Ever feel like you’re on a set path, but your heart is pulling you in a different direction? My career has been a wild journey - from designing massive engineering projects to architecting software testing from scratch.
My story isn't just about changing jobs. It's about the relentless pursuit of finding work that I can be proud of, and having the freedom to make a real impact.
The core message I want to share is simple: follow your dreams and build a career that truly fulfills you.
🎓 The Foundation: A Civil Engineering Start
When I left high school, the choice was between Civil Engineering and Computer Science. I chose the tangible world of construction, enrolling at the University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy. I dreamed of being part of real-world building projects.
The first few years were a slog of dry theory, and my focus wavered. By the third year, when we got into the practical, real-world stuff, everything clicked. My passion for engineering ignited, leading to a pivotal internship designing a Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP).
Things moved fast. Before the internship even ended, I had a full-time offer as a Junior WWTP Engineer. At 23, I was working a demanding job while simultaneously writing my Master's thesis—a complete design for a mock WWTP. Thanks to incredible mentors, I not only graduated at 24, but won an award for the best thesis project in WWTP field of the year.
📈 Climbing the Ladder: New Roles, New Responsibilities
My early career was a rapid ascent in the engineering world.
At 25, WWTP Shift Team Lead: A sudden change threw me into leadership. I went from following orders to leading a team, a shocking but formative experience.
At 27, Co-Lead Technology Engineer: My passion for design pulled me back. I joined a team to design and build a new WWTP, quickly getting promoted to Co-Lead.
At 28, Lead Technology Engineer: After the success of the last project, I was appointed to lead the design of a new WWTP
At 29, Project Portfolio Manager: I took on my biggest role yet, managing a portfolio of ecology projects worth over €100M as part of a major European program.
I had achieved a level of success many would envy. But a questions started to bubble up: Was I truly making a difference in the way I wanted to, and is that the life I want to live?
🔄 The Hardest and Smartest Choice: The Pivot to Tech
At 32, I realized I wasn't happy with my inability to influence the quality and processes around me. The engineering field felt rigid. I saw my friends in the IT industry building, innovating, and improving things with a freedom I craved.
I am the type of person who sits down one evening, reverse-engineers the goal, thinks of possible solutions, makes a choice, and sticks to it. So, I made the leap. The biggest challenge was a deep-seated fear that I couldn't achieve the same level of success I had in engineering. Starting over is daunting.
Since I had enough experience with learning new things and achieving success even when I wasn't 100% ready, I rolled up my sleeves and started from scratch, landing my first tech job as a Manual QA in the highly regulated pharmaceutical software space. It was the perfect place to learn the fundamentals.
⚙️ How Engineering Made Me a Better Tech Professional
My background wasn't a detour; it was a launchpad. The skills I'd honed for a decade were directly transferable and became my secret weapon in tech:
Systems Thinking: Designing a WWTP is about understanding a massive, interconnected system. Software architecture requires the exact same mindset.
Complex Problem-Solving: Untangling complex engineering challenges prepared me for debugging intricate software issues.
Collaboration: Working simultaneously with several project teams taught me how to help people around me, how to communicate my ideas, and how to ask the hard questions
Project Management: Managing a €100M portfolio taught me how to handle timelines, budgets, and expectations—skills essential for leading any software project.
Dealing with Regulations: My experience in compliant engineering fields gave me a huge advantage in the regulated world of pharmaceutical software.
🔥 Finding the Fire: The Freedom to Build and Improve
My pivot wasn't just about changing fields—it was about finding work that lit a fire inside me. At 33, an opportunity arose to become a Software Systems QA Owner. It was a demanding job, but my passion for automation kept me awake at nights. I was aware what I have to learn, so I can be ready when the time comes.
Soon after, at 34, I got the chance to lead the development of a testing framework from the ground up. This was it. While I loved the challenge of both civil and software engineering, tech gave me something crucial: the freedom to influence and elevate quality and process directly. I could finally architect solutions and see the immediate impact of my work.
💡 My Advice For Your Pivot
If you're in a non-tech field and dreaming of a change, ask yourself one tough question: Are you ready to pay the price before you get the rewards?
A career change means starting over. It means late nights studying, facing rejection, and battling the fear that you've made a mistake. But if you are willing to put in the work, the reward—a career you are genuinely proud of—is worth every bit of the struggle.
🤯 Here's What I Understand and Embrace
This journey has taught me some core truths that I now consider my guiding principles. They are in no specific order because every single one is as important as the others.
🤝 Nothing Meaningful is Achieved Alone
I know that I would not be where I am WITHOUT my Teachers, Mentors, and Teammates. Success is a team sport, and every achievement is built on a foundation of shared knowledge and support.
💪 There Are No Shortcuts
If you want a truly desirable outcome, you have to be willing to work hard for it. Lasting success doesn't come from cutting corners—it's earned through dedication and persistent effort.
⚖️ Understand the Price of Your Decisions
Every choice has a cost—a trade-off in time, energy, or opportunity. I believe we must understand the price we are going to pay for every decision we make to move forward wisely.
🦁 Have the Guts to Make Hard Decisions
Real growth requires courage. This means being able to make the hard decisions when necessary and, just as importantly, taking full responsibility for them.
⏳ It Is Never Too Late
Don't let your age or current path stop you. It is never too late to do what inspires you. I pivoted my entire career at 32, and it was the best professional choice I've ever made.
🏛️ Master the Fundamentals
The fundamentals in every field are not just fancy theory you can skip. They are the absolute bedrock upon which all advanced skills and true understanding are built.
🚀 Growth Requires Discomfort
To grow as a professional, you must take opportunities you are not 100% ready for. It’s in that space of challenge and slight uncertainty that the most profound learning happens.
🧑🏫 Leverage Your Potential by Teaching
The best way to solidify your own expertise is to help and teach others. Lifting up your colleagues reinforces your knowledge and makes the entire team stronger.
🌟 Strive for a Career Worth Sharing
Aim to build more than just a resume. Build a professional story of passion, impact, and growth—a journey that you would be proud to share with others as a source of inspiration.
🧠 Stay Humble and Curious
No matter how much you learn or achieve, the journey is never over. I strive to stay Humble enough to know there's always more to learn, and Curious enough to actively seek that knowledge.
Final Thoughts
Today, I am still learning, still experimenting, and still driven by that same passion to build better solutions. My journey has been anything but linear, but every step, from concrete plants to code, has been essential in building a career I can truly call my own.
🙏🏻 Thank you for reading! Building robust, scalable automation frameworks is a journey best taken together. If you found this article helpful, consider joining a growing community of QA professionals 🚀 who are passionate about mastering modern testing.
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