Life at OPENLANE: Q&A with Siddhi Waman, Associate Site Reliability Engineer

Siddhi Waman was right out of college when she was hired at OPENLANE – and then the pandemic hit. Read more about her growth at OPENLANE and the lessons she’s learned along the way in the Q&A below.

What has your journey at OPENLANE looked like?  

I was right out of college when I got the job and got hired right before the pandemic started. So as soon as I came on, everything moved to working digitally. I started working in network technology but because my team is so supportive of having a broad skill set, I have been able to take on automation as well.  

What is something you are most proud of during your time with OPENLANE  

The flexibility and understanding of leadership. It makes you proud to work for this company. During the past two years, I’ve experienced a lot of personal change, and my leaders were extremely understanding, flexible and supportive.  

What do you like the most about working at OPENLANE?  

The teamwork. It’s never, “Here is this new project, you’re assigned this piece of the puzzle.” It’s always, “Here is this new project, we’re going to work on it together — which piece of the puzzle would you like to solve?” Even if the skill required to do that job isn’t the sharpest in your toolshed, you’re encouraged to learn new things if they interest you.  

What’s a piece of advice for newcomers to the company? 

You won’t get overwhelmed if you take everything one step at a time. Eventually, you will get used to tasks that seemed like a challenge before — so keep going. You’ll be able to look back and connect the dots, understand all the business units and how they work together to help our customers.  

What’s your favorite aspect of technology? 

The problem solving. I’m always on my toes and learning something new. I’ve acquired a problem solving attitude that carries over to my day to day life. My motto is: “what is the workaround?”