When we ask her what has changed the most, she doesn't mention her new job title or salary.
“Learning the fundamentals of programming and building a solid foundation in software testing gave me the freedom to become whoever I want,” Anya says.
Her story, however, didn't begin with a carefully mapped-out career plan or a lifelong ambition to become a software tester.
In fact, there was no master plan at all. There was a long-standing interest in technology, a few attempts to find the right direction, and eventually one simple decision: when an opportunity appeared, she decided to take it.
THREE YEARS IN AN AMAZON WAREHOUSE. THEN CAME THE QUESTION: WHAT'S NEXT?
For three years, Anya worked at an Amazon warehouse in Slovakia, where she was responsible for checking packages, quality control and shipments. At first, she considered continuing her career within the company, but over time she began thinking more seriously about changing her career path and turning her long-standing interest in technology into something more than just a hobby.
The challenge was that being interested in computers or science doesn't automatically give you the qualifications to apply for a job in tech. Anya had no computer science degree and no professional IT experience. She also had no idea where to begin.
"I realised I wanted to at least give IT a try, but it was difficult to find a starting point because I don't have a computer science or technical background," she recalls.
She had tried university before. She enrolled in an engineering degree but left after her first year. Not because she lost interest in technology—quite the opposite. She simply realised that the traditional academic model of learning wasn't the right fit for her.
"Everything moved so quickly because everyone seemed to assume you were already great at maths or something like that," she says.
Over time, she discovered that she learned much better in a different environment—one built around a clear goal, practical application, independent problem-solving and support whenever she genuinely needed it.
"I realised that self-learning, a bootcamp or a structured course worked much better for me. The academic approach just wasn't for me. It simply didn't suit the way I learn. In the end, I taught myself almost everything. And it worked."
SOFTWARE TESTING? ALMOST BY ACCIDENT
Anya's first introduction to software testing wasn't the result of a carefully planned career strategy. Her local employment office was offering funded training programmes, and Software Tester happened to be one of the available options. She thought, why not?
The course focused primarily on theory and preparing participants for the ISTQB certification exam. It gave her a solid foundation, but it also quickly showed her that understanding testing concepts and working as a software tester are two very different things.
"The exam and real-world software testing are two completely different things," she says.
Testing caught her interest, but programming remained at the back of her mind. So when, as an Amazon Associate, she began exploring the learning opportunities available through Amazon Career Choice, she looked at several different programmes, including IT Support.
Then she came across Future Collars' Python Developer programme. She enrolled. It didn't take long to realise that being interested in technology doesn't automatically mean you'll understand code overnight.
"I COULDN'T VISUALISE THE CODE"
For experienced developers, loops, variables and application logic become second nature. For Anya, they represented an entirely new way of thinking.
"I couldn't visualise the code because I had absolutely no programming experience or knowledge. That's why the beginning of learning Python was the hardest part. I first had to imagine what the code was actually doing and understand how it worked," she explains.
There wasn't a single breakthrough moment when everything suddenly clicked. Instead, her understanding developed gradually with each assignment, every new exercise and countless conversations with her mentor.
"My mentor, Marek, was amazing. Once things finally started coming together in my mind, I slowly began to see the bigger picture and understand how applications actually work behind the scenes."
Python gave her programming fundamentals, but perhaps more importantly, it gave her the confidence to make a more informed decision about her future career.
She could already read and understand code, and she had built her own projects. But she realised that becoming a software developer wasn't necessarily the path she wanted to follow. What interested her more and more was software testing and quality assurance.
That's why she enrolled in a second Future Collars programme through Amazon Career Choice - Software Tester. This time, she knew exactly what she was looking for. Not more theory. Practical experience.
JIRA, TEST CASES AND THE SKILLS SHE USED FROM DAY ONE
During the bootcamp, Anya worked with the same tools and workflows she would later encounter in her first role as a Junior QA Engineer. Jira, writing test cases, designing test scenarios and understanding the software testing process may not sound as exciting as the promise of a career change, but these were exactly the skills that proved invaluable once she joined her first technology team.
