Pinar Olguc

Hi, I’m Pınar, a Mobile Engineer at Automattic living in Istanbul, Turkey. I started my journey at Automattic almost three years ago. During my application process, I wasn’t aware that my ideas about commuting were about to change forever.

I knew that typical office life wasn’t always the most efficient way for me to code. I remember bringing work home to avoid distractions when developing complex parts of the code. During my interview process I learned that I’d be able to choose my working environment and my working hours at Automattic. But still, I knew little about the different dimensions of Automattic’s distributed working culture.

“I have never felt alone in what I do, I’ve always felt the presence of my teammates and their support.”

Among software engineers, a common opinion about working from home is that there would be less teamwork — that you’d be writing code all day alone. Whereas at Automattic, you work as a part of a team. You brainstorm ideas, collaborate on problems, and do pair programming if you like. We discuss all kinds of topics together. I have never felt alone in what I do, I’ve always felt the presence of my teammates and their support.

Normally, we come together two-three times a year for various meetup events. But because of the pandemic we do meetups online. Meetups allow for interactive meetings, building relationships, and having fun. In our last online team meetup we made gingerbread cookies together.

“One thing I especially like as a developer is being able to search old threads and understand why things were done in a certain way in the past. It feels almost like traveling in time!”

Communication is one of the most important aspects of our work. We value communication that’s written in public so that everyone can participate. Instead of email, we use internal WordPress blogs called P2s that are open to anyone working in the company. One thing I especially like as a developer is being able to search old threads and understand why things were done in a certain way in the past. It feels almost like traveling in time! We believe that being visible, deliberate, and collaborative in our actions is more important than acting alone and quickly. 

Automattic is an international company with employees of various backgrounds, living all over the world. When I started I was the only person living in Turkey so I had worries about integrating my public holidays into my working schedule. Soon I discovered that I didn’t need to worry at all. The culture here encourages everyone to take the time off on the days that are important to them. Later I learned that this was just a tiny bit of the diversity and inclusion culture that Automattic maintains consciously. So if you have similar worries about being in the minority, I highly recommend taking a look at how Automattic supports diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Hiring Process

You can check out the developer hiring process for detailed information. To me, the most distinctive part about the hiring process is the trial phase. During that phase you work on a real-life project in a time-flexible manner. You work under a paid part-time engagement with a trial buddy to answer your questions. During my trial I had the chance to get to know some of my future teammates. I also became familiar with the code base and the team’s communication tools. Thanks to this, I did not encounter any surprises after being hired.

So, if you are interested in joining us visit this link and apply!