When I was in college, I initially wanted to be a doctor, but my grades were too low to go to medical school. I had no other option but to choose between Humanities, Arts, or Computer Science. I went for Computer Science, and that was the first time I was introduced to it.
As soon as I started, I really liked it. I did well in my studies, with my grades going up. I was feeling confident, having fun, and from there, I wanted to learn more. It was fascinating going into this field, in part because in 2009, there were not a lot of women in Pakistan in computer science.
Despite my successes, I was initially discouraged from pursuing it further. People would say, “Why do you want to choose this? You won’t get any job.” In my college and university, there used to be only one or two female students with me. When I did my master’s, I was often the only woman in some of the courses. It was intimidating, sitting there, the only woman among all the men. But it made me even more curious about the subject. What is so special about this field that it seems meant only for men? I couldn't understand it. That was another reason I got more interested in the subject.
Since I was very good both theoretically and practically, I started teaching fellow students at school. That experience inspired me to pursue teaching after graduation, where I developed soft skills like communication, understanding student psychology, and maintaining discipline in classrooms. Wanting to further develop my hard skills, too, I decided to shift my career.
I worked in computer science in Pakistan, but then I got married, had a child, and moved countries, dealing with personal matters. So, there was a career break. When I was freed from all that, I decided I needed to go back to work. By then, there was a huge gap since I graduated or had worked, and you know how quickly things evolve in IT and the job market. I needed some kind of guidance or help to get started.
It was difficult to find a job. I did courses on YouTube, and other free resources, and did some volunteer work. I worked as a developer for free just to build my profile.
That’s when I came upon a program that helps people get back into tech. I joined Booking.com as a software developer in June 2022.
I think there are many milestones, not just professional but personal ones too.
One was deciding that it’s not just about finding any opportunity but rather finding the right one. When you're looking for a job, after a few rejections, it’s easy to lower your expectations. Too often, people would tell me, “Sorry, we can’t hire you because you don’t have enough experience”.
Rather than settling for less, I changed my mindset. If people aren’t giving me a job, it’s fine, I’ll create something for myself. I started looking for unpaid opportunities that didn’t have strict eligibility requirements.
I remember one, where I was a website manager. The site was built on Wix, so I didn’t need many of my coding skills. But I saw potential and room for improvement. I proposed and implemented a software solution to speed up the sign-up process, which was appreciated.
I created growth opportunities for myself by identifying and solving problems. These voluntary roles had no fixed expectations or deadlines, so I could work at my own pace, explore, and try things out as well as do some online courses to improve my qualifications at the same time.
Another milestone was the Tech Returners program. I came across it because I kept networking and asking people who had tech experience or knew someone who did, whether they could help me get back into tech. That’s how I found out about the opportunity.
I started my tech journey 15 years ago, but life took me in a different direction for a while. Coming back to it after motherhood, relocation, and personal growth has made the experience more meaningful than it ever was in my 20s.
I’ve learned that it's not just about hard skills. While technical abilities are required, communication and problem-solving are just as important. That combination of hard and soft skills has made the biggest difference in my career. What matters is your willingness and ability to solve a problem: identifying it and doing something about it. That’s all you need. You need that itch, that feeling of “yeah, I want to do it, and I want to try.” You don’t need to know everything about it, because you’re never going to know everything.
My team and I regularly face complex and evolving challenges, and that’s what keeps the work exciting and meaningful. Coming into this kind of role doesn’t mean you know everything. You don’t. It’s very dynamic, and there are always unexpected things happening. You need to be ready to face challenges and stay in that problem-solving mindset.
The only advice that always stays with me is: Never give up. It’s easy to give up when you face failures, but failure humbles you. The more you fail, the closer you get to your goal because you keep learning.
If you want something, you can do it. It might take a day, a year, or even ten years. It can take forever. If plan A doesn’t work, there’s always plan B - or even plan C. And if none of those work, maybe there are people you can talk to. Stick to what you’ve set out to achieve. When you have that mindset, you do get there one day.
Stay positive, because we co-create our reality through how we think and perceive. If you believe you can do it, you will. Your mind will give you the tools, and you’ll come across opportunities because you’re focused on your goal.
If I could speak to my younger self, I’d say: You’re not behind- you’re just on a different timeline. It’s okay to pause, to start over, to take the long way. One day, you’ll walk into a room and feel like you belong, not because everything went perfectly, but because you kept showing up.
Networking and connecting with others played a crucial role in shaping my career. Sometimes we think we can do everything ourselves, or we’re too afraid to speak to others because of past experiences that make us hold back. But one thing I’ve learned is this: you can’t do everything on your own. That’s impossible.
If you want to grow, you need to engage with others. Some people know things and genuinely want to help you. For example, if I hadn’t spoken to one friend, who connected me to another, who then told me about an opportunity, I would never have come across it. That only happened because I was open to connecting with others.
So yes, networking is essential. You can’t just sit in your box and think you know and can do everything. If you want to grow, personally or professionally, share what you're working on. If you're stuck, ask for help, you might come across new ideas, and people will help you improve. No matter the situation or area of life, connecting with others is important for growth and success.
I used to be too scared to speak up because people hadn’t helped me before, and I got used to depending only on myself. I thought, “No, I’ll do it myself. I won’t ask anyone.” I was reluctant. And that happens to a lot of people, you feel like you shouldn’t ask for help. But I’ve learned there’s no harm or shame in it.
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