Yusuf Baha Erarslan

As a kid, I was one of those who never really knew what they wanted to be when they grew up. While some of my classmates had these laser-focused goals — future doctors, engineers, or astronauts — I was just trying to figure out why people willingly ate vegetables. My parents would often say, “You’ll find your way,” but their suggestions ranged from lawyer to scientist, like we were spinning a career roulette every Sunday dinner. Nothing ever quite clicked.

Then came high school, where I figured, “Okay, maybe I’ll stumble upon something I actually like.” That didn’t exactly happen either. I took the university entrance exam in Turkey and still had no idea what to pick. But I liked computers —they seemed like a safe bet— so I went with Information Systems Engineering. Now, I didn’t love the sound of that title, but I figured, hey, at least it wasn’t "Accountant," right?

The first year was a whirlwind, but something clicked in my brain: if I worked hard enough, I could change the game. So, I buckled down, powered through the first year, and managed to qualify for a double major in Software Engineering. Suddenly, things got interesting. It wasn’t long before I realized that the theoretical stuff at university wasn’t cutting it. I needed more hands-on experience, and sitting through lectures wasn’t going to make me the next coding prodigy.

That’s when I decided to get creative. I started working part-time for a company remotely. This was during the second year, and it felt like I had unlocked a new level. My summers were spent interning, which taught me more than some of the coursework. But then, life threw me a curveball, or should I say, a boarding pass to the Netherlands.

After my family decided to move, I found myself in a new country, a fresh start. I did small gigs here and there, freelance projects for people in my network. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was enough to keep the fire going. By September 2023, something clicked again, this time in the form of a job offer from Miyagami. Finally, I was in a place where writing quality code quickly wasn’t just encouraged, it was the norm. The team was international, full of brilliant minds from all corners of the globe, and we had a blast. We even went on trips to different countries together, balancing work and adventure like pros.

Looking back, I laugh at how unsure I was at every step of the way. There were moments of doubt, surprise, and discovery in equal measure. But the beauty of it all? The path wasn’t traditional, but it was mine. My advice? Don’t stress too much if you don’t have it all figured out. Sometimes, the best opportunities come from the unexpected turns. Plus, you might end up writing code in cool places with even cooler people.