Aug 11, 2022
Warehouse Operations Specialists are the lifeblood of Bolt’s micromobility offering — helping thousands of people move every day.
Over 800 Mechanics and Fleet Operation Drivers work in Bolt’s 150 warehouses, lifting heavy scooters, swapping batteries, changing tyres, and soldering wires. At first glance, one wouldn’t necessarily imagine young women in this role. But today, we’re here to prove otherwise.
Meet Stella Normak and Elizabeth Victoria Aarma. Stella’s a Fleet Operations Coordinator, and Elizabeth works as a Mechanic at Bolt. Both are breaking stereotypes one scooter at a time.
Here’s how.
Away from work, Stella likes to read books and swim. She also has a soft spot for cars and moto and extreme sports. But thanks to her job at Bolt, she’s also taken an interest in scooters. She strongly advocates for enjoying what you do and not having your interests or job defined by your gender.
Elizabeth agrees: “Every person brings something new to the table, and I don’t see anything in my work that wouldn’t be suitable for a woman to do.”
When asked about lifting heavy (about 20 kg) scooters, both point out that although it might be a bit challenging at first, it gets easier each day — especially when the battery’s removed beforehand. Plus, it’s also a great workout opportunity!
But how did Stella and Elizabeth even find their way to Bolt?
Stella was looking for a job where she could fit in, and Bolt’s ad for a Fleet Operations Driver caught her eye.
As she had previous experience as a parcel delivery service courier, she was fascinated by the chance to combine that experience with her love for cars.
Elizabeth, however, took a different route and was recommended to join Bolt:
“Someone I knew already worked at the Estonian Bolt warehouse, and the whole setting seemed so intriguing. I didn’t know much about electronics or scooters, so I wanted to challenge myself to see if I could excel.
It sounded like a great way to learn something new and be a part of a global company. But to be honest, I was a bit scared too. Looking back, I’m glad I decided to leave my worries behind and try to be as good as possible at what I do. And the rest is history!”
Elizabeth and Stella agree that the level of excitement they had when joining Bolt is still there.
“I love my job — I didn’t know I’d enjoy working somewhere as much as I do at Bolt. I really do feel that I found my home here and want to grow with Bolt and make it even better for every one of us”, says Elizabeth.
Stella enjoys the diversity of the role: “You get to see new corners of the city and learn all about scooters and how they work. Before joining Bolt, I hadn’t even ridden an electric scooter, but now I know how to build and repair them.”
Although there’s always another scooter that needs to be fixed, Elizabeth assures that Bolt provides a great work-life balance. She loves discovering new places, spending time in nature, and catching up with various TV series. To top it off, she also takes care of 4 foster kittens in addition to her own cat Misty.
Working at Bolt has unlocked new career goals for them both.
In a short period, Stella’s already taken on a new challenge in the company. She joined Bolt as a Fleet Operations Driver, where everyday tasks included swapping scooter batteries, taking scooters to the city, and bringing broken ones back to the warehouse for repair.
And, if needed, she sometimes also helped Mechanics with easy tasks. A fun fact — in Tallinn, you’ll find 70 scooters on the streets assembled by Stella!
Today, her tasks as a Drivers Coordinator are a little different: “I make shifts and schedules, and help drivers with their questions about the job or anything related to it.”
The role switch was also her most challenging time at Bolt. The workload and responsibilities increased, and the world of operations was new to her. But in the midst of it all, she discovered a new passion — logistics. Today, Stella hopes to build her career in this field.
For Elizabeth, Bolt’s helped her gain more confidence: “Working at Bolt has helped me grow mentally. Before, there was this fear of trying new things, career-wise, but now I know I can do anything and learn to do anything. My main goal is to climb the career ladder at Bolt.”
Stella and Elizabeth have enjoyed their Bolt experience so much that they’d feel confident in recommending Bolt to their friends. Here’s why:
We’re on a mission to build cities for people, not cars.
If you’re interested in urban mobility and new technologies and want to join a company aiming to transform the sector, head to our careers page!
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