Switching careers is never easy . It often starts as a quiet thought, but turning it into reality takes courage.
At Railsware, we believe that being part of a mature, supportive team can help you challenge your growth limits and make bold moves. That’s the idea behind our Career Switch series — to share first-hand stories of changing roles, the thinking behind those decisions, and practical takeaways.
In the previous article, our Talent & Career Lead Daryna Kuzmyk shared how she moved from Head of Sales to a junior recruiter.
This time, Piotr Małek walks us through his journey from writing technical content to working as an Analytics Engineer — a shift that involved constant questioning, learning, and adapting to change.
Grab a coffee, tea or smoothie, and let’s enjoy the story:
Math geek, founder of travel agency and 2 career switches
Let me share a bit of my story, just to give some context behind my decisions.
Technology has always been part of my world. My dad was a programmer — a pretty big deal back in the ’80s — and by the ’90s, we had a computer at home. That was rare at the time and turned our place into the unofficial neighbourhood museum:)
In high school, we were supposed to have programming classes. And technically, we did. But thanks to some rather laid-back teachers, we mostly played Quake 3 instead. So I began learning algorithms and basic C++ on my own.
I genuinely enjoyed it, and math too. I was a total math geek throughout elementary and high school, usually near the top of the class. However, over time, I started to drift away from both.
We were diving into increasingly complex math problems, but I struggled to connect them to any career paths that actually excited me. My interests were starting to pull me in another direction.
Eventually, I switched gears and pursued a degree in tourism. Later, I launched my own travel agency — organising trips, booking flights, and helping clients discover new places. It gave me the flexibility I wanted and let me do something I genuinely loved (and still do).
However, building a stable team was harder than I expected. Without a technical co-founder or the right expertise, the project eventually ran out of steam.
At the same time, I started noticing a pattern in my tourism jobs: the work often felt repetitive, with few clear opportunities for growth or long-term development. And while my curiosity about technology and innovation kept growing, that world felt far removed from the one I was in.
That gap pushed me to explore the startup and product space — environments that offered exactly what I was looking for: constant learning, a fast pace, and room for creativity. I took a step back to reflect on what I was good at and where I could really make an impact. That led me to technical content writing — something I both enjoyed and excelled at.
Hunger games
For a few years, I was growing as a content specialist in startups. But the real acceleration started when I joined the Railsware team — a move that eventually led to my next pivot.
I came on board as a technical content writer, working on products like Coupler.io and Mailtrap. What really hooked me wasn’t just the writing — it was the technical depth behind it. Every article, landing page, or piece of documentation was a chance to dive into something unfamiliar. I loved unpacking complex topics and making them understandable — both for myself and for others.
Yet, after a few years (and hundreds of articles), the learning curve started to level out.
Because the audience for my content was mostly marketers, I had to keep things fairly high-level, avoiding deep technical dives. That meant I wasn’t gaining much beyond what I already knew. Over time, the topics became repetitive, and I began to feel that my growth had stalled.
To keep developing — and to reignite my original excitement for tech and innovation — I knew I needed hands-on technical experience.
So I took matters into my own hands. I began exploring data, a field I’d long been curious about and had already written a lot on. With some time on my side, I started learning Python, SQL, and the fundamentals of data analysis.
Then life threw me a beautiful curveball: my daughter was born. Suddenly, those imagined long evening study sessions turned into 30-minute sprints, once or twice a week, squeezed between everything else, on a good week.
It wasn’t easy. What I planned as a few-month course stretched into nearly two years. However, I kept going — and I got there.
Eventually, I approached our product director to review my individual development plan. I wanted more — a new challenge aligned with my growing skill set. He suggested I try hands-on work: data extraction, dashboards, internal reporting.
I jumped at the opportunity, and it was exactly what I needed.
As I got involved in real projects, worked with actual data, and delivered insights that mattered, I gradually gained the confidence and skills to take on more responsibility. I began taking ownership of all sorts of projects—something I could have only dreamt of a year or two back.
Lessons learned
From my story, you can notice that questioning your goals and motivations is important. It’s not always easy, but I’ve learned a few lessons along the way that might help when facing similar decisions:
- Don’t waste time researching, start learning
When you’re entering a new field, it’s tempting to spend weeks comparing courses, reviews, and platforms. However, the truth is that most beginner resources cover similar material. The time you spend researching could be better used in actually learning.
Tip: I started with Dataquest and found it great for beginners, especially if you prefer structured, text-based learning. If you like video content, DataCamp might be more your style. I also tried Google’s data analytics course — the one that promises job offers after certification. Two years later, I’m still waiting :) So take course marketing with a grain of salt. Use them to build the basics — then move to step two.
- Focus on practical experience
Once you’ve reached a decent level, the best way to grow is by doing practical projects: writing simple scripts, analysing datasets from Kaggle, or automating tasks for your use.
Doing real projects matters even more if you can’t yet switch roles within your company. It helps build your confidence, expand your portfolio, and prove your skills to future employers. And if you get the chance, contribute to NGOs or open-source initiatives. That kind of impact is not only rewarding but also a valuable experience.
- Seek guidance from people already working in roles you aspire to
Their insights can save you time, help you focus your efforts, and give you a clearer sense of direction. And by “help,” I don’t just mean a quick chat — I mean, ask them to:
– Sharing useful materials and courses
– Reviewing your work
– Offering mentorship and support as you grow
At first, I knew I wanted to be involved in data, but I didn’t have a clear plan for how to approach it. Yet, our Head of Data, Elvira, guided me along the way — she suggested a few potential paths and helped me figure out what actually interests me. She also pointed out which skills would be most relevant for the role, so I started focusing on those, potentially saving many hours.
- Be ready to give up professional confidence
One of the hardest shifts was letting go of the professional confidence I’d built in my previous role.
Starting from scratch felt uncomfortable — sometimes it still does. There are days I think I should be moving faster or know more, even when the feedback is positive.
But I’ve learned to accept being a beginner again. I’m lucky to be surrounded by a supportive team that understands where I am in the journey. Regular syncs with teammates help me track progress, spot growth areas, and stay motivated.
Don’t overthink – act
The key is to start. Identify what you want to achieve and how to get there through reading, networking or research. And then take consistent, manageable steps. It’s normal to encounter challenges or uncertainties, but progress comes from steady action.
Focus on practical steps rather than overthinking, surround yourself with the right people, and you will gradually move towards your goal.
