Coffee Meet #23: From Self-Taught Developer to Big Tech — Meta, AWS, AI & Tech Careers

ABOUT THIS EVENT

What does it really take to transition into tech, build a career in Big Tech, and work at some of the world's leading technology companies?

For our upcoming GoUp Community event, we are excited to host Kamal Heydarov, Software Engineer at Meta and former Software Development Engineer at Amazon Web Services (AWS). Kamal's career journey is particularly inspiring because his path into technology did not follow the traditional route. He transitioned into tech from a different field and largely taught himself software engineering, building his skills through continuous learning and hands-on experience. Today, he works at Meta, after previously working at AWS, giving him first-hand experience of the engineering culture, hiring processes, technical interviews, and career expectations within Big Tech. During this session, we will go beyond the usual discussion of "how to get into tech" and explore the real experiences behind building a career in Big Tech, preparing for interviews, transitioning from another field, and understanding how AI is transforming modern software engineering.

👤 ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Kamal Heydarov is currently a Software Engineer at Meta. Prior to joining Meta, he worked as a Software Development Engineer at Amazon Web Services (AWS). His professional journey began outside of the traditional software engineering path. Through self-learning, continuous development, and hands-on experience, Kamal successfully transitioned into technology and went on to build a career at two of the world's leading technology companies. His experience spans Software Engineering, Full-Stack Development, Cloud Technologies, Big Tech hiring processes, and modern engineering practices.

💡 WHAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT

• Life in Big Tech — What is it really like to work at companies such as Meta and AWS?

• Big Tech Interviews — How technical interviews work, what companies look for, and how candidates can prepare effectively.

• AI in Big Tech — How AI is being applied in large technology companies and how it is changing the way software engineers work.

• Breaking into Tech — How to transition into technology from a completely different professional background.

• The Self-Taught Journey — Learning software engineering independently and building the skills needed to enter the industry.

• Career Growth in Software Engineering — How to continuously develop your skills and build a long-term career in technology.

• Real-World Big Tech Experience — The realities, challenges, opportunities, and lessons behind working at leading global tech companies.

• Open Q&A — An opportunity to ask Kamal your questions directly and discuss topics relevant to your own career journey.

📍 EVENT DETAILS

Date: August 27, 2026 Time: 19:00 Venue: CoffeeLea Statistika Format: Interactive Discussion + Open Q&A + Networking over Coffee

Whether you are already working in tech, considering a career transition, preparing for your first Big Tech interview, or simply curious about how AI and software engineering are evolving, this conversation is designed to give you real-world insights directly from someone who has experienced the journey firsthand.

☕ See you at GoUp Community!