2 min. read
Sometimes the most unexpected career paths lead to the most fulfilling destinations.
When Lidia joined 321cars (later Otomoto under OLX) as a Customer Service Specialist in 2019, becoming a software engineer wasn’t even on her radar. Five years later, she’s building AI-driven features as a Junior Software Engineer in our Jobs vertical.
Her journey? Anything but conventional.
After three years in customer service and leading a team of five, Lidia was offered a managerial position. Then the company closed. She had to let her team go — and was let go herself.
“I’d just finished my psychology master’s degree, but I was interested in IT,” Lidia recalls. “I decided to start another degree and began learning to code.”
But here’s where her OLX connections made all the difference.
Through organizing volleyball games for Warsaw colleagues, Lidia had built genuine relationships across OLX. One connection mentioned recruiting junior developers and suggested she learn GO programming language.
“I wasn’t studying GO, but I thought, why not?”
After working in gastronomy for three months (“it was humbling and gave me perspective”), Lidia applied for a junior developer role at OLX.
She didn’t get it.
The feedback was direct: her technical knowledge wasn’t there yet. But instead of closing the door, OLX opened a different one.
Months later, the recruiter contacted her about an internship position. An internship — after being in leadership.
“I thought: an internship? But I gave it a try.”
Out of 5,592 applications, 16 were hired. Lidia was one of them.
Six months later, she earned a permanent position as Junior Software Engineer, working on the Employer Panel — a key employer-branding product.
“I think my background in customer service actually helps,” Lidia explains. “I understand what users need because I’ve been on the other side. I know what frustrates people, what makes their lives easier.”
That customer-centric perspective? It’s exactly what drives innovation at OLX.
As a woman in engineering, Lidia feels genuinely supported: “Diversity and inclusion are totally supported here. Respect isn’t dependent on gender, culture, or background — everyone is treated as an equal professional.”
She’s also part of Women@OLX, our community that promotes inclusivity and creates safe spaces for mentorship and growth.
“Find something you like and that makes you happy. Be selfish about it. It might require change, it might mean taking a step that looks like going backward — but give it a try. Be a beginner and enjoy the process like a child.
Explore our current opportunities and discover how OLX supports career transformations, values diverse backgrounds, and believes in second chances.
