Was it ever easy navigating your own career path?
Meet Raia Quitoriano, a valuable team member at UBX’s Technology Delivery team and a shining example of adaptability and perseverance. Her journey is marked by the courage to embrace the unknown and flourish through change, a testament to the transformative power of curiosity and the relentless pursuit of one’s true passion.
Let’s dive into her story and explore how her diverse experiences and commitment to learning have propelled her to excel in a rapidly evolving world, reminding us that with grit, an open mind, and the determination to face new challenges, we can carve out a fulfilling and successful career.
Hi, Raia here, an A-person from UBX. I function as a tech lead, at least for now.
Kidding aside, I was not always this mayabang about my tech skills. In fact, just a few years ago, I failed every single subject in my graduate studies for chemistry.
Labo ‘no? But my journey started like many of us. A young probinsyana, not knowing much about the world, had to choose what she was to become for the rest of her life. That was how I randomly ended up with a chemistry degree four years later.
But all those years between textbooks and science experiments made me desire human connection more. Pangarap ko lang dati na matutong magsalita sa harap ng malaking audience. Meron ba dito na kayang bigla na lang makipag usap sa mga di kakilala? Ah, how I wished I could do that!
Something had to change so I looked for my first job not in the sciences, but in sales. Surprisingly, humans are like science experiments too. The process was similar: identifying problems, trying out solutions, and using the results as added knowledge for the next clients. Masaya din pala mag-aral makipag usap!
Still, I couldn’t help but regret the four years I spent in my chemistry degree. So, I decided to spend even more. Kaya nag masters ako habang nagtuturo. Kaso, habang tumatagal, lalo kong narerealize na hindi ito yung career path para sakin. I dreaded waking up every morning to a job I didn’t like, in a field that I was not passionate about.
Until I was introduced to programming in one of my subjects. Instantly, it clicked. I just knew this was “the one”. I spared no time to learn programming, I couldn’t even attend my grad school finals. And that was how I achieved…
…to fail the entire semester.
Hindi ko rin alam dati. To make ends meet while studying, I had yet another job, a feature story writer this time.
Six months into juggling writing features and learning code, I finally landed my first web development job. As expected, I was struggling to keep up. I was surrounded by prodigies who learned how to code at 12. What was a “self-taught” programmer doing here? Hindi ko pa nga matawag sarili ko na programmer. Feeling humble pa ‘ko noon kaya sinasabi kong “programming student” o kaya “trainee” ako.
I was told that I was too old to be a beginner. What they didn’t know was that I love being one. Two years after my career shift, to everyone’s surprise, I was awarded the “Top Coder of the Year”. Pwede na ba magyabang? I could finally call myself a programmer! The path wasn’t easy, but I believe all the wisdom I gained from working different fields built up to my unique programmer flair.
Soon after, napromote ako to a lead engineer. Then I was given the opportunity by UBX to grow my skills even further. Now I am leading a team of career shifters like myself. This by far is what I consider my most valuable transformation. We, as a team, use the skills from our diverse backgrounds to craft something great together.
It was never my intention, but the tools in my toolkit come handy now that I work as a tech lead. Aside from writing code, I also sell my team’s capabilities, mentor the team members, and write a lot of documentation and reviews.
The thought of the unknown can be quite unsettling. In my case, it’s also the chance to change that opened the door for many opportunities I didn’t even know existed. Akalain ko ba na maishashare ko yung story ko dito sa SuperDuperCon?
