Building in Tech: Growth Doesn't Always Mean a New Title
In the next episode of our Building in Tech series, we meet Veronika, who has been part of Touch4IT for 10 years. Over that time, she's moved from smaller projects across various industries to business-critical systems in Healthcare, Space, and Defense. For her, career progression isn't about a new title, but about the growth and purpose she feels in her work.
How long have you been active in IT, and how do you look back on your beginnings?
I have been active in IT (and Touch4IT) for 10 years, so when I started my first projects, I was also learning the job. The basic principles were easy to understand and pick up, and the more experience I gained, the better I became at preventing problems or solving them effectively when they did come up, regardless of the project's size or complexity.
Were you worried about something when you were entering the IT industry, and did you later find it wasn't as bad as you thought?
Yes, I was worried that IT would be significantly more complex and harder to understand than other industries. Over time, though, I realized it's a field like any other - when you're in it every day, and you have the drive to keep learning and understanding new things, you gradually pick it all up. A lot of things that seem complicated at first become natural over time, as long as you're willing to learn.
Did you feel like you were entering a male-dominated industry, and how did that feel to you?
I noticed it, but it didn't matter much to me; I'd worked in male-dominated fields before, too.
Where do you see the biggest differences between your first year at the company and today?
The biggest difference I see is mainly in the level of professionalism, processes, and how the company operates overall. Because of this shift, we can now win much more complex, higher-responsibility projects than we could at the start.
Whereas we used to work mostly on smaller projects across various industries, today we're working on business-critical systems in specific, demanding fields like Healthcare, Space, and Defense. I see it as a natural result of the company, the team, and our know-how having grown significantly over the years.
What does career progression mean to you? Is it a new position, a completed project, newly gained skills, or a moment when you think, "OK, I'm in the right place, and I feel useful here"?
For me, career progression doesn't necessarily mean a new position. What matters more is the feeling that what I'm doing makes sense, that I'm useful, and that my work brings value to the company, the team, and our clients.
I see progression mainly in continuously learning new things, developing my skills, and seeing room ahead of me to keep growing. If I feel like I'm growing within my current position, I don't need to change it just to feel a sense of career progress. What matters to me is that my growth and contribution are recognized by the company - to be seen, valued, and reflected in how I'm rewarded over time.
What should your development look like at tech companies? If you were sitting down for coffee today with a girl who's considering a job in IT but has doubts about herself, what would you tell her from your own experience?
Definitely give it a try. IT offers so many different areas, so you can find a direction based on what you enjoy and where you want to grow - whether that's the technical side, management, marketing, design, or operations.
What matters is to keep learning, keep working on yourself, not be afraid to try new things, and take the opportunities that come your way. IT evolves very quickly, and if you evolve along with it, you'll always have something new to discover - and you definitely won't get bored.
