Stepping out of your comfort zone is never easy. Especially not if you are in a professional position that you have deliberately worked towards for many years.
Lena Jaschke did it anyway; as a 'true tech woman' she decided to take a step aside, from software development to HR. She became responsible for advancing the software capabilities of 6,000 Philips colleagues across the globe. "It gave me more new insights and learnings than I could have imagined."
When did your interest in tech begin?
"As a kid I always wanted to understand how things work. I remember buying a broken mobile phone when I was 12, just for the sake of trying to fix it."
Did you succeed?
"Actually, I ended up trying to fix several devices. Sometimes I managed, but there were always instances when I just could not find the solution. Even experienced people would then tell me; if the motherboard is broken, you can't fix it, better buy a new one.
That experience made me realize that I am better wired to become a software engineer. When you write code and make a mistake, the compiler often will tell you and you can debug and correct for it. Feedback loops in software development are very short. That fits my character - I am an actionable person, not always the most patient one."