"The practical side of the course was definitely the most valuable. I'm a junior, and from my very first day at work I've been using Jira. Of course, every company has its own way of working, but the fundamentals are the same. Thanks to the bootcamp, I didn't have to learn absolutely everything from scratch. Instead, I could focus on learning how my new company works."
Today, when her mentor talks about end-to-end testing, happy paths or negative paths, Anya immediately understands what those concepts mean and what is expected of her.
"I can visualise exactly what I'm supposed to do. I don't need a senior engineer to explain every little detail because I already understand the terminology and the concepts behind it."
Perhaps this is where the real difference becomes visible. There's a big gap between completing a course and walking into your first job with a solid foundation that allows you to contribute from day one.
"I'M A JUNIOR. I HAVE NO ILLUSIONS. I STILL HAVE BILLS TO PAY."
Career-change stories often sound neat and straightforward when they're told after everything has worked out. Living through them is a very different experience.
Anya didn't hand in her notice at Amazon the day she finished her bootcamp. She had no idea whether finding her first job in tech would take one month, six months or even longer. So for a while, she balanced everything at once—working full-time, studying, applying for jobs and preparing for interviews.
"I stayed at Amazon because I had no idea how long it would take me to find a job. I'm a junior—I have no illusions. I still have bills to pay. I need to make a living."
Once she decided that she genuinely wanted to move into tech, she approached the job search strategically. She didn't send the same CV to dozens of random companies. Instead, she carefully selected roles that genuinely interested her, researched every company and tailored each application. As it turned out, that alone made her stand out.
"You'd be surprised how few junior candidates actually research the companies they apply to. When my interview started, I already knew what the company did. They were genuinely surprised because, as they later told me, most candidates don't do that."
Then she shares another piece of advice, very much in her own style.
"You don't have to spend an hour rewriting every CV. You have AI. HR uses AI too, so let your AI talk to their AI and get you through the first filter. The most important thing is getting the interview. After that, it's about whether you're the right fit and whether your personality matches the manager and the team."
It took Anya around a month to land her first job in tech. The recruitment process itself lasted longer. It involved several interview stages, usually spaced about a week apart, and every conversation required preparation after work. Looking back, she says that searching for your first job can almost feel like having a second full-time job in itself.
A SLOVAK PROFESSIONAL IN A POLISH COMPANY, WORKING WITH A U.S. CLIENT
Today, Anya works as a Junior QA Engineer. As a Slovak professional, she joined a Polish technology company, becoming the first Slovak person the company has worked with. She is now part of an international team delivering a project for a U.S. client specialising in audience measurement and data analytics, alongside colleagues from Poland, India and Chile.
"It's a very international environment, and that's exactly what I was looking for," she says.
Her day-to-day work involves testing dashboards, validating data and metrics, working with Excel, Jira tickets and test cases. Rather than being assigned repetitive manual testing tasks, she joined a complex project where the data is constantly evolving and understanding the product is just as important as testing it. That's exactly what she enjoys.
"The last thing I wanted was to spend my entire career manually testing e-commerce websites or simple web pages. Here it's much more challenging because testing dashboards, metrics and constantly changing data is genuinely difficult, especially when you're a junior."
Anya doesn't describe changing careers as a magical moment when everything suddenly became easy. Quite the opposite. Several times during our conversation, she emphasises that her current role is demanding. But today, challenge means something very different to her. It means growth.
"There's so much room to keep learning here, and that's exactly what I wanted. I can already see a clear path for how I can continue developing my career."
Looking back, it's also easy to see how the two Future Collars programmes she completed have become part of one coherent career pathway. The Software Tester programme gave her the practical QA skills she now uses every day as a Junior QA Engineer, while Python Developer provided the programming foundation that will support her next professional goal, moving into test automation.
"IT'S EXCITING TO BE ON THE INSIDE"
There is one more thing Anya talks about with genuine enthusiasm. After years of being interested in technology from the outside, she finally gets to experience what it's really like to build and improve software from within.
