Karolina Choromańska is a mechanical design engineer. She is trained as a chemical technologist. She is a wife and mother of two boys, aged 16 and 6, and a 7-year-old girl.

After graduating, she gained her first professional experience working in a school office. In 2020, she started working at Naftoserwis as an Administration Specialist.

Although she was responsible for administrative matters, she spent more and more time on the production floor. There she helped maintain equipment, soldered electronic components and participated in assembling devices.

Her director used to say that she was an engineer at heart and paperwork just wasn’t really her thing. He saw something in her and gave her a chance. He transferred her to the Research and Development department where she became a Junior Research and Development Specialist. And now, after several years, she came to ptc Berlin with a UT tool (for measuring corrosion and wall thickness of pipelines) for which she had the opportunity to design the mechanical aspects entirely by herself.
 

1. From administration to engineering design, your journey is highly unconventional. What was the moment you realized you were meant to work as an engineer rather than stay in an administrative role?

I think only now am I truly beginning to believe that I am an engineer. I graduated as a chemical engineering technologist, but after university, life took a different path. At that time, I already had my first son and no real opportunity to work in my field. I started working in a school office, and later, after the birth of my other children, I joined Naftoserwis as an administrative specialist.

The turning point came when I became familiar with the work of the diagnostics department where I was employed. I saw how diagnostic tools were designed, how ILI inspections were carried out, and how data analysis was performed. I was deeply impressed that our devices operate all over the world and are designed and built right here. I remember thinking: “I want to be part of this world.”

Administrative work stopped being enough for me. On my own initiative, I started helping with the equipment, cleaning components, organizing parts, and even trying soldering. I was simply very curious about this work.

I also remember the moment when one of my colleagues gave me a technical task: I had to check the dimensions of holes in newly manufactured parts. I measured each one multiple times and calculated the average because I wanted to be absolutely certain that everything was correct. To me, that felt completely natural, although my colleague was surprised by my level of precision.

Over time, I became more and more involved in technical projects and truly fell in love with these tools, even today, I consider them unique. When, after a year, I was offered a position in the Research and Development team, I was both excited and terrified. I was afraid that I might not be capable enough.

It was a difficult path full of challenges, but today I know it was absolutely worth it.
 

2. You moved from helping on the production floor to designing a UT (ultrasonic testing) tool for pipeline corrosion and wall thickness measurement. What was the biggest technical challenge you faced while developing this device entirely from a mechanical engineering perspective?

The biggest challenge for me was actually learning mechanical engineering in practice, from using CAD software and modeling parts to creating technical documentation. I spent a great deal of time observing, listening, and learning while working on successive tasks.

I started with “simpler” projects such as workshop equipment components. Among them, I designed a flower-pattern basket for tool carts, as well as stands and support frames. At that stage, even those tasks seemed very challenging to me. However, each new project became increasingly demanding. I tried to find solutions on my own first and only later consulted more experienced colleagues. I was very stubborn and wanted to prove to myself that I could develop my own design approach. Sometimes it worked, and sometimes experienced mechanical engineers had to bring me back down to earth when I proposed solutions that were difficult or impossible to manufacture. It could be frustrating, but at first the same time extremely educational. Through this, I learned how important teamwork really is.

Over time, I realized that designing diagnostic tools is not only about mechanics itself. You have to think holistically, taking into account electronics, module layout, power supply systems, device operating time, and the geometric requirements of the pipeline itself. Our tools are capable of traveling more than 100 kilometers inside a pipeline and passing through 1.5D bends. The pipelines themselves are often technologically demanding due to various types of fittings such as valves, tees, and diameter reductions that the tool must safely pass through during inspection. All of this creates a major engineering challenge.

The most demanding part of my UT tool was designing the measurement module equipped with 192 ultrasonic sensors. The biggest difficulty was fitting all the components into a very limited space. Inside the module, there were also 27 electronic boards connected to 192 sensor cables. It required enormous precision and very close cooperation across the entire team. To me, the people who managed to fit all of that into such a small capsule are true magicians.

The first mechanical assembly and leak-tightness tests of the tool were incredibly emotional. The moment when everything finally started fitting together properly brought immense satisfaction.
 

3. You started your career in a school office and now present an engineering solution at a major industry conference. How did your mindset evolve during this transformation, and what key decisions shaped your path?

The transition from administration to the Research and Development team was both exciting and very stressful for me. I was fully aware that I was joining a group of experienced engineers from different technical fields, and I kept wondering whether I would be able to handle such great responsibility.

As I mentioned before, I started with simple technical tasks, which at the time felt like enormous challenges. Over time, however, I began to notice that not only the scope of my responsibilities was changing, but also my mindset and confidence in my own abilities. Each new project gradually built my self-confidence and reassured me that I was exactly where I was supposed to be.

What was especially important to me was the fact that I was never left alone with problems. Whenever difficulties appeared, I could always count on the support of more experienced colleagues. That trust and openness within the team had a huge impact on my development.

