“I do not match the typical image of a novice programmer in several ways,” admits Kateryna Pyatkova, Software Engineer in EPAM. Kateryna, a graduate in applied linguistics who has previously worked with the United Nations as a translator, has mastered the basics of programming on her own and has successfully started her IT career at the age of 30+. About overcoming psychological barriers and stereotypes, and the power of positive thinking — in Kateryna’s own words.
“Working as an interpreter on high-level meetings has helped me develop stress resistance.”
Ever since my school days, I have been equally interested in English and mathematics. So, when it came to choosing a university and a faculty, I tried to find a compromise that would allow me to grow in both areas. That is why I decided on applied linguistics at V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. This specialty, contrary to popular belief, is not purely humanitarian. The curriculum included the study of two foreign languages along with in-depth programming classes.
Unfortunately, higher education did not turn out everything I expected it to be. We did do programming, but to a far lesser extent in the already outdated Pascal language. But my motto is “In everything see opportunities, not obstacles”, so I attended additional lectures on programming at other universities, including the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute. I participated in university competitions and even won prizes. However, at that time, I thought of programming as merely a hobby.
After graduating from university, I focused on my career as an interpreter and, by and large, achieved considerable success in this area. I collaborated with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and with the Ministry of Justice of Canada, translating top-level meetings. This is a demanding job that requires high skills and significant stress resistance. For my entertainment I translated fiction books from French for one of the publishing houses. However, at some point, I felt that I wanted a change. Considering my strengths — fluent English, a long-standing interest in technology, and well-developed stress-resistance skills — I switched to IT. I started as a technical support manager at a company that provided hosting and telephony services. All communication with subscribers was in English, and thanks to the experience in negotiations, I managed to reach a common ground even with the most disgruntled of customers.
At the same time, I studied server technology, looked into the hosting configuration, and fellow system administrators helped to apply the theory in practice. I instructed new employees, helping them to understand the basics of telecommunications. For a while I was engaged in equipment procurement and, consequently, studied this area even more deeply. But, as time went by, I felt the need to grow professionally once again. So, after analyzing my interests and skills, I went back to programming.
“It's easy for me to read the code, because I perceive it as text, as a coherent structured picture.”
This next track change in my career trajectory coincided with the founding of a family and the birth of a child. Fortunately, I had the rare opportunity to devote time to self-education during maternity leave. My former employer reached out and provided a workplace for me in the office where I could “get away” to study and practice writing code.
I approached my education intuitively, and therefore it was somewhat chaotic. I took courses for beginners on JavaRush, tried to write Android applications on my own, wrote pet projects in Java, and alongside that looked for an opportunity to structure and enhance my rather piecemeal knowledge. It was then that I found out about EPAM University's educational programs and applied for a Java program. My previous experience and high English proficiency allowed me to pass the selection stages easily. The first stage of the program, the external course, also did not cause many difficulties. Afterwards, though, I had to work very hard. There was a lot of new material, we had to work meticulously through practical tasks. Sometimes my fellow students and I worked on educational projects and homework until late in the night. However, the result was amazing: I managed to structure the knowledge, fill in the gaps, gain practical skills. Probably, because of a such comprehensive, high-quality program, I received an offer of cooperation with EPAM after the first interview.
“Perceiving life as a set of opportunities helps to achieve what you desire.”
I am currently working on a large-scale B2B project, which involves hundreds of professionals apart from me. We use a good deal more technologies than in training projects, and that provides ample development opportunities.
Naturally, in the process of changing my career field, I have overcome certain psychological barriers. To tell the truth, I do not fit very well with the general idea of a novice programmer: I am well past my student days, I have a child and no industry-specific education. I must confess, I had fears that recruiters, other things being equal, would prefer young guys from technical universities. Fortunately, I was proven wrong. My candidacy was considered completely impartially, only my knowledge and skills were evaluated, without taking into account any other factors.
In the future, I plan to further develop professionally, to reach Senior level. After all, life is not a challenge or an overcoming of obstacles, but a number of opportunities that one can and should use.
TOP-3 recommendations for those, who are changing profession - from Kateryna Pyatkova
- Assess your previous knowledge and skills, identify strengths and interests, project them onto IT and choose the most suitable specialization for you.
- Make sure you can find enough time to study. Mastering a new specialty is a serious job: set your mind on it from the beginning.
- Provide a financial “cushion” for a period of 6 months to a year. You may be able to retrain as an engineer in a shorter time, but you should consider the risk of unforeseen circumstances beyond your power to influence.
Have you decided on changing your career, but do not know how to make the first step? Your future in Java development may be much closer than it seems: just check out the current selections at EPAM and apply for the course you are interested in! Together with other students, you will delve into high technology in order to start working on the first real project in a few months and receive an offer from EPAM. Are you ready? See you on the program then!
