We Belong Here: Lessons from Unconventional Paths to Tech

Zsófi Major has had many roles over the years within the web2 space: project manager, COO, and business developer. After business hours she volunteered within the Drupal community, bringing together developers from all over the world at conferences she organized. After burning out from web development projects, unmanageable deadlines, and clients - she quit her job and decided to take a break and apply for roles she really wanted to do full-time - ones where she could be involved in community and event management. She joined Parity’s DevRel team in March 2022 as a newbie in web3 and I’m happy to report she loves her job, for the first time in her life!Resources:@ZsófiMajor Twitter  @Polkadot Twitter  Parity blog Hackathon calendarMadly Deeply: The Diaries of Alan Rickman  We Belong Here Podcast:Follow on Twitter:@LoLoCoding@AaronBassett@WeBelongPodcast WeBelongPodcast.comSubscribe on AppleSubscribe on SpotifyWe Belong Here Discord CommunityJoin us on Discord Server today! bit.ly/webelongdiscord 

Alexandra Heller is the Founder of Crypto Philanthropy Club, a club for crypto people who care and give, and is the Marketing Director at Bitgreen, the sustainability blockchain.Her life’s quest is to help the helpers and spread the ideas the world needs. She previously was the Head of Marketing at Parity Technologies as well as the Marketing Director at Floracopeia.Resources: CryptoPhilanthropy.club & podcastBitgreen.orgAlexandraheller.com@alxheller on TwitterReFi DAO - podcast & TwitterGiveth NFTreesendel.io I Will Teach You to Be Rich bookLiving a Committed Life bookLynne Twist The Soul of Money We Belong Here Podcast:Follow on Twitter:@LoLoCoding@AaronBassett@WeBelongPodcast WeBelongPodcast.comSubscribe on AppleSubscribe on SpotifyWe Belong Here Discord CommunityJoin us on Discord Server today! bit.ly/webelongdiscord 

We Belong is back!We're (Lauren and Aaron ) talking about what we've been up to since the last episode - including new jobs in Web3 AND an incredibly adorable new member of our family.This episode kicks off a new season of We Belong and it's all about Web3. Today they're discussing our own initial hesitations and skepticism around Web3, why we made the ultimate choice to join a Web3 company, and what we hope to achieve this season. Join us this season as we celebrate the stories of those diversifying the Web3 space✨ We Belong Here Podcast:Follow on Twitter: @LoLoCoding @AaronBassett@WeBelongPodcast WeBelongPodcast.comSubscribe on AppleSubscribe on SpotifyWe Belong Here Discord CommunityJoin us on Discord Server today! bit.ly/webelongdiscord 

Caitlyn joins Lauren to talk about her new book, The Bootcamper’s Companion. If you're trying to break into tech, you probably already know it's a huge and complicated world. Maybe you're thinking about a career change, currently enrolled in a bootcamp, on a self-taught journey, or trying to figure out what will set you apart to land your first job.Caitlyn wrote this book to give you the tools and information she wishes she had when she was career changing into tech. In it, you'll find the best resources, simplified explanations of technologies and job titles, and specific advice to help you stand out and find a job.Unlock the tech industry today! Resources: Caitlyn’s first episode on We Belong Here The Bootcamper’s Companion : use “BELONG” for a 20% discount at checkout!  We Belong Here Podcast:Follow Lauren on Twitter @LoLoCodingWeBelongPodcast.comSubscribe on AppleSubscribe on SpotifyWe Belong Here Discord CommunityJoin us on Discord Server today! bit.ly/webelongdiscord 

