After a week of feeling suspended in uncertainty, with no one I could really ask for advice, I decided to talk to GPT. I wrote something along the lines of: “I’m analyzing my situation of trying to enter the IT industry through Python programming, and I think I may have chosen too high an entry threshold compared to the time I can realistically dedicate to learning. I’m trying to spot some hidden paths, but I probably don’t know enough about the possible roles out there.”
It was 2024. GPT was already functioning quite well, although it could still send you off in the wrong direction from time to time. But that time, it managed to say something wise. I don’t remember the exact wording, but it was something along the lines of: “If you analyze and try to uncover what’s hidden, you should be a data analyst.”
Excuse me? A what?
I wanted to be “someone.” A programmer. Not a person I was trying, in my own head, to diminish to the role of “the charts person.”
For two days, I battled with my own mind. For most of my life, I felt I had to prove to the world that I was “someone.” I knew that way of thinking wasn’t healthy, but it was deeply rooted in me.
And then I received an email from Kamil Brzeziński about a new YouTube video featuring a data analyst, Kajo Rudziński. Anyone who knows me knows I always say that nothing happens without a reason. For me, it was a sign. A shout from the sky: “Don’t be foolish. You already know what you’re meant to do.”
Reluctantly, I purchased a one-month subscription to Kajo’s course. At first, I was angry at the whole world. I didn’t want to do it. I was still trying to heal my mind from that unhealthy belief about having to “be someone.”
Days of learning went by. It slowly began to sink in that Python, the language I had fallen in love with, wasn’t disappearing from my life at all. It was present here too. I started to see more and more clearly that data is the foundation of everything: machine learning, artificial intelligence, business decisions, and the success of major companies. And that I was meant to become part of the group of people who form the backbone of the IT world - data analysts.
And you know what? At some point, I genuinely felt ashamed. I realized that I had been looking down on the profession of a data analyst, as if it were something “less.” And that was unfair above all to myself, because I was taking away my own right to choose a path that might actually be right for me.
That’s when I remembered a lesson I had learned once before. Not many people know this, but I once worked as a cleaner to earn money for school. And that job taught me one thing: a person’s worth does not depend on their title. Every role has its importance, even if not every role is visible. Cleaners don’t make business decisions or analyze data, but without their work, many places simply wouldn’t be able to function.
When that realization came back to me, I felt ashamed. I had forgotten that respect is due to every kind of work that brings value. And data analysts bring a great deal of value. They are the foundation of the decisions, processes, and technologies that drive the modern world.
I felt the need to restore a sense of honor. Partly to myself, because I was already on this path. I realized that if I was going to step into this profession, I wanted to do it with full respect for the people who build it. Above all, I wanted to prove to myself that I could reach a level that would earn recognition. That I would do this work in a way that makes others see me as someone who truly knows what they’re doing. Not just another person “from the crowd,” but someone who takes this role seriously and approaches it with real commitment.
In six months, I completed the entire data analytics course, covering all the essential tools. During that time, I took part in two international projects, won second place in an analytics competition, and my holiday project was noticed and promoted by Kajo Rudziński. I received many words of praise and distinctions that felt like new feathers added to my wings. At that stage of entering the industry, I truly felt I had done everything I possibly could.
I started looking for a job…
Based on real life
To be continued…
A cookie with your coffee?
I remain grateful that you trusted me back then. What’s genuinely interesting about this story, and something that I think is rarely talked about, is how managing our own emotions shapes our career choices. Seriously. Just as you wrote, it’s easy to look down on a data analyst, or to get “stuck” on Power BI… But what is it really about? It’s about emotional management. About how to take that next step forward, how to allow yourself to take it. And I think you, Olga, show that in a truly powerful way.
Looking back, I can see that career decisions are not purely rational at all. Managing emotions, ambition, and our own expectations is just as important as learning the tools. Without that, it’s hard to take the next step. And I’m glad this story can show that. 😉
Keeping my fingers crossed for your continued growth! 😉
Thank you, Rafał! I’m really glad you joined “Pages from My Diary.” 💚 I might have to think about a virtual coffee for my readers to make the reading even more enjoyable. ☕😉
Olga, I’m full of admiration and respect for how wisely, responsibly, and at the same time maturely you approached such difficult topics. Trying to understand your own needs and expectations, both toward yourself and in relation to others, facing challenging experiences, ambitions, and dreams. And carrying all of that on your own, at least at the beginning, you managed it. You didn’t let yourself get pushed into a dead end (even by yourself), but instead chose what was best for you. Reaching an understanding with yourself and focusing on growth. Kajo wrote wisely about managing one’s emotions. I think in your case it had an even broader context. That’s the impression I get reading between the lines… 🙂
Respect. For yourself and for others. That’s the word that will stay with me after reading this piece. It feels so authentic, and so mature. A wonderful story that could truly inspire others. Maybe it’s worth sharing it with a wider audience? Of course, only if it feels right to you 🙂
Michał, thank you for this comment. I’m really glad you’ve settled in here. 🙂 You touched very accurately on the topic of managing emotions, but to be honest, it’s not something I have “behind me.” It’s something that still shows up in me all the time. Even now, when I already have a job and theoretically “should calm down,” I catch myself thinking: I’ll just do this one more thing, fix that one more thing, and then I’ll finally “be someone.”
I think it has nothing to do with the current situation, but with something much older. With a certain pattern that once helped me move forward, but today can also pull me in the wrong direction.
That’s why this “coming to terms with myself,” as you put it, is more of a process than a state for me. Sometimes it goes well, and other times I need to pause again and put everything back in order from the beginning.
As for sharing it more widely… the blog was initially created just to keep the website alive after I found a job. But now its purpose is exactly that, to make sure these stories don’t end with me. If any of this can help someone, give them courage, or simply make them feel less alone, then let it travel out into the world. 🙂
Thank you, I feel comfortable here 🙂
Absolutely, coming to terms with yourself, those difficult inner negotiations, is a process that lasts a lifetime. But recognizing it and consciously engaging in that dialogue, seeing the need for deeper change, is already a huge achievement. I’m not a psychologist, but my experience tells me that our perception and how we feel about things right now is a bit like… LLMs 😂 we build our sense of the present from all the data of our past 😉 But what’s probably even more important, and what sets us apart from AI, is that at the same time we can shape our future. We can have a vision, goals, and dreams, and actually pursue them instead of waiting for them to come true on their own 😀
And those thoughts about “being someone,” and the drive toward perfection or mastery that come from difficult past experiences, will keep showing up. When they do, it’s worth listening to them and, as my friend says, “giving them a hug.” Let them know you see them and understand them, and that they don’t need to be afraid anymore. That everything is already taken care of, and you’re safe now. They can gently step back, because they no longer need to protect you 🙂
I love that comparison to LLMs! 💚 Seriously, it’s so spot on. It’s a bit like we’re all running on our own training datasets, just with a much stronger layer of emotions and no “factory reset” option.
And there’s something true in that. We carry our past with us, yet we still have a say in what we choose to do with it. That’s probably the hardest part, but also the most fascinating one in this whole process.
And that idea of “hugging” those thoughts… I’m writing that one down, because it feels like one of those simple things that can actually change a lot 🙂
Give that “hugging” a try. It won’t come naturally right away, but what matters is awareness, noticing those thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations. That’s the first step. Everyone “hugs” in their own way 🙂
My friend Ania really knows her stuff 🙂