Wix Boomerangs: Employees that left and came back (Part III)

There are so many reasons to make a change in your career path. Whether it’s an opportunity for mobility, a role change, or even a change in environment. Wix is dedicated to helping all of our driven employees grow with us. Our people are ambitious, and sometimes finding their next challenge means growing outside of Wix, too. Some of our employees have experienced both sides of this coin by going out on their own and coming back to us. One of our “boomerangers” is Maya Heim, Head of R&D on the Automations team. We spoke with her about her career journey to learn more.

Can you tell us a bit about your career journey prior to leaving Wix?

Before I started working at Wix, I was a backend developer. After having my first child, I had the time to reflect and really think about what I wanted to do in my next professional adventure. The online world was really expanding at the time, and I saw that Wix was really at the forefront as an innovative platform on the web. 

I applied to Wix’s Editor team as a frontend developer, ready for new challenges and exciting projects. After 4 years, I became a Team Lead, and eventually I made a switch to the App Market team in search of a new and fresh opportunity.

After 8 years at Wix I decided I needed another change; I wanted to evolve and develop my skills in new ways. I was offered a role in a small start-up, and it seemed like the right next step in my career. My manager told me he’d wished I consulted with him before making my decision, but he made sure I knew the door was always open to come back. 

What made you want to come back to Wix?

The first is that at Wix, you always feel like someone cares about you – both as a person and as a professional. It was clear to me right at the start when I was in the recruitment process. I found out I was pregnant when I applied to Wix for the first time, and was fully transparent with my recruiter, letting her know that it was okay if they don’t want to or can’t continue the process with me. She barely hesitated before saying, “we hire talent for the long run,” and that it wasn’t a problem at all. 

My managers at Wix practiced those same values throughout my professional journey. You don’t have to wait for a formal performance review to understand how your manager or team feels about your work; everything is a transparent, open conversation. I was always asked not just if I wanted an opportunity to develop, but how I wanted to grow and what my end goals were. And they helped me get there.

Maya Heim

“I was always asked not just if I wanted an opportunity to develop, but how I wanted to grow and what my end goals were. And they helped me get there.”

What is unique about Wix as a developer?

Wix is exciting because the product is always changing. We are constantly evolving and adapting to meet the needs and wants of our users. It’s unique because oftentimes, developers are afraid to touch a structure that’s been built and especially shy away from dismantling processes entirely. At Wix, no one is afraid of change. We’ll always be relevant to our users for that very reason.

It’s that kind of dynamic nature that makes being a developer at Wix engaging and fun. It’s an amazing place to learn and grow; if you make a mistake no one will blame you, you’ll just be expected to learn from it. There is a lot of trust in our talent, and our people are given the tools they need to be capable of success and contribute from day one. 

Did you learn anything in your time away from Wix that helped you develop personally or professionally?

Working at the start-up was really great for me and I developed a lot of new skills and experience. It really helped me understand more about what I wanted and where I wanted to get to in my career. When I left Wix, I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to achieve and what my main professional targets were. By leaving and exploring something new I was able to realize what those were. 

I also gained a lot of confidence in myself. My decision to leave a homey place that I loved and being brave by stepping out of my comfort zone taught me a lot about myself. It helped me develop more skills and a better understanding of how to be the best manager I can be as well.

What has it been like working at Wix again?

Since I’ve returned to Wix about two years ago, I got the opportunity to take on new challenges and learn the company all over again from the backend perspective, starting at square one as a developer once more. I had a great manager that knew what I wanted to achieve and he helped me get there. Now, I’m the Head of R&D on the Automations team, which was a long-term goal and a career milestone of mine.