From Psychology to a .NET Career Path: How Ewa Szczepska Flipped the Script
From Psychology to a .NET Career Path: How Ewa Szczepska Flipped the Script
CATEGORY
Blog, Career Tips
Kathryn Satterfield
Lead Marketing Specialist
Olena Mohilevych
Communications Specialist
DATE
May 20, 2026
With a master’s degree in psychology and early career experience in HR and marketing, Ewa Szczepska’s transition to a .NET career path at EPAM included a variety of learning experiences that culminated in a significant professional change. We sat down with Ewa to discuss her career shift and the practical moves it required.
Early Interest
Ewa’s interest in coding started in her late teens, when she began working with HTML and CSS. Despite her curiosity, she chose to pursue psychology and built her early career in spaces like HR, marketing and research. When an international move changed her schedule and she found the opportunity to revisit her passion for technology, she reached out for guidance. With the advice of a friend who successfully transitioned into software development, Ewa took her first steps into the tech world.
Like many, Ewa had doubts about her talents and whether she belonged in IT. She’s quick to challenge the myth that it takes a certain mind to succeed in software development. “Anyone can learn anything; it just depends on your interest and motivation,” she says. As a versatile and accessible framework — easy to start, difficult to master — .NET stood out to Ewa as a great starting point.
Accelerating Growth with EPAM Campus
Looking for structure and mentorship for her studies, Ewa began searching for training courses and opportunities that would work for her. She discovered the EPAM Campus .NET training program in Poland and applied. The training was intense, operating on tight timelines that required hard work and focus — but the comprehensive curriculum and hands-on approach were exactly what she needed.
“A great mentor made all the difference,” she recalls, noting that mentorship was a defining feature of the EPAM Campus program. Having an expert to supervise her progress gave her great insights into real-world production, and she learned that aside from writing code, software engineering relies heavily on methodologies, best practices and teamwork.
The focused training and high level of support from experienced professionals allowed Ewa to transition to a project at EPAM just two months after starting the Campus program. “I was lucky with my first project,” she recalls. “The team was very supportive, and I learned a lot about cloud technologies while working with the latest version of .NET.”
Ewa also demonstrated impressive dedication to her training. “I was balancing university studies with three jobs,” she says. “So, I learned time management through experience.” She emphasizes that this skill is crucial when handling intensive training alongside other commitments.
Finding a .NET Career Path at EPAM
Her experience also underscores the value of community and mentorship in making a successful career transition. “I was fortunate to have supportive colleagues and a Resource Manager who shared their knowledge and answered questions,” she says. For Ewa, the collaborative environment at EPAM played a big role in helping her overcome moments of doubt and uncertainty.
Still, Ewa recognizes that her skills and commitment were the key to her success. “Motivation and support are important, but you also need discipline and consistency,” she advises. She highlights how frustration can affect confidence and motivation if someone isn’t prepared. “This situation happens in every profession, at every level,” Ewa says. “But when you finally solve the problem, it’s so rewarding.” To her, that sense of accomplishment is worth the effort of pushing through difficult, frustrating moments.
Ewa’s range of experience also provides a unique advantage in her current role, especially for understanding team dynamics and communication.
“Strong communication skills are essential at any level,” she notes. Whether it’s clarifying requirements with business analysts or collaborating with extended teams, effective communication is critical. “It’s a skill to be able to speak your mind while respecting the feelings and boundaries of others.” Her ability to tailor her message and translate complex technical concepts for non-technical stakeholders ensures that all aspects of a project are aligned.
Industry Advice
Ewa’s advice for a career transition into tech is practical and encouraging: prepare well for interviews, thoroughly research your target position and don’t be afraid to admit what you don’t know.
She also recommends creating a portfolio of your work. “It doesn’t have to be special, but it will show you can apply your skills in practice,” she advises. “It provides discussion material, and maybe you will experience something they ask about in your interview.”
Ewa reminds us that feeling ‘ready’ isn’t a moment that happens often — especially in tech, where things change quickly. Instead, she suggests connecting with supportive colleagues and mentors who can help you grow and approaching missteps as growth opportunities.
“In fact, I failed my first project interview,” she laughs. “But I asked for and received feedback, which helped me grow. And now, the engineer who conducted that interview is my Resource Manager. I couldn’t ask for a better one.”
For her own training, Ewa relied on techniques like the Pomodoro method, to-do lists and breaking larger tasks into more manageable parts, saying, “The feeling of accomplishment from completing small tasks can keep you motivated.” Additional resources like YouTube, CodeCademy and trusted forums like StackOverflow are helpful, and she highlights the importance of remembering the long-term goals that fuel your journey — your ‘why.’
To recharge and prevent burnout, balance is an important part of Ewa’s professional approach. The flexibility of hybrid work gives her more time to spend with her dog, exploring nature, tackling furniture restoration projects and learning to sew. Balancing highly technical work with hands-on, creative hobbies helps her stay focused and energized.
Ready to start your own tech journey? Explore the training programs available at EPAM Campus or find a role that’s right for you today.