At the beginning of my work in the Research and Development department, there was a situation that clearly showed me how strongly stress can affect performance. I was supposed to loosen bolts in a tool body, something I had already done many times before. My director, the person who had given me the opportunity to join the engineering team, was standing right next to me. Suddenly, because of stress, I completely forgot which direction to turn the wrench. I stood there holding it, completely panicked, while he simply smiled and calmly said: “To the left.”

Today I can laugh about it, but at that moment I realized how much stress and worrying about how others perceive us can block a person. Over time, I learned that in this kind of work, the most important thing is to act, to try, and not to be afraid of making mistakes because mistakes are a natural part of growth.

A breakthrough moment for me was being entrusted with the responsibility of designing an entire tool from the mechanical perspective. I truly wanted to take on that challenge, although I still had doubts about whether I was capable enough. Thanks to the support of the team and consistent step-by-step work, I gradually gained the experience that brought me to where I am today.
 

4. Many women in technical fields describe moments where they had to “prove” themselves. Did you experience such moments in your journey at Naftoserwis, and how did you turn them into opportunities for growth?

For a long time, I think I was proving my value mostly to myself, especially through technical tasks. At every stage, I felt the need to confirm that I deserved my place in the Research and Development team. At the same time, I feel very fortunate to work in a team where there are no divisions between women and men. We work together, and what truly matters are skills, commitment, and responsibility for the work we do.

Every new task became a way of proving to myself: “I can do this.” I have never liked making mistakes, and for a long time it was difficult for me to accept that mistakes are a natural part of engineering work. Over time, however, I realized that what matters most is not the mistake itself, but the ability to learn from it, solve problems, and improve for the future. Without that, there is no growth.

I learned a great deal from a situation involving a stand I had designed for a geometry inspection tool for a DN800 pipeline. During assembly, a problem appeared and the team, wanting to finish the work that same day, decided to drill additional holes in the structure without consulting me first. Looking back, it was actually a minor technical issue. The stand was corrected and is still used today during conferences and presentations. But at that moment, I took it very personally. I felt that I had made a mistake and that I had not been treated seriously as a designer.

Only later, after a conversation with my director, was I able to see the situation differently. He told me something very important: “You don’t have to prove anything to anyone. You are part of this team.”

That was a breakthrough moment for me. I realized that professional growth is not only about technical skills, but also about building self-confidence, communication, and trust within a team.
 

5. Your director once recognized that you were “an engineer at heart.” How important was mentorship and external belief in your abilities in helping you transition into R&D and grow professionally?

The support of people who believed in me before I believed in myself played an enormous role in my journey. I truly believe that without their support and faith in my potential, I would not be where I am today.

My brother, Sebastian, gave me my first opportunity to enter a world that he himself was passionate about and in which he saw a place for me. Michał, my manager, was always willing to listen and support me. Later, my director, Paweł, a mechanical design engineer, also played a huge role in my development. He believed in me at a time when I still was not sure whether I could handle the challenge. He saw potential in me that I could not yet see in myself and patiently supported me through every new challenge. He not only evaluated the results of my work, but above all gave me opportunities to grow through new projects and increasing responsibility.

The support of my colleague Michał, an experienced mechanical design engineer, was equally important. His knowledge, experience, and willingness to help meant that every day I learned something new and continued developing my skills. There were times when I would spend an entire day trying to solve a problem on my own instead of simply asking for help. Usually, it was only when Michał noticed that I was struggling that he would try to understand what the issue was, and together we would look for a solution.

Today, I approach things differently. I consult my doubts much earlier and understand how important teamwork and collaboration are in this profession. It was from both Paweł and Michał that I learned the engineering way of thinking. I hope that with time I will also develop my own technical mindset, taking the best from everyone I have had the chance to learn from.

The acceptance I received from the team was also extremely important. without judgment, rivalry, or questioning my place in the department. Over time, this helped me let go of the pressure to constantly prove that I deserved to be part of this fascinating world of technology and engineering. I simply began to feel that I truly belonged in this team.

6. Looking ahead, how do you see your UT tool evolving, and what impact do you hope your work will have on pipeline safety, inspection technology, and the next generation of women entering engineering? 

I would like to continue developing as an engineer and take part in creating new diagnostic tools. I also feel enormous satisfaction knowing that the tool I worked on has a real impact on the safety of pipeline infrastructure. Half-jokingly, I often say that my dream is for the UT tool I designed to one day inspect every 8–10 inch pipeline in the world. Every new inspection provides data that helps monitor infrastructure conditions more effectively and improves operational safety. And every properly inspected pipeline means greater safety for people, the environment, and the infrastructure itself.

In my case, this path was far from obvious. I truly started it shortly before turning forty, while raising three children and managing everyday family responsibilities. That is why I would like to tell women entering the world of engineering that age, motherhood, or starting later in life do not have to be obstacles. If you truly want to grow and are ready to work hard, you can reach places you once did not even dare to dream about.

Even when the beginnings are difficult and the road seems very long, it is worth trying and not giving up. Sometimes all it takes is consistently taking small steps every single day. Very often, people achieve their goals in completely unexpected ways and only later realize that they have reached in a place they once only dreamed about.

Just like that. Simply.