My most recent achievement was…
Last year has been the year that I became a software developer. In January 2020 I started my first C# course. Along the way I gained my first working experience in the back-end. And during the year I also learned to work with TypeScript and React and gained my first front-end experience. It was a hell of a year, but I could not have been happier with this career switch!
Advocating for myself looks like…
I find it important to try and focus on myself and my own growth as much as possible. In my opinion there's a lot of strength in doing things for yourself because you want them. Then the main goal becomes making yourself happy and in the end that's what matters. That's what others will see when the time comes. And when they don't, it also doesn't matter. Because you did the things for yourself anyway.
My biggest goal is…
Right now, I'd be super happy if I can grow towards a more independent developer. I have noticed front-end is an area that brings me joy. So it would be awesome if I could eventually be one of the devs coming up with nice improvements for our department in that area. After that, I'll see what my next goal is ✨.
My advice for allies to support underrepresented folks who code is...
It's already amazing if you're aware of your own behaviour and the behaviour of others when it comes to this. Making sure to take others seriously, including them and asking for their opinion already helps a lot! Another great thing is just to talk about it on a personal level. Don't be afraid of this. Maintaining a 'silence' about this subject is even less desired, because then the underrepresented character will live on. I challenge you to break the silence 😄!
For underrepresented folks who code
Remember where you do it for. You code because it's something you're passionate about. No one can take that away from you.
I know it can be extremely energy draining to start a discussion with people that think you don't deserve it or joke about for example women's skills. Try to find people that support you and stick with them. This way you can create a more friendly environment for yourself to grow.
You can only spend your energy once, so if you ask me, I'd rather spend it on my own growth than on battling others. Although I'm super grateful some people do. Awareness is still important, don't get me wrong.
I have just noticed that my strength is in showing people, instead of battling people. And that's ok too 😄.
Top comments (1)
Love that you focus on making yourself happy, this can't be said enough. Great article, keep on inspiring us!