Software Tester
My path into tech was neither obvious nor planned. For nearly 10 years, I worked in education, teaching music and physics, until one day I decided to see if I could start over from scratch. Today, I work as a Software Tester, mainly on projects in the automotive industry.Switching careers felt like a slightly crazy idea, but I quickly learned that knowing how to learn matters more than what you already know. Music taught me patience and focus, physics taught me to look for causes and solutions, and working in education taught me communication, teamwork, and how to handle tough situations. Tech added one more layer on top: constant curiosity and a willingness to keep learning.Today, I’m building my Python skills and exploring what AI can do, looking for ways to bring new technologies into my testing work. I don’t pretend to have all the answers – and that’s exactly why I enjoy learning so much.I like to think of my career the way I think about writing code. You don’t need to know the whole language up front or see the finished program. You just write the first line. Sometimes things break. Sometimes the solution turns out more tangled than expected. But I don’t give up – I keep searching for a fix and keep writing, because I know what my “program” is meant to do.And if my story can inspire anyone, I hope it proves one thing: it’s never too late to write a new chapter, even if the previous one looked completely different.
You spent almost ten years teaching music and physics, and now you work in tech. How did you make such a bold move?
It was a long road, and from the outside it probably looked like a crazy idea. Music education taught me patience and precision, physics taught me to dig into why things happen, and working with people taught me how to communicate in tough situations. At some point, I wanted to try something completely different. I started following industry news, going to meetups, and meeting new people. I didn’t have a ready-made roadmap, but I quickly found out I could pick up complex knowledge from scratch.
You say you didn’t have a roadmap, and yet you made it into a whole new industry. What made you stop and look for outside support?
In the daily rush of tasks, it’s easy to lose the bigger picture and focus only on what’s right in front of you. When I found myself between projects, I felt like I had hit a plateau. This program let me pause, look at my experience from a distance, and think about what I could do next.
It’s never too late to write a new chapter – even if the previous one looked completely different.
What was the hardest part of that reflection? What did you see when you looked at yourself from the outside?
Honestly answering the question of what I’m actually good at. We get so used to our daily tasks that we stop seeing the unique value in our own skills. It’s much easier to list dry bullet points from your CV than to say out loud what your strengths are and what sets you apart.
So the hardest part was owning your strengths. How did working with a mentor help you through that?
The biggest value turned out to be confronting my own doubts with an objective outside view. My mentor approached everything with real care, offering both practical and emotional support. Working on my LinkedIn profile, application documents, and interview prep gave me a much clearer sense of what I have to offer. I stopped being afraid of my gaps and started treating them as clues for learning.
That new awareness and freedom from fear sounds like a big change. What stuck with you in your day-to-day work?
Mainly the courage to make decisions and letting go of the myth of the perfect moment. I used to think I had to know absolutely everything before taking on a new task. Today, I can tell myself: I don’t know this, but I can learn it. If a topic fascinates me, like Python, I just take the first step.
Step by step, and you’re looking ahead with new energy. What are your plans for the near future in tech?
I like to think of my career a bit like writing code. You don’t need to know the whole language up front or see what the final program will look like. You just start with the first line. Sometimes things break, sometimes the solution turns out messier than expected, but you simply keep searching. Over the next year, I want to find a project where I can use my experience, take another step toward AI and Python, and prove to myself I’m one step further than I am today.
Finally – what would you say to someone who, like you once did, is standing in front of a wall and hesitating to ask for help?
Go look for it, and don’t wait for the perfect opportunity. Sometimes we don’t need another course. We just need someone who helps us see we’re capable of more. It’s worth taking the risk and finding outside support. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. And my story is proof that it’s never too late to write a new chapter, even if the previous one looked completely different.
