I’m an independent software tester living in Wales, and I’ve worked in the software industry for around fifteen years. For the past decade, my career has focused on testing, and for seven of those years, I’ve been an independent consultant. I’ve always been drawn to the people side of tech: the conversations, the shared learning, and the feeling of not being alone in the work.
Because I live in a part of the UK where the tech scene is smaller and more spread out, online and in person communities have been especially important to me. They’ve shaped how I learn, how I connect, and how I grow as a tester.
That connection, and what happens when it fades, is at the heart of this blog post.
Community is a career lifeline
For me, community wasn’t just an optional extra alongside my work. It was my career’s lifeline. I organised SwanseaCon, a yearly software conference, as well as the Swansea Software Development Community (SSDC), a monthly software meetup. I spoke at events across the UK and further afield, facilitated workshops, and thrived on the buzz of connecting with others.
I came to realise something important: once you’ve built up experience in your career, what sets you apart isn’t just what you know, but whom you know. The conversations I had, the people I met, and the opportunities that came through those connections helped shape the last 12–15 years of my working life. Whether employed or self-employed, I found most of my new roles through those networks.
Community wasn’t just “nice to have.” It was how I grew, how I stood out, and how I kept learning.
When everything stopped: some positives and negatives
Then COVID-19 arrived, and everything went on pause almost overnight.
SwanseaCon and SSDC, into which I had poured years of effort, were put on indefinite hold. Speaking engagements vanished. Even the casual chats at meetups disappeared. Like many, I turned inward. I focused on my family and on a new contract role at HMRC, which became a stable base during an uncertain time.
But something else happened too. Without realising it, I lost the feeling of belonging that had anchored me. The sense of identity I’d built through speaking, organising, and connecting started to slip away.
Slowing down showed me how burned out I was
Here’s the thing that surprised me most: I didn’t notice how burnt out I was until I stopped moving so fast.
Before COVID-19, I had been in constant motion: travelling, speaking, saying yes to everything in the hope of meeting people, learning new ideas, and being seen. When the world slowed down, I finally felt the weight of it all. It wasn’t just the loss of events. It was the realisation that I’d been running so hard I hadn’t stopped to ask whether I could sustain it.
The pause was a relief in some ways, but also a shock. For years, my energy had come from people and events. Without them, I didn’t know quite who I was in the industry anymore.
The pull of comfort versus taking on challenges
My contract at HMRC lasted nearly five and a half years, spanning the whole pandemic period. It gave me security, which I’m grateful for, but it also made it easier to stay in a comfortable bubble, avoiding the types of challenges that helped me grow before.
What’s more, there were fewer meetups happening near me, family life was busy, and travelling further afield felt unrealistic. It was easy to say, “Maybe I’ll just stay where I am for now.”
But comfort has a cost. Without new input from others, my curiosity dulled. I wasn’t burnt out in the same way as before, but I also wasn’t energised.
Small sparks of curiosity ignite
What began to bring me back wasn’t a single big decision. It was small sparks.
I would read an article on MoT (Ministry of Testing) or see a post on LinkedIn that caught my eye. Or I’d tinker with a tool, Chrome DevTools for example, and feel that familiar spark of wanting to explore. I’ve never loved the term “technical tester,” because I don’t think testing depends on tools, but I do love seeing how tools can assist and expand what we do.
Those little experiments nudged me into action. I wrote a blog post here and there. I joined an online event. None of it was about “going big” again. It was about reconnecting, one step at a time.
Lessons I learned from stepping back
Looking back, there are three lessons I want to share with others who might be in a similar place:
- Burnout isn’t always about overwork. Sometimes it’s about losing the things that energise you. For me, the absence of community was just as draining as too much speaking or travel had ever been.
- Too much comfort is subtly damaging. Stability is valuable, but it can also make it easy to stay disconnected. Notice when you’ve stopped stretching yourself, not because you’re tired, but because it’s easier not to.
- Curiosity is a way back. You don’t need a grand plan to reconnect. Follow small sparks. Read something, tinker with a tool, write a post, attend an online session. One step often leads to another.
Practical ways to reconnect
If you’ve been away from the community or feel like you’ve drifted, here are a few gentle ways to start finding your way back:
- Start small and local. You don’t have to organise a conference or commit to speaking. Try attending a single meetup. If travel’s tricky, the MoT has online events you can join from home.
- Engage with articles, videos, and other material online. Comment on a blog post, share an article on LinkedIn, or react to someone else’s idea. The Club at the MoT is a good place to dip your toe back in. You can ask a question, answer someone else’s question, or just join the conversation.
- Experiment without pressure. Pick up a tool or topic that sparks your interest and give yourself permission to just play with it, no specific outcome required. MoT’s courses are designed to elicit that kind of spark: learn something at your own pace, with no pressure to prove anything.
- Reach out directly. Message someone you used to connect with in the community. A quick “How are you?” can reopen doors you thought were closed.
- Keep an eye on your pace. Be mindful of overcommitting. Reconnection works best when it’s sustainable, not when it reproduces the conditions for burnout.
Moving forward
I’m still in the process of returning to the tech community. I’m writing more, saying yes to opportunities that feel manageable, and gently expanding my world again. I’m also learning to keep an eye on my limits: not to overcommit, not to chase recognition, but to make space for curiosity and connection in a way that fits with work and family.
If you’ve stepped back, whether through burnout, COVID-19, or just life, know that you’re not alone. It’s okay to move slowly. You don’t need to feel “ready.” You don’t need something brand new or important to say. You simply need curiosity, and the courage to take one small step back towards activities that make you feel alive.
That’s where I am now: cautiously, hopefully, reconnecting. And maybe that’s enough for me, and for you too.
What do YOU think?
Got comments or thoughts? Share them in the comments box below. If you like, use the ideas below as starting points for reflection and discussion.
Questions to discuss
- Have you ever stepped back from a community due to burnout, life changes, or shifting priorities? What helped you return or decide not to return?
- What role has community played in your learning or career growth?
- Do you find it harder to stay connected to community as you become more experienced? Why might that be?
Actions to take
- Reach out to one person you used to talk to in the community and say hello.
- Attend one online or local event before the end of this year, without pressure to participate.
- Reflect on what energises you professionally. Is community part of that for you?
For more information
- Seven years of community: Ministry of Testing Athens Meetup, Petros Plakogiannis
- How to contribute to open source projects as a software tester, Ima-Abasi Effiong
- Burnout: A personal experience report, Ady Stokes
