This week, we chat to Victoria Zotova from UniCredit Bank in Russia. By day, she’s a team player who strives to go the extra mile to help customers. By night, she plays in a band and is about to release her first album. Find out more!

2:00 min
Work life
Private life

Could you please introduce yourself? What did you want to be as a child and what do you do now at UniCredit Bank?

My name is Victoria Zotova. You never know the path you are going to take to achieve your goals. When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a chemist. I am 25 now and I hold a degree in agricultural chemistry and environmental sciences. It might seem that I have already reached my goal. However, a single call from an HR manager on the last day of team recruitment back in 2018 encouraged me to join the UniCredit family. Today, I am a member of the Legal entities Support Section of the Contact Center team.

 

What do you enjoy most about your job and what is the proudest moment or greatest achievement of your career?

A friendly and cohesive team is key to success in any business. In multiple controversial situations you need support from your colleagues and management, and I receive a lot of assistance from the team. If I look at my career, I am particularly proud of the “Master of Customer Service” award that I consider the highest appreciation of my efforts to best serve our customers.

 

And what is the hardest part?

The most challenging thing is to handle a totally new task that nobody has ever addressed before. I go by trial and error, overcoming various issues, and that’s how I reach the target. However, I feel somewhat disappointed when I am unable to do a perfect job on the first try. Once I resolve all issues, I feel incredibly happy. I learn from experience and share that knowledge with my colleagues.

 

What advice would you give your younger self or somebody considering this role as a career?

I would advise anyone who has just joined or who is about to join our team to be responsible for their work as well as patient and responsive to colleagues. And not to be afraid of difficulties, as challenges make us stronger.

What do you like to do to relax after a hard day at the office?

Working from home makes it possible to save on commuting time and do something more useful. Yoga helps me relax my body and recover from my ankle injury more quickly. I also play the ukulele to relax emotionally. I started practicing a few years ago, but when we started remote working, I got more inspiration and found some like-minded people. Our band is about to release its first album now!

 

What would your perfect day look like when you are not working?

My ideal day comprises work, reading, and rehearsals. I read books about psychology and psychosomatics, and I study Italian with a tutor remotely.

 

What was the last book or the last movie you loved most? And why?

I have recently started Vadim Sanzharov’s Psychosomatics in Lay Terms. Health has never been so important to me. The book describes ways to reconsider your health and help yourself both in medical and in psychological terms. The work contains real-life illustrations of what our body tells us at certain times. The author helps the reader understand why certain things happen and how to address problems from a psychosomatic perspective. The book provides practical tips: you just need to scan the QR code to go to a video with a practical review of your life situation.