My Path Into Tech: What Worked, What Sucked, What Stuck

A story of a career & life transition

I transitioned my career from marketing to software engineering back in 2014. It was a natural transition where I found interests in automating my daily tasks. I self-taught, connected with local software engineers, and luckily found an entry-level job soon after that.

Compared with my story, Jenny Ouyang’s story is much more inspiring and motivating. In today’s guest post, she will share how it was one of the biggest transitions in her life, and what she has learned from it.

If you like her story, check out her publication: Build to Launch.

Let’s dive in!

Let’s Start

Do you ever wonder about ditching your current career and diving into something completely new — especially if it promises stability and good pay?

What would it take for you to make that leap?

For me, it had to be a lot. I resisted, resisted, and resisted… until one day, life left me no other choice.

Photo by Kinga Howard on Unsplash

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The Abrupt Life Change

Have you ever seen people in the mountains with compasses, hammers, and notebooks, knocking on rocks and taking notes like they’re on a serious mission?

That was me — we called ourselves scientists.

I spent my days doing field surveys, collecting samples, and running lab experiments. I even earned a PhD and went on to a postdoc, fully expecting my life to revolve around research forever.

Then, everything changed — I found out I was expecting, and our situation became unsustainable.

My husband and I were working apart, barely making ends meet, and then COVID hit. With little savings but big dreams, we needed a change. A career switch was the only realistic option, and computer science seemed the most practical.

With almost no CS background, I dove in. I binge-watched YouTube videos, read every relatable blog post, and committed to three things:

• Learning algorithms from scratch.

• Building mini-projects to understand concepts and strengthen my resume.

• Tracking job postings in our target city.

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What Worked

Putting Myself Out There

I was so desperate for opportunities that I sent cold emails to countless people, mailed hard copies of my resume when required, and showed up in person whenever possible.

One hiring lead told me, “Others had stronger backgrounds, but your message stood out. We saw something different — passion and persistence.”

Understanding the Business

Companies want to hire people who know what they’re doing and will be a good fit for the team.

For one interview at a hardware-focused company, I even took the initiative to learn Arduino programming so I could understand how their products worked.

I made an effort to visualize myself in the role and truly accept my transition into tech.

Support from My Close Ones

My husband never doubted my decision to switch careers, and that kind of unwavering support kept me going. My closest friend was always there to listen to my plans and contribute ideas.

Having a strong support system — whether it’s family, friends, or a mentor — made a huge difference in staying motivated.

Finding My Unique Edge

Of course, a lot of job seekers are already doing their best but still struggle to land opportunities. I knew my situation was even tougher than that of most new grads. I didn’t have the luxury of time—I needed a job, not just endless applications and hard work.

So instead of trying to build the perfect resume, I focused on leveraging what I already had. I wasn’t the ideal candidate, but I could be a unique one.

My academic background often made people assume I was naturally smart. I also subtly highlighted my experience with complex lab experiments involving math and calculations, reinforcing the impression of ability to adapt and think critically.

But more importantly, I purposely selected the jobs that I knew I could align with my experiences. For example:

• Lab-oriented companies aligned well with my wet bench work experience. I might not have been the best software engineer among the candidates, but I was the best fit who understood both programming and real-world lab work.

• A PDF-focused company caught my attention because I had extensive literature reading during graduate research. I had firsthand user insights and plenty of feedback to share with the founder.

• A local robotics company intrigued me because their pitch deck reminded me of seismic waves, that’s something I was already good at. I cold-pitched them an email, which immediately landed me a phone interview.

I positioned myself in a way that made hiring managers think:

“Yes, I know she is not the strongest, but I just really want to give her a try.”

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What Sucked

No Time for LeetCode

I knew practicing LeetCode was essential for coding interviews, but with a baby demanding my attention, I couldn’t keep up. My algorithm skills were weak, and I knew it. If I had to do it again, I’d dedicate more time to LeetCode.

Instead of pretending otherwise, I applied for roles that didn’t rely heavily on LeetCode-style interviews. Most important thing is knowing what I could contribute to the job despite my weaknesses.

No Comprehensive CS Background

Not having a formal CS education left a knowledge gap I needed to fill. Online courses helped, but I struggled to focus when the material overlapped with things I already knew. What I really needed was a more efficient way to identify and fill those gaps — something that would keep me engaged.

That’s when building in public clicked as the perfect solution.

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What Stuck

My Past Experience Became an Asset

I was lucky to join a tech team at a science-oriented company, where my academic background became a huge advantage.

My experience with lab work, equipment handling and curve fitting helped solve persistent problems, and I had a natural understanding of scientific programming logic.

Embracing Open-Minded, Continuous Learning

I entered tech at the perfect time — right as AI was exploding.

AI made building and shipping products so much easier. As I learned more about AI and product development, I discovered gaps in my knowledge and found more effective ways to solve both side projects and work problems.

This exposure also introduced me to new business models and ways of thinking.

I started adding more value at work and soon became the AI ambassador at my company. I taught non-technical colleagues how to use AI to streamline their workflows. Tasks that used to take days were now completed in minutes.

Often, higher-ups would walk away from my demos feeling mind-blown.

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What Managers Treasure

When speaking with those who interviewed me and currently appreciate me, I noticed they valued similar key traits:

• Honesty. If you don’t know a technique, just admit it. There’s no need to pretend or try to trick them into thinking you do.

• Openness to seeking help. It’s completely fine to say, "I’d look it up," or these days, "I’d ask my AI assistant."

• No red flags. This can be subjective, but avoiding anything that raises concerns is crucial.

• Being refreshing. One hiring manager described me this way—perhaps because I was willing to challenge norms and try new approaches.

• Getting the work done. It doesn’t have to be done in the smartest way—just effectively.

• Driven. This word comes up often, but it’s worth repeating. Curiosity, persistence, and trying new things make a big difference.

Of course, not every hiring manager values the same things. We can’t control that. The best strategy is to highlight the strengths that resonate most with you and let things play out.

Honestly, if a manager dislikes a strong trait of yours, they probably wouldn’t hire you anyway—so don’t force it.

Work smart, more than work hard.

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What I’d Do Differently Now

Looking back, my career shift doesn’t seem so daunting anymore. If I had to start over, here’s what I’d do:

1. Stick with what worked — hard work, networking, and leveraging my past experience.

2. Supplement my learning with more real-time projects. (Luckily, I’m already doing that now, with three ongoing projects and more coming in Build to Launch.)

3. Dive deeper into AI. It bridges my past experience with programming and opens up endless opportunities. It feels like an “ending market” for traditional programmers but an “opening market” for those who can adapt.

Switching to tech was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made, but it was also one of the best. For anyone considering a career transition, know this:

It’s possible. It’s tough.

But if you play to your strengths, embrace continuous learning, and stay persistent, you’ll find your place in tech — just like I did.

Last Words

Really appreciate Jenny Ouyang for sharing her experience. Remember to check out her newsletter Build to Launch!

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