A graduate of English Philology, she started learning programming from scratch. While working at Amazon in Ireland, she enrolled in the Python Developer programme at Future Collars through the Amazon Career Choice programme. Today, she lives in the Netherlands, where she has taken the next step in her international career. She says learning Python gave her greater confidence in working with technology, helped her develop practical, job-ready technical skills and changed the way she approaches everyday processes at work.

Career change stories often follow a similar pattern. Someone leaves their previous profession, completes an intensive course and, a few months later, starts working in tech. In reality, meaningful career development is often built step by step - by continuously developing new skills, applying them in practice and creating new professional opportunities over time.

Ola Lipiec's story is exactly that kind of journey. It is the story of someone who started from scratch, built practical programming skills, and discovered that technology was not a world beyond her reach, but a field where she could continue developing her career with confidence.

A Humanities Graduate with a Passion for Technology

On paper, Ola's path towards programming was far from obvious. At 27, she had a degree in English Philology, yet she had been fascinated by computers, games and technology since childhood. As she says, her cousin, who studied computer science, may have been one of the people who sparked that interest.

For years, however, technology remained a personal passion rather than a career path. Although she had always been curious about the IT industry, she had never had the opportunity to develop practical technical skills or learn programming.

"I was a complete beginner when it came to programming. Although I had always been interested in IT, I had never managed to take my career in that direction," says Ola.

That began to change while she was working at Amazon in Ireland. As a Data Center Operations Technician, she supported a project focused on recovering and testing server components from data centres across Ireland, the United States and other European countries. Working so close to large-scale technology infrastructure strengthened her interest in technology and encouraged her to take the next step in developing job-ready technical skills.

Programming itself was still completely new to her, but Amazon Career Choice gave her the opportunity to turn long-standing curiosity into practical capability and begin building skills that could support a wide range of technology-related and operational roles.

One Email That Opened the Door to New Opportunities

Ola discovered the opportunity to learn through the Amazon Career Choice programme almost by chance. After completing her first year at Amazon, she received an email congratulating her on her work anniversary. The message also introduced her to Career Choice - an education benefit designed to help eligible Amazon Associates build future-ready skills and support their long-term career development.

Amazon Career Choice is an education programme available to eligible Amazon employees. Through the programme, employees can access funding for education and develop job-ready skills in selected areas. As one of Amazon's education partners, Future Collars delivers career-focused programmes in programming, cybersecurity, data analysis and IT, helping participants build practical, job-ready technical skills through hands-on learning and real-world projects.

Ola had already heard of Future Collars during her university years, when she was interested in learning UX Design. When she started exploring the opportunities available through Career Choice, the Python Developer programme caught her attention.

"The choice of courses wasn't extensive, and at the same time, the Future Collars offer seemed the most interesting to me. Interestingly, I already knew Future Collars from my university days, when I was looking at UX Design courses," she says.

Enrolling in the programme meant stepping into a completely new field. Although she had no previous coding experience, Amazon Career Choice gave her the opportunity to begin building practical, job-ready technical skills from scratch - skills that can be applied across a wide range of technology-related and operational roles.

"I'm Not a Numbers Person." My First Encounter with Programming

Learning Python quickly showed Ola that being interested in technology did not mean everything would come easily. The biggest challenge was balancing work with classes and studying in her own time.

"I have so much respect for everyone who works and studies part-time at the same time. It takes a whole new level of self-discipline and determination to work on your future," Ola admits.

She also openly acknowledges that programming could sometimes be challenging.

"I'm not a numbers person, so learning and programming could be difficult at times. I also learned that I can be very impatient when it comes to seeing the results of my learning and work. But I think everyone reaches a point like that when learning something new," she says.

Like many Amazon Career Choice participants, Ola discovered that developing job-ready technical skills is a journey that requires persistence and practice. Throughout the Python Developer programme at Future Collars, she gradually built confidence by completing practical assignments, working on hands-on projects and applying each new concept step by step.

Each completed project became another building block in her growing technical portfolio, strengthening both her practical programming skills and her confidence in applying them. The real breakthrough came when she applied everything she had learned to create her own programming project - a milestone that showed her she could turn an idea into working software through her own code.

The Project That Changed Her Perspective

One of the practical assignments during the Python Developer programme at Future Collars was to design and build a fully functional game. By combining programming logic, problem-solving and testing, Ola developed her own version of the classic Snake game - one of the first practical projects in her growing technical portfolio.

For an experienced developer, it may seem like a relatively simple application. For someone who had started the programme with no programming experience, however, it was proof that she could turn an idea into working software by writing, testing and understanding her own code.

"The thought that I had created it myself and brought it to life made me feel as if I had created the next game in The Witcher series," she recalls.

The project became a turning point.

"I realised that programming isn't as difficult as some people might think, especially when it comes to Python. It's quite a clear and accessible programming language. You just need to approach it with genuine interest," she says.

Building this project also gave Ola something tangible to showcase to future employers. It became the foundation of a portfolio she continued developing after the programme by combining Python with her previous UX Design experience and creating additional practical projects.

"I tried creating my own projects to see how they would turn out. I also have UX Design skills, so I started combining the two to create more polished projects, even if they weren't perfect at the beginning," she explains.

