Is it reasonable not to settle for less, purposefully develop new skills beyond your current role and craft work that genuinely fits you?
In the previous articles of our #CoffeeWithRW series, we covered how to approach stepping down from a C-level role to a junior position and what it means to shift from writing about tech to working directly with it.
This time, we focus on how to keep honing your skills and approaches in a way that allows you to stay relevant, even when life circumstances change. For instance, when you move to another country, or when your responsibilities start to outgrow the initial scope of your role.
Passing the mic to Oksana Korchmar, our office manager-turned-operations manager, to share her experience.
Always choosing what you enjoy
There’s something beautiful about the way children express their dreams with simple, sincere clarity. They want to become who they admire, and I was no exception. As a child, I dreamed of becoming a veterinarian simply because I loved animals.
I still remember one summer day at the market when I saw a stray dog. Technically, it had an owner, but it was clearly lost. Before my mom could even react, my grandfather was already helping me rescue the dog from its little misfortune.
In school, my focus shifted. Then, I wanted to become an English teacher — I loved the subject and admired the way it was taught. Yet, life steered me elsewhere. When I was 17, I moved to Kraków to study tourism, following yet another passion for travel.
I don’t regret it at all. Still, if I could go back, I’d likely give myself more time, perhaps a year, to explore different paths and polish my language skills. However, even without that pause, my deep interest in the field naturally led me to a job in hospitality.
It all made sense: I spoke Ukrainian, Polish, and English fluently. As a student, I took a role at a hotel reception. In hindsight, it became my launchpad to become a universal soldier and T-shaped specialist. I tried everything: events, sales, even setting up reception processes from scratch in a new hotel. Over the course of my seven years in the industry, I explored other options, but my attempt at a corporate role ultimately left me unfulfilled.
My job was so process-driven it could be automated — and like in many traditional structures, I was expected to execute, not innovate.
Over time, I began to see a ceiling forming above me. In hospitality, advancing into senior roles often depends less on what you know and more on how long you’ve been around. Sometimes, it could take decades. I was no longer growing.
The curiosity and challenge that had motivated me at the start began to fade. That’s when I decided to take a completely new step — and joined a tech company called Railsware.
Many turns in the office manager’s path
At that point, I was looking for roles that could relate to my experience: working with people, handling stress, managing crises, and speaking fluent Polish. Meanwhile, Railsware was hiring an office manager. So I applied, and we instantly clicked on values, culture, and mindset. That’s how my new career ladder began.
Surely, it wasn’t all smooth. (Spoiler: I soon had to adapt to working remotely and taking on new responsibilities.) Railsware is full of brilliant, highly tech people — some have been with the company for over a decade. In the beginning, I often caught myself thinking: What am I doing here? But over time, that feeling passed. I rediscovered the things that had always driven me — the joy of being useful, appreciated, and genuinely engaged in my work.
Hospitality left its mark — in both good and not-so-good ways. One habit I carried with me was an urge to be quick. If a message came in, I felt I had to respond immediately. The “everything right now” mindset had become second nature. However, at Railsware, I learned something I hadn’t practiced before — the importance of pausing.
Urgency can be useful, but so can taking time to think. Sometimes, stepping back and responding thoughtfully is the better course of action.
As I settled into my role as Office Manager, I started stepping outside of my formal responsibilities. During one of our growth review sessions, I offered to help with relocation and immigration of teammates moving to Poland. Having lived there for years, I was familiar with the local bureaucracy. That gradually expanded into managing business travel, and eventually procurement.
Then life brought another major change. I got married, and with that came our decision to move to Germany. I didn’t want to lose my role, so I made a plan. I mapped out my tasks, proposed ideas I could continue managing remotely, and brought this to my manager. Together, we tested how it would work and how much time it would take to cover everything. As Railsware kept growing, so did its operational needs. Step by step, my part-time setup evolved back into a full-time role.
So, although I never became a vet, I’ve stayed true to the approach I’ve always followed — building a career led by curiosity, flexibility, and genuine interest in what I do.
Tips to approach a career boldly
Today, fewer people follow traditional, linear career paths. Stories like mine are becoming increasingly common. So, along the way, I’ve picked up a few principles that helped shape who I am as a professional today:
1. Know what grounds you
When facing difficult decisions, you need to understand what keeps you steady. Try to identify what gives you a sense of security and direction, both personally and professionally.
On a personal level, I’ve found stability in knowing I can adapt — whether it was moving abroad alone at 17 or starting over in a new country years later. These moments became reminders that I’m capable of navigating change.
At work, that sense of steadiness came from the people around me. When I joined Railsware, I immediately felt supported both in completing tasks and growing as a specialist. My HR Lead and Operations Director created an environment where I could take on new challenges, ask questions without hesitation, and set boundaries when needed. That support gave me the confidence to keep moving forward, even when I was stepping into unknown territory.
2. Let curiosity be part of our routine
For me, curiosity has been a reliable compass. When something caught my attention or made me wonder, “What if?”, I chose to explore it. Not every step was a confident one. There were doubts, mistakes, and moments when I questioned whether I was on the right track. But each time, curiosity helped me move forward and build a broader skill set I wouldn’t have developed otherwise.
In both life and work, many people stay in roles or situations that no longer motivate them simply because they’re afraid to try something else. However, the reality is that you can almost always return to square one. What’s much harder is ignoring that quiet pull toward something new.
Following curiosity doesn’t mean abandoning what you’ve built — it means staying open to what might come next.
3. Approach decisions with BRIDGeS
One of the most important things I’ve learned is not to rush decisions, whether at work or in life. At Railsware, we use a problem-solving framework that helps us slow down and think through our choices carefully. We don’t just jump to solutions — we step back and ask: Are we addressing the real issue, or just a symptom? How will this choice affect the next steps? What ripple effects might follow?
This way of thinking gradually became part of how I approach personal decisions as well.
When I’ve faced major changes like moving to another country or shifting my role, I’ve learned to pause and map things out. Where could this decision lead? What am I gaining? What might I need to leave behind?
Slowing down doesn’t mean delaying progress. It means giving yourself enough space to make decisions that truly fit your long-term goals. Taking that time helps turn uncertainty into something you can navigate with intention, not just react to.
Don’t stick to the final destination
Looking back, I didn’t make a single bold move. I made many small ones, often led by instinct, sometimes by circumstance, but always with curiosity. And I’m still moving. I don’t believe in final destinations anymore. Careers, like people, evolve.
What I do believe in is staying open. Open to change, open to discomfort, open to rewriting your own story as many times as it takes.
