If you’re active in the Community discussion forums, you’ve probably seen Val working her magic, the Community Engagement Manager. Now’s your chance to learn more about Val and the important work she and her team do.
How long have you been an Upwork team member?
Val: “Like many freelancers, I started off with smaller one-off contracts before moving to more long-term recurring work. So it's been 9 years since my first contract with Upwork, but my 9th anniversary on the Community Team will be in March 2023.”
How did you come to join Upwork?
Val: “A friend I met while studying abroad sent me a link to a job. I had been doing some freelance translation, research, and teaching for local clients for a few years but applying for a job on an online platform was new to me. I gave it a try and the rest is history!”
What do you do in your role?
Val: “I manage a team of Community Engagement Specialists. The most visible part of our work is Community moderation and engagement. We make sure Community forums are organized, free of any inappropriate content, and continue to be a welcoming, professional and fun place for our members to connect with each other, find help, learn about the experiences of others and share their own.
But we also do a lot of work behind the scenes. We share Community feedback and questions with other teams, escalate bug reports, update and highlight helpful solutions, archive outdated content, support and moderate Community Groups, and much more.”
What’s your favorite part of your role?
Val: “I love how diverse the Upwork Community itself AND our Community team are! Every day I get to interact, learn from and work with people from all over the world with different backgrounds, experiences and approaches to work.”
Val doing the Lindy Hop!What’s your favorite part of working for Upwork?
Val: “I appreciate the flexibility, support, and solutions Upwork offered me through some challenging life events like moving from my home-country Ukraine to the U.S., changing career goals like transitioning from freelancing to full-time employment, and the craziness of the world in general.”
What’s your favorite thing to do in your free time?
Val: “The Lindy Hop - a type of swing dance - is a huge part of my social life, a hobby, a creative outlet, a side gig, and a workout regime all in one. When I don't teach dance, take dance classes, or go dancing socially, I obsess over my indoor and outdoor gardens and go on walks with my greyhound Basil.”
Stay tuned as we get to know the rest of Val’s team!