The most important change, however, went beyond technology itself.

"I realised I could learn and understand something that had previously felt like black magic to me," she adds.

The Course Ended, but the Learning Continued

Completing the programme was not the end of Ola's learning journey. It became the foundation for continued career development, portfolio building and applying newly acquired skills in practice.

She continued creating her own projects, combining Python with UX Design and expanding her practical experience.

By building a portfolio that combined technical and design skills, she strengthened the profile she now presents to employers and continued preparing herself for future technology-related opportunities.

Today, the Python Developer programme, course certificate and project portfolio are all part of her CV and LinkedIn profile. According to Ola, this combination of a humanities background and newly acquired job-ready technical skills has attracted the attention of recruiters.

"Adding the course to my LinkedIn profile and CV definitely gave me more confidence. Many recruiters were surprised, especially considering my humanities background," she says.

Although her current role is outside software development, Ola sees the practical skills she gained through Amazon Career Choice as a long-term investment in her career. She continues developing her technical capabilities, expanding her portfolio and looking for new opportunities to apply what she has learned.

"Although I really wanted to, I haven't managed to find a job in programming yet. Am I giving up? Absolutely not. I don't believe the course and certificate were a waste because I'm going to keep trying," she emphasises.

A New Country and the Next Step in Her Career

Today, Ola lives in the south of the Netherlands and works at CEVA Logistics. Her move from Amazon in Ireland to an international role in the Netherlands marks another important step in her professional journey. In her current position, she works in an office environment, supporting logistics operations and preparing technical documentation.

While Python is not part of her day-to-day responsibilities, the technical mindset, analytical thinking and problem-solving approach she developed during the Python Developer programme continue to shape the way she works.

"I definitely feel much more comfortable talking about technology. I also often think about how I could use Python at work to improve a process, even in a small way," says Ola.

For Amazon Associates considering Career Choice, Ola's experience demonstrates that developing job-ready technical skills creates value well beyond a single role. The ability to understand technology, identify opportunities for automation and approach challenges with a problem-solving mindset has become an asset she brings to every new position.

Just a few years ago, programming felt like "black magic" to her. Today, she approaches everyday business processes from a different perspective - constantly looking for opportunities to improve efficiency and create value through technology.

In a workplace increasingly shaped by automation and artificial intelligence, this ability to think differently about processes may be one of the most valuable outcomes of her Career Choice journey.

The Course Is Just the Beginning. What Comes Next?

One of the key lessons from Ola's journey is that completing a programme is only the beginning of long-term career development. Building job-ready technical skills, developing a practical portfolio and applying new knowledge in real-world situations are all important steps towards future career opportunities.

This is why the Python Developer programme at Future Collars goes beyond technical training. Throughout the learning journey, participants build practical projects, complete a Capstone Project and benefit from ongoing career support, including CV reviews, LinkedIn profile optimisation, recruitment workshops and mock interviews designed to help them confidently present their newly acquired skills to employers.

For Ola, this continued development has meant expanding her portfolio, strengthening her technical profile and continuing to explore new opportunities where programming, automation and technology can create value.

"I tried creating my own projects to see how they would turn out. I also have UX Design skills, so I started combining the two to create more polished projects, even if they weren't perfect at the beginning," she explains.

Like many Amazon Career Choice participants, Ola sees learning as an ongoing process. Every new project, every new skill and every practical application brings her one step closer to the professional goals she continues to build towards.

"Just Do It." What Would Ola Say to Other Amazon Associates?

When we asked what she would say to another Amazon Associate who is eligible for Career Choice but still unsure whether to take the opportunity, she did not hesitate.

"Just do it. Do it to gain new skills, earn a programming certificate or take the first step towards new career opportunities. It's a great opportunity," she says.

Ola's story is not simply about learning Python. It is about discovering new capabilities, building practical, job-ready technical skills and gaining the confidence to pursue opportunities that once seemed beyond reach. Through Amazon Career Choice, she transformed her curiosity about technology into practical experience that continues to support her long-term career development.

Asked to describe her journey in one sentence, Ola smiles and says:

"I'm not a patient person, but I know I'll eventually get there because I'm building the right foundations."

That may be the greatest value of Amazon Career Choice. It gives Associates the opportunity to build those foundations by developing job-ready technical skills, creating practical projects and gaining recognised qualifications that support future career opportunities, whether within their current role or beyond.

Ola's journey is proof that career development does not always begin with changing jobs. Sometimes it begins with the decision to learn something new. One programme. One project. One new skill. One step towards new career opportunities.

Ready to Start Your Own Career Story?

Every career journey begins with a single decision. For Ola, it started with an email about Amazon Career Choice. That one message led her to discover programming, build practical projects, develop job-ready technical skills and take the next step in her international career.

If you're an Amazon Associate in Ireland and you're eligible for the Amazon Career Choice programme, your journey could start today. Through Future Collars, you can access fully funded programmes in Python Developer, Cybersecurity and IT Support, designed to help you build practical, job-ready technical skills and prepare for future career opportunities. Learn more about Amazon Career Choice and available programmes

Not sure which career path is right for you?

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