. Living in another country without knowing much of the language, it’s my lifesaver.
What makes SimScale unique to you?
The people! I love my team and my supervisor makes my work life so much easier and so stress-free. SimScale is a super international environment with all of us speaking in one common language. Everyone has different kinds of perspectives on life and I’m learning a lot from people, and I assume they learn from me, too. This is what makes SimScale unique to me.
Thank you, Sila!
Stay tuned for more spotlight articles from SimScale employees and see what the team has been up to on our @lifeatsimscale Instagram feed. Want to start your own SimScale story? Make sure to keep an eye on our careers page for possible openings!
