Here are the highlights from our insightful discussions at our event 'Software Engineering: Diverse Paths to Success' on starting your career in tech, navigating non-traditional backgrounds, and advancing to leadership roles!
Bega, Software Engineer at Microsoft, shared her empowering experience of leaving her Economics degree behind and entering the IT world through Quality Assurance. She then moved to Software Engineering and mentioned the Microsoft Leap program, which helps professionals switch their careers to Software Engineering from scratch and learn how to code. Bega's journey was not easy, but she persevered by spending her evenings solving coding problems with her team and taking classes on Coursera: ‘Every day after work from 7 pm to 11 pm, we met in the office and solved the problems.’ She stressed the importance of being proactive and asking for honest feedback to improve her skills.
Kanykey also had a non-traditional path, transitioning from Finance to Software Engineering through a boot camp and the Cisco apprenticeship program. The program was highly selective and rigorous and required her to learn network engineering: ‘It took me two months just to prepare this three-minute presentation about the company's product line, specifics, and devices.’ COVID-19 and Cisco’s hiring freeze in 2020 didn't stop Kanykey from continuing to learn and passing exams, which successfully led her to the job at Cisco!
The advice from Dana, an MIT alumna and Senior Software Engineer at Google, is to be determined and practice. She suggests that anyone looking to start a career in Software Engineering should ‘remember the principles of Computer Science, apply them, communicate well, and slowly build a reputation.’ She also advises that it's important not to be too picky in the beginning, as some projects might not be very exciting, but they can lead to better opportunities later on.
Our amazing speakers also shared their tips and experiences on networking, improving soft skills, balancing work-life, the challenges of being women in the tech field, and much more! Check out our social media for short-videos from the event: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4_syPWvwG8/?igsh=MWQ1ZGUxMzBkMA==
Great event!