“Never Pass Up New Opportunities!” — Olha Peredera, IT Copywriter In Innovecs

Why did you decide to choose copywriting?

For a long time, I was an entrepreneur with an office on Obolon Embankment, where we taught “IT people” English. But later, large network schools began to enter the market, and we could not compete with them. Then another excellent stage in my life began — maternity leave. In general, I belong to people who are constantly learning something, are interested in new things, and do not sit back. Throughout my personal journey, I was looking for new areas to apply myself. So, I started writing.

Did you study copywriting?

Like most copywriters, I am self-taught. A pinch of psychology education, a handful of English teaching experience, and determination to develop — this is my recipe for mastering copywriting.

The first bit of work came to me from an acquaintance: friends reached out to me and asked me to write content. Over time, I cut my teeth into it, started writing better, and had stable, loyal clients.

You mostly worked as a freelancer. Why did you decide to join the company, and what are your impressions?

When Innovecs invited me, I had doubts, because freelance work has its advantages: a completely flexible schedule, varied clients, and tasks. However, I follow a critical principle in my life: “Never pass up new opportunities!”. So I thought, why not? Worth a shot!

One of the impetus in my writing career was the “I can!” project, which aims to strengthen women’s role in society. Having gained great motivation, support, and self-confidence within the project, I passed the EU ‘Study Visit for the Ukrainian Community Media Outlets’ program. I studied journalism in London and Sheffield for two years in a row.

Thanks to participating in this project, I grew professionally and became part of a large community of successful and strong women. I brought the women’s club ‘We Are’ from Great Britain to Konotop, where we gathered for informal meetings, shared experiences, and inspired each other by successful cases.

I never regretted my decision to change my freelance job to a full-time job at the company. My prejudices about tedious routine work, a big company, where everyone is indifferent and wired to carry out their tasks only, were dispelled. Everything is different in Innovecs! The company works in 5 areas: gaming, healthcare, logistics, fintech, and media — the sky is the limit for my creative imagination. I immerse myself in new fields, again and again, do some digging and study technologies, constantly communicate with top Ukrainian IT specialists.

The team’s support from my manager and colleagues is crucial. I am two different specialists before and after I joined Innovecs. I managed to significantly hone my PROFESSIONAL level since I started working for the company.

How does a copywriter’s day look? What is the process of working with texts?

When I get a task, I spend the entire workday researching the topic. I absorb all the information from the internet, link after link, delving deeper into the issue. It is always essential to stop in time and not to deviate from the text goals. After all, nowadays, it is easy to get lost with information overload.

Then I organize my work, collect references for designers, and create drafts. Usually, I have one text written on five different drafts, which are later put together in one high-quality article. The writing process itself takes me two days. I always leave the article to “rest” for a while to proofread it with fresh eyes.

You work remotely. How do you manage to feel a part of a big team?

At first, the feeling of freelance did not let me go — I still seemed to work in the same format. But in January of this year, one event changed things for me. A writer’s block did not let me finish the text. I even panicked, thinking: “How come?”, “What’s next?”. My manager at that time supported me a lot. He picked up the right words and put me back on track.

At that moment, I realized I was not working for myself: I was not alone; I had a team, a manager, a mentor. My fellow copywriter also supported me immensely. She gave good advice, and we worked together on my proofreading skills. Although everything was online, I felt such robust backing from the team that I embraced the Innovecs’ corporate culture.

I appreciate every bit of attention from the company: fruit baskets, holiday gifts. Now I am so ENGAGED that I am even ready to rush to the Kyiv office to solve a recently pinned quiz in the kitchen for employees to show their SMART skills.