A friend invited me to apply as a software developer, so I did. When I got the results from the assessment test – the examiner informed me that I failed the exam but suggested me a QA position. I immediately jumped on the opportunity without knowing what QA was. The manager offered me that opportunity in the company as he knew my learnability. Nokia provided training, coaching, and mentoring, and I enjoyed the work. As I developed my knowledge, an architecture and specification position opened, and I was excited about it. But I thought I was not yet ready for the role. I consulted my manager about it and asked for his opinion, and he encouraged me to go for it and to try it out. Fast forward to hardship and several leaps of faith, and I am excited to grow and try new things. This year I started my new position. Looking back, I am grateful to mention three key points: 1. Don’t be afraid to try new things. There’s no additional knowledge if you already know it – what is QA? 2. Develop your knowledge. Learning is a never-ending process: if you don’t know – study! 3. How will you know if you don’t try? You might regret it one day if you haven't tried.

I heard so many times about the importance of continuous improvement and learning 'till the grave. Sometimes you feel this is just a mandatory sentence what HR representatives always say, but to be honest that's very true. You need to learn something new every day because this area grows so fast.

My top advice to someone starting out is to stay curious and open to learning, especially from the people around you. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, take initiative, and get involved in communities like NextGEN. Building connections early on, whether through fun events or team projects, can make a big difference in how supported and confident you feel in your role.