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Марія БровінськаУвійти в ІТ
3 April 2026, 09:00
2026-04-03
"I didn't expect such a salary without experience." The story of a former tax investigator who started his career at 30 and won by entering IT in three weeks
Back in 2021, Vitaliy Opaynych worked as an investigator in the tax police — seven days a week, with constant stress and on-duty on holidays. Today, he is a frontend developer at the product company Dripify, with a completely different rhythm of life, environment, and sense of control over his own time.
His transition into IT looks almost like a textbook case: a few months of training and only three weeks to find his first job. But behind that is burnout, doubts, and the decision to start from scratch at the age of 30.
Back in 2021, Vitaliy Opaynych worked as an investigator in the tax police — seven days a week, with constant stress and on-duty on holidays. Today, he is a frontend developer at the product company Dripify, with a completely different rhythm of life, environment, and sense of control over his own time.
His transition into IT looks almost like a textbook case: a few months of training and only three weeks to find his first job. But behind that is burnout, doubts, and the decision to start from scratch at the age of 30.
«Rotating at Christmas was normal»
Before moving into IT, Vitaliy’s life looked like a classic civil service story: stability, but at the cost of constant stress and lack of balance. The work schedule was strict and left almost no room for yourself. «Rotating for Christmas or Easter was normal. As was working without days off,» Vitaliy recalls.
He was born in Kalush, but began his career in Odessa — while still a student, he worked as a legal assistant. Then — a master’s degree in Lviv and work in law enforcement agencies.
First, he was a police officer, then an investigator in the tax police. The work quickly turned into a non-stop marathon: complex proceedings, tight deadlines, and hundreds of pages of documents every day. «You’re constantly under stress. And it builds up,» he says.
Despite being promoted to senior investigator, the feeling that «something was wrong» only grew stronger.
«They looked more alive»
The idea to change the field did not arise instantly — it matured gradually, through observation and comparison. Especially with people from a different background.
«They could just go somewhere. Without approvals. And they looked more alive,» Vitaliy says about his IT acquaintances.
In 2020, he began to cautiously delve into a new field: he read DOU, looked at vacancies, and understood how the industry worked.
And the man chose frontend — because of the ability to quickly see the result of his work. First — HTML and CSS, simple layouts and animations. Then JavaScript — and with it a sense of scale. «There was a feeling that this is something very big. And you’re like: can I really do it?» — he recalls.
Turning point: Istanbul and the decision to «exit the game»
Despite my interest in IT, reality kept me from taking a decisive step for a long time. Work was exhausting, my studies were progressing slowly, and uncertainty was only growing. I needed a moment that would put everything in its place.
«I realized there: if I don’t change anything now, nothing will change,» Vitaliy says about his trip to Istanbul in May 2021.
Upon his return, he decided to resign. At that time, the tax police was already in a state of liquidation, which only reinforced the feeling that it was time to move on.
He took courses at Beetroot Academy and focused entirely on his studies. «I sat for 4–5 hours every day. I just immersed myself,» the future developer adds.
«The imposter syndrome was tough»
Even after training, my confidence didn’t increase — on the contrary, the most difficult psychological stage began. The search for my first job forced me to face the reality of the market and my own doubts.
«You look at vacancies and think: well, this is definitely not for me,» admits Vitaliy.
He applied for various positions, from layout designer to junior frontend on different stacks. The main goal was simple: to get his first commercial experience.
The opportunity came through networking — the Norwegian food company Skiwo. Then — the standard process: an English-language interview, a test task, a technical interview, a conversation with the CEO.
«I won’t say it was easy. But I somehow got through it,» he says.
The offer came quickly — and even exceeded expectations.
«I didn’t expect such a salary without experience,» the IT worker adds.
The entire search for Vitaliy’s first IT job took about three weeks.
New reality: «I started celebrating the New Year with my family»
The first months in IT brought the man not only a new job, but also a tangible change in the quality of his life. The changes affected not only the schedule, but also his overall emotional state.
«I got stable weekends. I started spending Christmas and New Year at home, with my family, and not on duty,» says Vitaliy.
Stress levels have also decreased, and the work environment has changed.
«People are more open. There’s more communication. There’s no constant pressure,» he says. Even despite the war, the developer adds, the quality of life has improved significantly.
«The work of an investigator is also about algorithms»
Despite the radical change in profession, previous experience did not disappear without a trace. On the contrary, some of the skills turned out to be unexpectedly useful in the new field.
«I have no regrets. It was a very strong school of life,» he emphasizes.
Moreover, he sees direct parallels with development.
«The work of an investigator is very similar to finding bugs. It’s also about logic and building an algorithm,» Vitaliy explains. And he adds: «After the deadline service, it’s not stressful at all.»
Today, already having experience in food companies, Vitaliy looks at the industry more pragmatically — without romanticizing it.
«It’s more difficult now. There’s more competition. Plus AI, everyone’s a little stressed,» he says.
His main message is that IT is no longer about «easy money.»
«If you think it’s easy, it’s not. You have to work hard here,» the IT worker notes. But for those who have internal motivation, there is a chance.
«The main thing is to honestly answer yourself why you need this,» Vitaliy concludes.
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