Life works in strange ways. Being in the right place at the right time. But timing alone isn't enough. What you do when that moment comes is what really decides your future. Looking back at how i got into tech, I can see how luck played its part, but also how it wouldn't have mattered if I wasn't prepared.
We'll need to rewind to 2012. I was living in Antwerp, Belgium, and nearing the end of high school. It was time to decide on what's next. I've been coding since I was 11, and already had a clear idea that I wanted to be a software engineer. Going to university felt like the logical next step, before trying to get an internship at a hot tech company.
Belgium has some great universities, with options like KU Leuven or Ghent, so naturally I decided to go back to Kraków, Poland and study at the Jagiellonian University. Honestly, I'm not sure how realistic these top universities in Belgium even were given my situation back then, but I figured that #1 university in Poland would certainly hold up against some less known schools in Belgium. I was wrong. Very wrong. Going by international rankings, even much less known universities in Belgium outrank Poland's best. And it's not without a cause.
I kept in touch with my friends in Belgium, some of whom also studied computer science. The difference is actually pretty significant. Not just in the programs, which are about a year ahead in Belgium compared to what's taught in Poland, but also how it's taught.
But the truth is, I wasn't only going there to learn. I was in my late teens... I wanted to have some fun. And Kraków definitely was the right place for that.
It also just so happens, that what Kraków lacks in education, it more than makes up for with the tech ecosystem and opportunities that come from it. Unlike any town in Belgium, till this day actually, Kraków was quickly becoming a regional tech hub. Google, Microsoft, Cisco, and a slew of other global and local companies had offices there. Job opportunities were everywhere, and the city was just entering a phase of rapid growth.
This timing worked out perfectly for me. I landed my first professional software development job at Brainly, as a QA Engineer, during my second year at the university. That's also when it became clear to me that nothing beats hangs-on experience. The amount I learned on the job far exceeded anything taught in class.
So, in my ignorance, I’d accidentally placed myself in the perfect environment to kickstart my career. Looking back, there was definitely a lot of luck involved. But at the same time, it's all the little things I did over the years leading up to it that sealed the deal. Like teaching my self PHP at 11, or having one of Brainly's would-be managers as my flat-mate during my first year of university (never underestimate the power of personal connections).
No matter where you are in life, eventually luck will come your way. Make sure you're prepared!