Introduction
Technology has fascinated me since childhood. I was the kid fixing old PCs, repairing phones, and helping neighbors with anything that had a cable. Deep down, I dreamed of becoming a software engineer — but the road to get there was anything but straight.
At seventeen I fled to Austria as a refugee. I arrived alone, without family, without a network, and without knowing the language. My first years here weren’t about chasing dreams; they were about survival. Learning German was the first step. Only after that did I get the chance to start shaping a career.
The Medienfachmann Apprenticeship
Once I had a solid grasp of the language, I started out in a Medienfachmann apprenticeship. At the time, it felt like a safe way to enter the creative and digital world. But soon I realized it wasn’t the right path. I had no real mentor, no guidance, and the work had nothing to do with the coding I secretly wanted to learn. I felt misled and stuck.
So I made a hard choice: I dropped out. It wasn’t easy to walk away, but deep down I knew I needed something more aligned with my goals. That decision pushed me to pursue a diploma in full-stack development — the real starting point of my career in tech.
The First Steps into Development
The diploma gave me a foundation in web technologies, but my first job as a developer was rough. There was little support, no mentorship, and barely any room to grow. I had to figure most things out on my own — often through trial, error, and late-night study sessions.
At the same time, I was also working as a Digital Assistant, handling client websites, content updates, and small technical tasks. That role became an unexpected turning point. I discovered that I cared less about pushing buttons and more about understanding how the systems actually worked. That curiosity slowly pulled me deeper into WordPress development.
Building Skills the Hard Way
My real learning didn’t come from classrooms or structured jobs — it came from persistence and projects:
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WordPress: Starting with Elementor and WooCommerce before diving into custom themes, plugins, and PHP.
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Frontend: HTML, CSS, SCSS, JavaScript, and responsive design.
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Modern stacks: React, Next.js, and TypeScript, usually learned through side projects and freelancing.
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Performance and optimization: Making sites faster and scalable because clients care about results, not just features.
Each project was a lesson, each mistake a teacher. Without mentors, I had to become resourceful and self-driven.
Lessons from a Nonlinear Path
Looking back, I can see how each step — even the detours — shaped me as a developer:
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Media apprenticeship: Even though I dropped out, I carried over design sense and attention to detail.
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Responsibility early on: Leaving home as a refugee and supporting myself in Austria taught me persistence and independence.
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No guidance: The lack of mentors slowed me down but also pushed me to build problem-solving skills that serve me today.
Where I Am Now
Today, I specialize in WordPress and full-stack development.
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WordPress: Custom themes, WooCommerce setups, accessibility, performance tuning, and tricky plugin customizations.
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Modern development: React, Next.js, TypeScript, and APIs, combined with WordPress to create flexible, hybrid solutions.
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Client work: From local businesses to bigger organizations, I’ve delivered projects that are fast, functional, and useful.
Beyond code, I’m a husband and father. My family keeps me grounded and reminds me daily why persistence matters.
Looking Ahead
The path from fleeing home, learning a new language, and stumbling through an apprenticeship to becoming a full-stack developer wasn’t straight, easy, or well-supported. But it taught me that progress is built step by step — not through perfect planning, but through persistence and resilience.
My focus now is on performance optimization, accessibility, and exploring how AI tools can support developers. The curiosity that started with fixing old PCs as a kid is still alive, just with better tools and bigger projects.
For anyone thinking about a career change or starting fresh in a new country: your path doesn’t have to be perfect. What matters is showing up, learning, and building, even when no one is showing you how.
