Magnetic MRO’s Engine Material Sales Manager Justinas Naidzinavicius has been a part of the Engine sales team at the Vilnius office for only six months but he’s already become one of the key members of the department. Justinas is a real inspiration to his teammates as he is constantly trying to find new ways to do things in a more effective way and to keep developing as a human being as well as an employee. As he’s finishing his first six months in the company, we sat down with him to ask a few questions about his time in the company and what he values most about his work here.
Eleen Änilane: Justinas, let’s start from the beginning. How long have you worked in Magnetic MRO?
Justinas Naidzinavicius: I’ve been working here since January, so it’s been almost six months. The Engine department was established around half a year ago, so I was one of the first members in the fresh department.
EÄ: So you’ve seen all of the growing pains?
JN: I’m seeing them right now as our team is still in the middle of it - we’re the youngest department in the whole Magnetic. There are people that have come from other industries and don’t have any aviation experience, and there are people with an aviation background, so it’s a mixed bag. The good thing is that, in our team, you can see how we’re growing every day. You have to know a lot of technical stuff here so you can’t just sit idle, you have to keep learning.
EÄ: And what about your background? Is this your first job in aviation?
JN: I had actually worked in another aviation company for almost 4 years but decided it was time for me to make a change and I quit my job. I took a little break and tried working in another industry. That didn’t work out, somehow I still ended up here and came back to aviation. I think it is safe to say that I don’t regret it yet.
EÄ: It seems like all roads lead to aviation! Can you tell me about your job in Magnetic a little more?
JN: My title is Engine Materials Sales Manager and our department deals with selling engines as assets. We’re also selling engine material and basically everything that has anything to do with engines - internal and external parts. We deal with clients, vendors, engine teardown projects, our stock, etc. We’re also involved in brainstorming on other projects we can invest in and build them up. So we actually do a lot.
EÄ: That seems like a lot of work for a small team! What do you enjoy most about it?
JN: I really enjoy the fact that there are a lot of different situations, a lot of challenges and constant movement. You never have time to relax.
EÄ: You actually enjoy having no time to relax?
JN: Yes, I actually do (laughs). Because I enjoy brainstorming, finding solutions to doing things better, and so far it’s been good - we are growing and it’s very enjoyable. I also really value the atmosphere on our floor. We have 3-4 departments on the 33rd floor here and we always have a good time. That’s another thing that drives me - when you want to go to the office every day, not just because of the work itself, but because of your colleagues as well.
EÄ: And of course the view you have here on the 33rd floor, right?
JN: Of course (laughs)!
EÄ: Do you have a favourite moment or a memory from Magnetic - something that makes you smile?
JN: I think the best moments are the small daily moments. My colleagues make me smile every day - there are inside jokes that come from conversations with clients, there are jokes, pranks, etc. One of the things that I remember well was when I came back from a holiday and my desk, my computer, laptop - everything - was wrapped in plastic. It took me 15 minutes to unwrap it and it was hilarious.
EÄ: That’s like straight out of a comedy series!
JN: Yeah, the majority of people who work here are fans of the TV show “The Office”, and we stick to that when we’re trying to find inspiration for pranks.
EÄ: Thinking about “The Office”, who’s the Michael Scott on your floor?
JN: He will probably not like that I said it but it’s our manager Evaldas. He has the craziest ideas so he’s definitely the Michael Scott of our department.
EÄ: But this is actually a compliment, isn’t it?
JN: Yes, in the series Michael is actually a very good salesman, and our manager Evaldas is a brilliant salesman.
EÄ: Would you say that Evaldas is also a role model to you? Are there any other people in the company that you really look up to and admire?
JN: Yes, definitely! I would say that my two role models here are my managers Evaldas and Filip. I love how they’re trying to invest their time in teaching us. Filip, who works in the Serbian office, has come here several times to train us on the technical side, which is fantastic. And, of course, I would actually say that all of my colleagues are role models to me in their own way.
EÄ: So there’s something to learn from everyone?
JN: Sure, even from you, from people outside our floor, from everyone around us.
EÄ: That’s a good way to put it! When everyone around you is in the same industry, it’s easy to get sucked into it as most of your conversations circle around the same topic. Would you consider yourself to be an aviation geek?
JN: Actually, no. I know this comes as a surprise to you. I have a lot of colleagues whose personal lives are also related to aviation and when you open their phones its full of aircraft photos, etc. But I’m not that crazy about it. Aviation is very cool but I have other interests as well. If you open my newsfeed on social media, it’s not all Airbus, Boeing or Paris Air Show posts. I don’t know, maybe it’s a bad thing and I’ll get fired after saying that (laughs), but I don’t want to fake it - it is how it is, I just try to keep it balanced.
EÄ: Balance is good! I know you’ve been at Magnetic for only a brief time but if you look back at your time here, how would you say you’ve evolved as a person and an employee?
JN: Even though I’ve been here for such a short time, I’ve definitely developed some new skills that have come from working with different people. You have to stay concentrated, calm, undistractible, attentive, patient. I’m still working on this but one thing that I’m beginning to learn is how to pay attention to small things. When you’re working with technical stuff, the devil is in the details. So there’s plenty of learning room there.
EÄ: Is there anything in the future that’s super exciting to you?
JN: There’s plenty of things going on all the time and it’s always nice to go to exhibitions and to visit clients - to see how they work and to meet them in person. Especially at a time when everyone is communicating via emails. That’s one of the good things in aviation - you can travel. So I’m really eager to see what my work here has in store for me!
go back
