Meet the Team: Pratika Appaiah

‍Tell us about you! (Where are you from, hobbies/interests, things you do outside of work!)

I was born in Bangalore, India, and spent the first 10 years of my life there, before moving to Northern Virginia. The last place I lived in was New York City, but I recently crammed all of my things into storage and decided to travel and work remotely for most of this year.

I've done a lot of traveling, but never while working. Now, thanks to our sweet ‘Work From Anywhere’ perk at Going, I’ve been exploring and working in Portugal for the past month—my next stop is Spain! I love that my job doesn’t prevent me from traveling the world, but instead cheers me on and helps me do it.

When I’m not working or traveling, I'm usually cooking, getting lost in a good book, sketching in Procreate, constantly changing up the decor of my home, and tending to my beloved plants. Lately, I've been going on long walks with an audiobook and it's the absolute best.

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What does a Product Designer do anyway? How did you get into Product?

As a product designer on the mobile team, I’m responsible for designing the user interface and experience of our soon-to-launch app. On a typical day, I’m collaborating with the team to create wireframes, high-fidelity designs, and prototypes to ensure that our product meets the needs of the user and our business.

My career path, like many of my fellow teammates at Going, has been quite curvy. I began my career as an interior designer, specifically focusing on creating high-end residential spaces. I then transitioned to environmental graphic design at an architecture firm before deciding to freelance full-time as an illustrator and brand designer. Five years ago, I decided to take another leap and enrolled in grad school at the Brandcenter for Experience Design. Since then, I have worked at a very small startup in the entertainment space, at a very large design consultancy, and now, I’m finally working here, at Going!

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What's your favorite thing about your role here at Going?

It’s amazing to work in a supportive environment that values my personal growth and well-being as much as my professional success. I love working with a team that pushes me to be a better designer while also giving me the freedom to explore my creativity.

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What advice would you give to a candidate interested in working at Going?

Focus on highlighting your own creativity and ability to work in a collaborative environment, ask many questions, and be genuine.

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You've been here for a little over a year! What has kept you here?

From the moment I onboarded at Going, I knew it was the right fit. Rather than focusing on my professional achievements or past experiences, my coworkers were more interested in learning about my favorite travel spots and where I wanted to go next. Working alongside such wonderful people who share my passion for travel is truly the best.

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What's the best Going deal you've ever booked?

Last year, I booked a Going deal, roundtrip from JFK to Mexico City in May for around $225, which I then ended up getting for free by using my credit card points! I spent 10 days in CDMX with my sister and it was incredible. I’m so pumped to go back this April for our Going team retreat!!

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What always makes you laugh, no matter what?

Watching dogs getting the zoomies will never fail to make me laugh.