Gears of Comodule–Gelly Mikko, the HR specialist with flaming red hair and a fiery energy
Honestly, the energy of that young woman is the fuze that gives all the rest of us the necessary power to keep going. That is probably why she’s so good at what she does–job interviews with applicants to figure out the best fits for Comodule’s growing team. But who is she really? Where does she get that energy from? Is it extra strong coffee? Was she born with it? Let’s discuss.
Who is Gelly?
She explained that for her, it’s always difficult to answer that question. ‘I was born and went to kindergarten in Jõgeva where my father is from but spent my summers and school years in my mother's hometown, the summer capital Pärnu. I’d say I got the best of both worlds. I had always longed to live in a big city, so I moved to Tallinn 9 years ago and haven't looked back since.’
Here, Gelly is captured in a rarely seen element–sitting down
What does Gelly do at Comodule?
For us, it seems like everyone knows Gelly. Maybe it’s because she’s an HR specialist and she is the first person to step in contact with everyone. But there’s a more interesting backstory of how she came to be: ‘The first thing I did when I moved to Tallinn was to find work and a couple of years later I went to university to study Andragogy (Adult Education). There might not be a visible connection at a first glance but it is a very useful background in HR as well and now, having been in recruitment for two years, I saw a need to fill in my HR knowledge as well and started studying Human Resource Management.’
‘I was one of those children who wanted to be a doctor, kindergarten teacher, lawyer, hairdresser, vet, etc. But my longlasting dream was to become a lawyer which I didn't get to pursue at the time, simply because I sucked in history and I wouldn't have passed the exam to get into law studies in university :D. Looking back, I had always known that I want to work with people and somehow contribute to making their lives better. I just didn't know how. Luckily, after a career in customer support and sales, I found my true passion two years ago – recruiting and HR.’
Did it seem natural coming to work in this field?
‘The micro-mobility field wasn't a conscious factor when I joined, but thinking back, I've always loved riding a bike and have become more environmentally conscious throughout my life. Now I cannot see my life without this experience or knowledge and want to make sure that everyone has the chance to make this choice’
Any hobbies?
‘I've danced pretty much my whole life in dance schools – everything from ballroom dancing, ballet, hip-hop to show dancing. For the last couple of years, I’ve been dancing the Bachata, a Dominican dance. When I was still finding myself as a teen, I also took acting classes for a couple of years. That never surmounted to anything though, besides a couple of children's plays I was in. But I can boast that some famous Estonian actors were my teachers! ‘
Before joining Comodule, she carefully considered a career in being a cute little dancing bunny rabbit
‘I have always enjoyed crafts, like knitting and crocheting, which I tend to do more in the dark winter evenings when my toes are feeling a bit chilly. Last but not least, I also enjoy reading.’
‘I guess I can say I gave ‘being a bookworm’ a whole new meaning. I remember when in school they used to have a card with every student's name. That way, they would track all the books you read and mine always got filled up the fastest and always had to be replaced…’
How do you normally commute to work?
‘I usually either take a Tuul scooter or walk to work as I live only a 20-minute walk from both our factory and office.’
Gelly did confess though, that she occasionally takes the tram to work when the weather isn’t cooperating.
Where do you see the micro-mobility industry growing in the future?
‘I hope that more cities will see how important micro-mobility is and will finally start considering it when city-planning. Currently, I just see that so many cities are not made for bikes or scooters and it is rather dangerous to get around.
As this pandemic has made people choose a bike or scooter instead of public transport to keep distance or just to save money on gas (because they might be underpaid or have lost their jobs), I think it is inevitable that people get used to it and will continue to prefer these means of transportation over cars or public transport. And as other industries have already moved to renting, not owning anymore, I am sure that the rental market for bikes and scooters will grow as well, no need to own or worry about maintenance when the rental company takes care of everything.’
