Career Transitions: How EPAM Campus Helps Professionals Pivot to Tech 

Career Transitions: How EPAM Campus Helps Professionals Pivot to Tech 

Making a career transition across industries requires a specific mindset. It demands an inspiration for growth that outweighs potential challenges. After years as a Financial Analyst, Anahit Petrosyan’s curiosity took hold. Her skills and exceptional personal discipline created a perfect foundation for a tech career and she was ready to make the switch. Her journey through EPAM Campus and into a position as a Junior Data Scientist highlights EPAM’s culture of continuous learning and mobility and shows how she helps drive smarter decisions and measurable results across the organization.

Tech Curiosity

For Anahit, transitioning from finance to tech was not a departure from analytical thinking, but an evolution of it. With a passion for problem-solving, numbers and analytical thinking, it’s not surprising that the IT space drew her curiosity. “Every new experience made my eyes light up more and more,” she says. 

While studying for her bachelor's degree in finance at Yerevan State University, Anahit began attending tech conferences, webinars and other events. At first, IT was a special interest; she wondered how she could apply tech within her career, perhaps to automate parts of financial processes or make things more efficient. “I loved working in finance,” she shares. “I truly enjoyed learning how financial systems work and how data can be used to make smart business decisions.” But her curiosity soon exceeded the bounds of financial technology, and she knew it was time to make a change. “That’s when I decided to pursue my master’s degree in data science,” says Anahit. 

The Professional Path 

There are many similarities between financial analysis and data science, and Anahit notes the way her education and experience prepared her for her current role. 

“My job in finance was to interpret and synthesize complex financial data into clear, actionable insights that supported strategic decision-making,” she explains. “I enjoyed it; it was a great experience that helped me develop strong analytical thinking and attention to detail.” 

During that time, Anahit was often recognized for her analytical skills and leadership qualities. Mentoring others, coordinating team tasks and keeping things organized are activities that feel natural to her, and she carried these skills into her new role. 

EPAM Campus 

As she became more curious about tech capabilities, Anahit discovered the Data Science Training Program through EPAM Campus. As she progressed toward her master’s degree and held a full-time job, she took on the data science program. 

“It definitely required a lot of hard work,” she emphasizes. “When the EPAM recruiter asked how I was going to handle everything, I told her, ‘I’m a very hard-working person — I’ll make it work.’ And I really meant it.” 

For months, Anahit’s schedule demanded rigid dedication. “I used to wake up at 6 a.m. to study for the data science program before starting my full-time job. I would work eight hours, then attend university classes in the evening and continue studying afterward,” she explains, describing her routine. She says she never missed a deadline. 

“Looking back, every second of the journey was worth it,” Anahit says. “I’m proud of how I stayed committed and pushed myself to keep going, no matter how challenging it got.”

Support and Mentorship

By leveraging the educational resources available at EPAM Campus, Anahit combined her passion and talent for analytical thinking with a natural curiosity for the capabilities of modern technology. For someone moving into Data Science from another field, having a mentor to simplify complex ideas makes the transition smoother and faster.

Anahit points out that EPAM’s mentorship stands out in her professional experience. “My mentors were incredibly helpful and kind. They don’t just grade your assignments; they genuinely care about your growth and skill development,” she shares. “They always take the time to explain how things work ‘under the hood.’”

She also describes some ways that EPAM’s mentorship is unique: each assignment in Anahit’s program was reviewed by a different mentor. With this rotation, students don’t work with the same mentor more than once, which reduces bias and ensures that work is fairly evaluated. 

There are also 24-hour chat options available in some programs. Students can send in questions, regardless of the time, and mentors and trainers respond with helpful explanations, tips or supplemental learning materials. 

“Not every program in the industry offers that level of support,” says Anahit. “I was touched by how supportive and encouraging my mentors were. Their feedback wasn’t just constructive — it was motivating.” She recalls how trainers always highlighted the strengths in her work, praising her efforts and inspiring her to improve. “Their guidance made a huge difference in my learning journey,” she adds.  

Career Transformation 

Today, Anahit applies her expertise to complex data challenges. From exploring raw datasets to uncovering meaningful patterns and insights, she processes and transforms data to extract key metrics that drive informed decision-making and support stakeholder goals. She also enjoys mentoring aspiring data scientists, guiding them as they begin their careers and helping them build a strong foundation in the field. She recently joined the EPAM Data Science Training Program again — this time as a mentor.

“Not long ago, I was one of the students, and now I’m the one helping others on their journey,” Anahit comments. “It’s rewarding to see how much can change in a short amount of time.” 

When asked about any changes she would make to the program, Anahit is quick with her response. “I wouldn’t change anything,” she says. “The program was created by great data scientists who considered every detail for the student. It was a fantastic experience from start to finish.”  Whether you are an expert in your field or new to the professional world, the path to a tech career is open. If you are ready to engineer a new future, EPAM has the tools to help you get there. 

Are you interested in completing a tech program like Data Science Training? See what’s available: https://campus.epam.com/en   

Ready to explore a new career path? Discover your potential at EPAM: www.epam.com/careers