In the interview, Sophie talks about the mental illness she suffered during her studies. She is a Test Automation Engineer and today she speaks openly about this phase of her life, even in the workplace, because she wants to raise awareness of mental health issues and foster a supportive environment. Her openness has been positively received by colleagues and superiors, which has had an encouraging effect on her team. Today, Sophie gives talks to encourage others to share their own experiences and break the taboo around mental illness.
“And I’ve decided: I’m going to come clean and tell my boss everything” - Sophie Küster
As a child, Sophie wanted to be a ballerina or an astronaut, or both. Today, after gaining degrees in mathematics and yodeling, she is a test automation engineer at cronn, a software company in Bonn. After years of successfully chasing bugs, she now occasionally puts on her developer hat and simply writes the bugs herself. Sometimes she speaks at conferences.
Since fate has given her a leg or two, she is particularly keen to raise awareness of mental health and self-care issues and improve communication about them.
When she’s not at her computer, she can be found on a stand-up paddleboard, in a tent (surprisingly often in the rain) or on a ballet barre. But unfortunately never in a spaceship.
Highlights of this episode:
In our podcast, I talk to Sophie Küster about her commitment to mental health in her professional life. She shares her personal story and how she learned to speak openly about her challenges in order to help others.
Sophie’s choice of topic was unusual for an IT conference: mental health and self-care. As it turned out, it was exactly this topic that connected us both. Sophie is a Test Automation Engineer at cronn and I had the pleasure of welcoming her to my podcast to talk about a topic that often remains in the shadows - mental health in the workplace.
Sophie shares her own story with us: a journey through depression, anxiety and eating disorders during her studies. Despite the challenges, she not only managed to get her degree, but also to see her mental health issues as an opportunity for growth and development. Her open way of talking about these issues inspires others to find the courage to share their own experiences.
A turning point in Sophie’s life was the Agile Testing Days conference, where she heard a talk about burnout. This experience motivated her to make her own battle with mental illness public - first to her boss and later at various conferences. Since then, Sophie has taken every opportunity to highlight the taboo subject of mental health issues in the workplace and how important it is to talk about them.
Being open about her mental health not only brought positive feedback from colleagues and managers, but also fostered a supportive environment in the workplace. Sophie’s courage also encouraged others to share their own stories. This created a culture of openness and understanding within the team.
Sophie’s involvement is not limited to her immediate work environment; she also uses public platforms such as conferences to speak about mental health. The response to her talks has been overwhelmingly positive and underlines the importance of the topic for many people in the IT and software development industry.
I am deeply moved by Sophie’s story and her determination to shine a light on an issue that affects so many people but is rarely discussed openly. Her experience clearly demonstrates the power of speaking out and how it can help break down stigma and build support systems. I hope that this conversation will encourage others to take the first step and talk about their experiences too.