The best decision I ever made

Eray explains what drew him to Amsterdam and kept him coming back. “I had always wanted to move abroad and Amsterdam was one of the cities I had been considering since I first went there. As soon as I stepped into the city it was like ‘wow’! I told myself I have to live here one day.  In fact, I came back 4-5 times before I moved. There is a lot of diversity in the city, and of course all the history and the canals. To live here was a major target in my life and I’m very proud of the decision that I made moving here.”

Living in the Old South of Amsterdam

Eray lives in Oud Zuid or ‘Old South’, a beautiful area away from the main tourist trails with many interesting buildings and architecture. Only 15 minutes by cycle from the centre, it’s made for a great social life with cafes and old pubs sitting next to chic cocktail bars. As Eray explains, the move was very easy. “It was really smooth to settle. It was very similar in terms of the people and the way of living as in Istanbul. To anyone thinking about making the move, I would say do it. There was a reason I kept coming back - it very quickly felt like home!”

Joining Miele X in lockdown

Eray joined Miele X just under a year ago, and while in lockdown. Getting to know a new company while home-based might have been difficult, but Eray found it a very welcoming experience. “When I joined Miele X it was so smooth that it didn’t even feel like we were in a pandemic, although we had a lot of challenges of course. Everyone was eager to help get me onboard, my team members were really supportive and there’s a lot of openness and willingness to help each other. As soon as I joined, my calendar was quickly full of people who wanted to meet with me and say hello. Not just immediate team members either, it was a very welcoming experience. Nothing was too much trouble.”

Collaboration with a start-up culture

That busy calendar soon turned into a highly collaborative way of working from home. Eray describes the way the team works and puts a lot if it down to the culture, and the way people are hired. “Our HR team works hard to find people with collaborative vision, attracting people from different cultures and talents to join our company and all work together. One of the things I enjoy is that we are diverse and everyone is eager to give and get feedback. Every day we are learning from each other and everyone is incredibly eager, there is a strong entrepreneurial spirit. Whatever you need, you knock on the door and that door opens and you start collaborating and you solve the problem.”

From fashion to fridges

Eray’s earlier career in online fashion might seem a long way from the household consumer goods of Miele. But, as he explains, whatever the product, the focus has to be on understanding your customers and providing a quality user experience. “When you look at e-commerce, everything is about customers, regardless of the sector. As a UX Manager I have to understand the users’ needs and expectations, as well as the brand. In terms of transferring my knowledge, there are lots of parallels. My aim is to provide the best user experience possible for Miele’s customers and deliver our business goals.”

So what does the future hold?

For someone who enjoys Miele’s collaborative culture, Eray is pleased to be able to start meeting his colleagues face to face. Eray is feeling very positive about working more closely together. “When we meet it feels like we’ve been working together for some time. I think we will be able to enjoy our vision of being a team together and really make the most of our diversity.   It will help us get the best out of ourselves”.

Why not join Eray and his team, as we create a new digital heritage for one of the world’s most trusted brands?  Have a look at our latest opportunities.

What's Next? You Decide.