In some ways I've taken the long road to software development. I learned to program in AppleBASIC on an Apple IIe as a kid, and I dabbled with programming (Turbo Pascal, C/C++) in high school and university. However, I eventually left programming behind to go on to earn a Ph.D. in Cell and Molecular Biology.
Over the years I never lost my love for technology/automation, and after working in medical device manufacturing and chemical testing I felt a desire to shift my career into IT. With the help of a friend in the field, I moved into network engineering where I was able to develop my programming skills with small automation scripts until I moved full-time into software development at the beginning of 2017. I absolutely love the mental challenge and satisfaction of automating the 'boring' stuff!