"It's exciting to see how technology companies actually work. It's exciting to be on the inside. When you work in QA, you really get to know the product. You work closely with developers and other teams, so you're right at the centre of everything that's happening. You understand what's going on behind the scenes."
Perhaps that's one of the most interesting parts of her story. Her career change isn't just about updating her LinkedIn job title. It's about finally becoming part of an industry she had wanted to enter for years.
Today, she collaborates with software engineers, gains a deep understanding of the product she's testing and already sees several possible directions for her future career. She could continue specialising in manual testing. She could move into test automation.
Or, thanks to the programming skills she developed through Python, she could continue building her software development expertise. She doesn't feel pressured to make that decision today. And that's exactly what she values most.
"I can decide whether I want to stay in QA, move into automation, or even continue towards software development. Learning the fundamentals of programming and building a stronger foundation in software testing has given me the freedom to become whoever I want."
HER FIRST JOB IN TECH AND A SALARY AT THE TOP END OF THE JUNIOR RANGE
Changing careers also brought a very tangible financial benefit. Anya admits that, for her first role in tech, she is very happy with the conditions she was offered. The company hired her at the upper end of the salary range for junior positions, something she says is already close to the lower end of a mid-level salary. Interestingly, she didn't even have to negotiate it.
When we ask her what the biggest difference is between her previous job and her current one, however, money quickly becomes a secondary topic.
What matters most to her today is the opportunity to keep growing, greater autonomy and the flexibility she now has at work.
"I'm genuinely happy because, even though the work is challenging, I have the freedom to grow. At the end of the day, what matters is getting the work done."
After spending three years in an Amazon warehouse environment, the difference is impossible for her not to notice. Today, she values the ability to organise her own work and, above all, having a clear path for continued professional development.
"I need a company that gives me freedom and room to grow. Everything else, salary and all the rest, can be discussed or worked towards later."
For Anya, this new job isn't the finish line. It's simply the first confirmation that the direction she chose can take her much further.
SHE NEVER HAD A FIVE-YEAR PLAN. SHE SIMPLY HAD THE CHANCE TO TRY.
Looking back, it's easy to tell Anya's story as a straight line: Amazon. Career Choice. Python. Software Testing. Her first job in tech. But in reality, it didn't feel nearly that straightforward.
She enrolled in her first software testing course almost on impulse. She started learning Python with absolutely no previous programming experience. Only as she progressed did she begin to understand what genuinely interested her and how combining programming with software testing could open new career opportunities.
She didn't need to know from day one whether she wanted to become a QA Engineer, a Test Automation Engineer or a Software Developer. First, she simply needed a way in. A chance to learn. A chance to build practical skills. A chance to see whether this world was really for her.
Perhaps that's why, when we ask what she would say to another Amazon Associate who has access to Career Choice but is still unsure whether to take the opportunity, her answer comes without hesitation.
"Just do it. You have the opportunity to use Career Choice to fund your education, and it's absolutely worth taking advantage of it. Even if you don't know exactly what you want to do yet, choose something that genuinely interests you and give it a try."
Then she adds a sentence that could easily sum up not only her own story, but the entire idea behind lifelong learning.
"Money comes and goes. Companies come and go. But education stays with you."
Anya's journey is proof that your first choice doesn't have to define your entire career.
"I decided to learn software testing almost on impulse. And it turned out to be one of the best decisions I could have made."
Three years in an Amazon warehouse. A first introduction to software testing. Python Developer. Software Tester.
Studying after work, applying for jobs, preparing for interview after interview and around a month to land her first role in tech.
Today, Anya Soimová works as a Junior QA Engineer, contributing to a technology project for a U.S. client as part of an international team. Every day, she uses the practical skills she developed through learning, while already looking ahead to her next career step test automation.
She still doesn't claim to know exactly where she'll be in five years. The difference is that she no longer has to. Today, she has the skills, the experience and multiple paths ahead of her. Now, she gets to choose.