Caroline is originally from Germany and has tried many different careers on for size. She has had roles ranging from recruiting, automotive, and retail and her interest in programming began a few years ago with a desire to create a Jane Austen quote website (because who doesn’t want to read daily Jane Austen quotes?). Since then, she’s dabbled in JavaScript and Python and today is the Community Manager at Vonage. In today’s episode, we chat all about the power of community, especially within the Developer Relations space. Reflecting on her time as a recruiter, Caroline shares tips on how to write the best possible resume and get it in front of a hiring manager. We talk about how the pandemic impacted online communities and led to developers streaming on Twitch and she also gives advice on how to find tech communities that are inclusive and the right fit for you! Resources: Follow Caroline on Twitter @grumpysnek: https://twitter.com/grumpysnekCaroline’s LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/captcalli/Software and Game Development Twitch Category: https://twitch.tv/directory/game/Software%20and%20Game%20Development The Live Coders Twitch: https://twitch.tv/team/livecoders Instafluff Twitch: https://twitch.tv/instafluff BaldBeardedBuilder Twitch: https://twitch.tv/baldbeardedbuilderWe Belong Here Podcast:Follow Lauren on Twitter @LoLoCodingWeBelongPodcast.comSubscribe on AppleSubscribe on SpotifyWe Belong Here Discord CommunityJoin us on Discord Server today! bit.ly/webelongdiscord 

Shamira Marshall is an attorney who learned to code in 2019 and today is a software engineer at GoDaddy. Her interest in tech started in law school and then attended Ada Developers Academy to make the career switch. Which is where she and I met! Resources: Ada Developers AcademyShamira on Dev.to/MiraMarshallShamira on Twitter  @MiraMarshalll We Belong Here Podcast:Follow Lauren on Twitter @LoLoCodingWeBelongPodcast.comSubscribe on AppleSubscribe on SpotifyWe Belong Here Discord CommunityJoin us on Discord Server today! bit.ly/webelongdiscord 

My guest today is a former educator who now works as an Education Evangelist at GitLab. After teaching English for 11 years in Florida and South Korea, he made the transition into tech in May of 2021 after teaching himself to code with Codecademy during the pandemic. He’s a passionate public speaker and has spoken at a Microsoft conference as well as hosted several meetups and other events representing GitLab. You can catch him on Twitch building a website about poetry or building his next pop-star-based Twitter bot.Resources: Follow PJ on Twitter: @MetzinAroundCodecademyGitlab We Belong Here Podcast:Follow Lauren on Twitter @LoLoCodingWeBelongPodcast.comSubscribe on AppleSubscribe on SpotifyWe Belong Here Discord CommunityJoin us on Discord Server today! bit.ly/webelongdiscord 

Tonya Sims is a self-taught developer and is the Python Developer Advocate at Vonage. She has an eclectic background ranging from roles in business, pharmaceutical sales, and even is a former professional women’s basketball player! Tonya is humble and down to earth and has a ton of empathy. All of her life experiences allow her to see the world from many different perspectives. She started her career in tech working as an executive assistant for a leading financial investments company in their IT department. Shortly thereafter, she transitioned into a computer operator role and started learning how to code. Eventually, she worked her way up from an entry-level position to earn roles as a software engineer in test and software developer contracting with some of the top financial services companies in Chicago. Tonya is passionate about helping other budding engineers and loves to see people succeed!Resources:Tonya on Twitter: @TonyaSimsPython DiscordWomen in Tech Slack To Sell is Human by Daniel PinkWe Belong Here Podcast:Follow Lauren on Twitter @LoLoCodingwebelongpodcast.comSubscribe on AppleSubscribe on SpotifyWe Belong Here Discord CommunityJoin us on Discord Server today! bit.ly/webelongdiscord 

Allen is a self-taught iOS Developer who made the switch from a professional sales career and now sits as a software engineer at Yelp. He believes anyone can learn to program, they just have to put in the time and effort.He studied psychology in school and figured he would end up going to grad school for it as well but ended up finding joy in the world of sales. While in sales, he learned so many lessons: the art of receiving negative feedback, the art of storytelling, as well how to both clearly and concisely communicate with people in his day-to-day life. He had always had an interest in coding but wasn’t interested in studying Computer Science in school so thought that would never be a possible career path for him. But the curiosity never left him so eventually he began teaching himself Ruby and Python! But he wasn’t successful in finding a full-time role and so he pivoted to learning iOS and building apps he actually wanted to use in his life.Today he is a Software Engineer at Yelp and continues to use the lessons he learned in sales. He also is the organizer of @iOSDevHappyHour - a place where current and aspiring iOS devs can come together and enjoy a good time!Resources: Allen on Twitter: @codeine_coding @iOSDevHappyHourExtreme Ownership book recommendation codeinecoding.comWe Belong Here Podcast:Follow Lauren on Twitter @LoLoCodingwebelongpodcast.comSubscribe on AppleSubscribe on SpotifyWe Belong Here Discord CommunityJoin us on Discord Server today! bit.ly/webelongdiscord 

