How digital learning changed a woman's career

This International Women’s Day, I want to share four stories that inspire me deeply. These women — Olena, Irene, Kristina, and Valerie — embody resilience, determination, and the transformative power of QA engineering. Olena, a manual QA engineer from Ukraine, relocated to Poland due to the war. Determined to grow her career, she transitioned to automation through Codemify’s course. Today, she builds frameworks from scratch, landed two job offers in three weeks, and secured a 40% salary increase. Her advice? “Transition to automation as soon as possible. A structured course provides the foundation you need.” Full story: https://lnkd.in/gnEJ42Ey Irene, a mom of four with no tech background, noticed poor app quality during COVID and decided to pursue QA. Balancing motherhood and studies, she completed a QA course, learned automation, and impressed a company in a six-round interview process. Now, she’s thriving as a QA engineer. Her mantra? “Take small, consistent steps. Even an hour a day can make a difference.” Full story: https://lnkd.in/g2vhQkv2 Kristina, a former sales professional from Kazakhstan, transitioned to QA and bought her dream home in LA just 1.5 years into her new career. After a layoff, she landed a full-time role with a 25% salary increase and better benefits. Her secret? “Be patient, work hard, and don’t quit when things get tough.” Full story: https://lnkd.in/gbQxuWHm Valerie, a former dancer from Ukraine, was laid off from her manual QA role but didn’t give up. She leveled up with automation skills, aced multiple interviews, and now enjoys a dream work-from-home setup. ʼ Her message? “Learn something new, apply with purpose, and the right opportunity will come.” Full story: https://lnkd.in/g6Vcd_8w These women remind us that with the right skills, support, and mindset, anything is possible. Their journeys are a testament to the power of resilience, education, and never giving up. At Codemify, we’re proud to empower individuals to achieve their dreams, no matter where they start. This International Women’s Day, let’s celebrate the women who inspire us — and let’s keep building a world where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. To anyone considering a career change or skill upgrade: take it from Olena, Irene, Christina, and Valerie. The journey may be tough, but the payoff is worth it. #InternationalWomensDay #WomenInTech #QAEngineering #Automation #Resilience #CareerGrowth #Codemify #Leadership

Stacey L. reinvented herself without a four-year degree, transforming a 12-hour night shift as a phishing analyst into a successful career in tech. Her journey proves success isn’t about a straight path; it’s about courage, continuous growth, and showing up as your authentic self. When life forced a reinvention, Stacey faced a choice: move back in with her parents or find a way to support herself, on her terms. Her first job as a 911 operator was emotionally overwhelming during a time of healing, but it became the turning point for a career change that transformed her life. Through determination and strategic certifications, she broke into cybersecurity and now investigates hundreds of security incidents at Wiz, protecting “wizards” from digital threats. Her story goes beyond career growth; it’s about turning challenges into strengths. Defining moment: Early on, she identified a security threat but hesitated to speak up. Minutes later, a male colleague raised the same concern, and the team responded immediately. Lesson learned? Technical skills aren’t enough; you must trust your instincts and speak with confidence. Authenticity as a superpower: Anime fandom, sparkly emojis, and all. Stacey brings her whole self to work, offering unique perspectives and building genuine connections. Balance as burnout prevention: Being outgoing and “space-taking” at work while deeply introverted at home, this duality strategically fuels her resilience. For women considering tech careers, Stacey offers two game-changing pieces of advice. 1️⃣ Chase opportunities early, say yes to projects that reveal your strengths. 2️⃣ Never stop investing in yourself in education, wellness, and self-care. Her journey demonstrates that entering cybersecurity isn’t a linear process; it’s about shaping your own story, trusting in your abilities, and growing without regret. If you’re at an inflection point in your life, you’ll want to hear Stacey’s story and how resilience and purpose can help you find your calling. Hear her whole conversation on The Tech Exec Wellness Podcast streaming now on Apple, Spotify, and all platforms! #Cybersecurity #WomenInTech #WomenInCybersecurity #CareerGrowth #CareerReinvention #TechCareers #AuthenticLeadership #CybersecurityCareers #PersonalGrowth #thetechexecwellnesspodcast #ContinuousLearning #BreakingBarriers #Inspiration

ADP People at Work - Closing the Upskilling Gap: Why Partnership Matters Companies are struggling to upskill employees, and women are being left behind. ADP’s People at Work 2025 Report found that only 3.8% of employees learn new skills within two years—and in North America, just 15% of women feel their employer is investing in them. Businesses can’t afford to overlook this gap. The demand for tech talent is growing, and strategic partnerships with nonprofits can help close it. At NPower, Path2Tech is creating a direct pipeline for women into cloud computing, cybersecurity, and app development—helping them step into often higher-paying roles and a successful career journey. Take YVECA MARY, for example. Before NPower, she was a dialysis technician earning $28 an hour. After completing Path2Tech and mastering computing, cybersecurity, and app development, she landed a job as a project manager, making $100K. Stories like Yveca’s prove that upskilling isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a game-changer. Companies that invest in workforce development see higher productivity, stronger retention, and a more dynamic talent pipeline. Let’s take action—who’s ready to partner? #Upskilling #WomenInTech #FutureOfWork

First year of college, she cried every day. Second year, she taught herself Python from scratch. Today, she builds open-source tools at DigitalOcean. Welcome to Cactro’s #SelfMade series. Haimantika didn’t plan to work in tech. She studied biology in school, scored higher in NEET than JEE, and only took up engineering because it was the most affordable path. She joined a local college in Siliguri and hated it. “I cried almost every day during my first year. I didn’t want to be there.” But she stuck around. And by second year, something shifted. She decided to make it worth it. With no access to bootcamps or mentors, she downloaded courses from torrents. Watched endless YouTube tutorials. And taught herself Python. She experimented with data science. Tried out multiple tech stacks. And eventually found her groove in web development. Her break came when she won a hackathon and landed an internship at Microsoft (her dream company). Later, she joined DigitalOcean, where she now builds open-source projects, speaks at global conferences, and writes technical content for developers worldwide. One of her proudest projects? Nomado - a tool she built from scratch that’s now used by 650+ people around the world. When I asked her what the hardest part of her journey was, she said: “Doing the extra work while people my age were partying. And waiting for that one big break took a toll on me.” Here’s her advice to other techies just starting out: “Dream big and be patient. And don’t just learn, network consistently. Most of my gigs came from Twitter.” Haimantika’s story is proof: You don’t need the perfect college, city, or resume. You just need grit, curiosity, and a the right set of eyes to build a career you love! 👏