Meetup topic
Switching to Tech
Date
11 April 2025
Location
El Niño office Enschede
Speakers
Kim Goolkate (El Niño)
Kasper Mooijman (BauWatch)
Switching to Tech Meetup
In April, El Niño proudly hosted the Switching to Tech Meetup, an inspiring evening dedicated to people considering a career in tech and those already part of the industry who were eager to share their stories of how they got to a job in tech. The event brought together a diverse mix of professionals, students, and enthusiasts who gathered to learn, connect, and celebrate the exciting possibilities in tech.
Why We Did It
We organized this meetup because more and more people today are curious about jobs and roles connected to tech. With AI and ChatGPT, the tech industry is more in reach than ever. The industry is no longer reserved for people with a 'standard' technical background: with all learning resources available today, a career switch adds diversity to the tech industry. Many professionals from other fields are beginning to explore how they can contribute to tech, whether because they’re drawn to its innovative nature or because they want to increase the scale of their impact on society.
At El Niño, we see this trend every day: people with various background apply to a job in tech with us. With the Switching to Tech Meetup, we wanted to create a space to show that the road into tech has many entrances, and that no single path is “the right one.”
Inspiring Talks
The evening’s lineup of speakers showed these diverse roads in practice:
Kim Goolkate (El Niño) shared her journey from social refugee work to becoming a Product Owner. She spoke about her drive to help people and how tech offered her a way to increase the reach of her impact. By applying her empathy, communication skills, and organizational experience to product ownership, she illustrated how human-centered skills can be just as valuable in tech as technical expertise.
Kasper Mooijman (BauWatch) told his story “When a hobby becomes a career.” Starting with a personal passion for coding and experimenting at home, he showed how curiosity can grow into expertise, and how side projects can eventually land you a role you did not have the educational requirements for. His story resonated with many in the room who were wondering if you start in tech purely with a self-taught background.
Takeaway
Together, Kim and Kasper made one thing clear: there isn’t a single road that leads to a career in tech. Whether you start with a deep desire to help people at scale or by learning to code in your free time, both journeys, both journeys can lead to exciting, fulfilling careers.
"To learn anything, you have to become comfortable with getting outside of your comfort zone."
- Product Owner and Operations Lead at El Niño
