But what happens during the process, when we go through the transition, and anxiety and insecurities appear? Overcoming career transitions in STEM can be particularly challenging. I think it’s important to talk about that, too: the road can be challenging sometimes, but what really matters is to keep going, even if it’s frustrating. We all face the same hardships, but the goal is worth it.
Curiosity, the kickoff
I was a very dedicated high school student. To the point that when I had to choose my major in university, I didn’t know where to start. I liked many different things, so I was unsatisfied with choosing a single path. It marked my life because it is a reality, and at that age, I already knew it: work defines us as people, shapes us, transcends us, and positions us in society.
In those times, having many interests was frowned upon. It had a negative view to present “difficulties” to focus on what the profession “of our lives” would be -because that’s how we had been taught. I was also clear that in order to progress and get ahead, training was the only escape route, the only affordable ticket.
A STEM lover…
I liked physics and mathematics a lot. My head was strengthened by logical-deductive thinking because I had attended a technical school. Scientific-technical higher education seemed the safest, most well-known, and expected choice.
My transition to university was easy and smooth, thanks to my solid base in math and physics. However, this base was so strong that it began to work against me: I felt that the university did not bring me anything new, and I felt stuck.
But not only a STEM lover
Thanks to my curiosity about different topics, my perseverance, and the clear vision that school was the only way out, I started searching for the ideal career that would bring me everything that took place in my imagination. In this manner, I went through two engineering: physical sciences and architecture. Learning was not a problem, but I felt I needed to be represented by the professional I would be when I graduated.
It was a time lived with a lot of self-demand, frustration, and uncertainty.
Since I couldn’t continue on that train, with much regret, I stopped and took a two-year hiatus as a student. Finally, after that interval, I returned to college, and within six years (while working full-time), I graduated as an Information Systems Engineer.
However, as a professional, I have always worked in the functional area because I enjoy communicating with people, understanding processes, and seeing what can be improved or changed. Today, with several years of experience, I recognize that I can navigate different waters, adding learning beyond the academic and technical.
Let’s recap:
- I have been an analyst, a tester, a consultant, a project leader, and a coordinator.
- I have worked at different companies, used several tools, and held many roles.
- I have dealt with multiple colleagues, suppliers, and clients.
- I have had to communicate in different languages.
- I have had the opportunity to teach at secondary and university levels. Where I learned and continue to learn a lot.
Looking for new challenges
Today, I work in a role more linked to negotiation at Coderio, a company whose core is software development. I feel both challenged and inspired again. What is expected of my position is the meaning of the word management.
Manage the improvement of our day-to-day work: the people who make up the teams, their growth and development, the clients and their expectations, the quality of the products we generate, the contribution we provide from the processes, and the needs and objectives of the management.
In addition, I continue to be a teacher of topics associated with my profession and different artistic activities that act as escape valves and counterpoints to so much technology.
If I look at my path, I see myself as an onion to which I have added layers. I come from extensive hard and soft science training. Which has allowed me to acquire knowledge, skills, and a holistic approach to problem-solving. Thus, my journey into diverse, complex, and always-changing technical environments has been smoother.
I definitely associate my profession with freedom, with the possibility of walking on new grounds. Coming, going, changing, trying, moving forward, and growing. It’s all about adding, combining, building… and not getting bored!
I hope to continue enjoying this and spreading this magic to other people. The IT world has enormous diversity, which allows you to find and combine different flavors for many restless palates.
