From Engineer to Principal and Back Again – My Journey Towards a New Career

I have always been curious about developing myself and exploring new paths. My career has taken me from industry to the world of education and back again. Today, I work as a Project Manager and Team Leader at Solving, where I get to combine technology, leadership, and problem-solving every day. I hope my story can inspire more women to take the leap when a new opportunity comes their way.

I left engineering to become a teacher

I hold a Master of Science in Technology in Production and Computer Engineering from Åbo Akademi University. After a few years of commuting from Oravais to Kauhava, where I worked as a training engineer at an international industrial company, I changed careers and became a teacher. I first taught physics and chemistry at Vörå Upper Secondary School and was later appointed Principal of the school.

I really enjoyed working as a principal. Having the opportunity to work with people, development, and leadership was both rewarding and inspiring. Still, my interest in technology and industry always remained somewhere in the background.

When the right opportunity came along, I changed direction again

As my children grew older, the idea of changing careers began to take shape. I thought that if I was ever going to change jobs, now was the time to do it. Taking that step was not easy, but I wanted to see whether I could still manage working as an engineer. When I saw that Solving was looking for a Project Manager, it felt right. I got the job and joined the company in 2018.

Returning to industry after many years in the education sector was challenging, and the beginning was certainly quite tough. I asked myself: How am I going to manage this? How will I learn everything? At first, I understood very little of the terminology. Over time, I realized that I did not need to know everything. I learned which things I needed to understand in depth and which things I simply needed to be familiar with.

Today, I lead projects through collaboration

As a Project Manager, my main responsibility is to coordinate the work of experts to move projects forward. I do not need to understand every detail. There are experts in every field who have the specialist knowledge required. For example, my strengths lie in programming and the logic behind software, in other words, how to make a truck do what it is supposed to do. I then have colleagues with specialist expertise in areas such as mechanics.

Earlier in my career, I also worked in Germany for a few years, and that experience is still valuable today. In my current role, I enjoy having the opportunity to travel and use my German language skills.

Being a Project Manager is actually quite similar to being a principal. It is about coordinating the work of experts, bringing things together, planning, developing, and delivering results. I enjoy solving problems.

In a smaller company, every person makes a difference

One of the things I appreciate most about Solving is the company culture. Solving is a relatively small company, which means you get to know everyone. You are never just one person in the crowd. For me, it is important to feel that I am contributing and developing while also being part of a community.

It is very easy to talk to people and reach out to one another, and the hierarchy is low. There is a short distance between an idea and action when something needs to be fixed. We enjoy working together and have fun at work.

It is never too late to choose a new path

Today, I am very happy in my roles as both Project Manager and Team Leader. Although I sometimes miss certain aspects of being a principal, I am very glad that I took the leap and changed careers later in life.

If there is one thing I have learned over the years, it is that you do not have to let your previous choices limit you. Experiences from different industries and roles can become invaluable assets in the next stage of your career. I therefore want to inspire more women to dare to challenge themselves and embrace new opportunities when they arise.

“Dare to try. Dare to change jobs if you feel that you want to try something different.”

Nina Karls-Nygård
Project Manager
Ab Solving Oy