Alex Merced taught himself to code just a few years ago. Before that, he spent a decade training people in finance and has also moonlighted as a political candidate, concert promoter, and comic book store owner.Today, he’s a developer for CampusGaurd and Instructor for General Assembly Coding Bootcamps. He is also the creator of devNursery.com - a developer community and is the creator of many Javascript libraries.Resources: AlexMercedCoder.comdevNursery.comPodcast: Web Dev 101Book Recommended:  Nassim Taleb - Antifragile: Things that Gain from DisorderWe Belong Here Podcast:Follow Lauren on Twitter @LoLoCodingwebelongpodcast.comSubscribe on AppleSubscribe on SpotifyWe Belong Here Discord CommunityJoin us on Discord Server today! bit.ly/webelongdiscord 

Wesley Faulkner is a first-generation American. He is a founding member of the government transparency group Open Austin and ran for Austin City Council in 2016. His professional experience also includes work as a social media and community manager for the software company Atlassian, and various roles for the computer processor company AMD, Dell, IBM, and Daily. Wesley serves as a board member for South by Southwest Interactive (SXSWi) and today is the Head of Community at SingleStore. Resources: Wesley on Twitter: @wesley83FreeCodeCampWesleyfaulkner.comAgainst Empathy: The Case for Rational CompassionWe Belong Here Podcast:Follow Lauren on Twitter @LoLoCodingwebelongpodcast.comSubscribe on AppleSubscribe on SpotifyWe Belong Here Discord CommunityJoin us on Discord Server today! bit.ly/webelongdiscord 

Sierra is a Senior Consultant at Atomic Robot in Cincinnati, OH, focused primarily on Native Android solutions. She loves building beautiful and accessible Android apps, sharing knowledge with the community, and mentoring aspiring mobile developers. She serves as a Director of Women Who Code Cincinnati and a global track lead for Women Who Code Mobile. Before becoming an Android developer, she was in graduate school in a Ph.D. program to become a laser physicist. She had actually always wanted to go to beauty school but after high school, because she had scholarships and was good at math and sciences, she ended up in the math and physics department in college. As she says, the passion for the subject wasn’t necessarily there but she ended up finishing her degree! But eventually, that lack of interest caught up with her and she recognized the need for something different.JP Morgan was looking to diversify their tech pipeline and so she took a leap of faith to enroll in their program and learn to code! Today she has discovered her passion and is a consultant at a mobile development shop where she gets to build apps for clients and create things she’s truly excited about and interested in every single day.Sierra believes that anyone can make the leap into tech and find joy in their career.  She advocates for the power of googling and reminds the listener that the answer to their question is always out there! Resources: Sierra on Twitter: @_sierrobryanSierraobryan.dev Women Who Code Cincinnati Women Who Code MobileWe Belong Here Podcast:Follow Lauren on Twitter @LoLoCodingwebelongpodcast.comSubscribe on AppleSubscribe on SpotifyWe Belong Here Discord CommunityJoin us on Discord Server today! bit.ly/webelongdiscord 

Domitrius is a Developer Experience Engineer at Cloudinary. From retail to engineering, his focus has always been on making sure the customer's experience is the top priority. He’s the founder of Reactadelphia, a Philly meetup for React & JavaScript developers, and is an avid community builder & consultant.He spent many years of his life working and managing retail stores. But upon learning that the path to success in that industry was very narrow, he knew he needed to find a different path. He had always had an interest in tech and coding bootcamps were just beginning to emerge at the time and thus he started exploring that as an option.He attended a bootcamp in Philadelphia but struggled because of the lack of support and poor curriculum decisions the school made. The program has since shut down, but it was a really hard time for Domitrius. Ever resilient and determined to succeed, he decided to teach himself JavaScript and go on the job hunt on his own.Domitrius is a community builder through and through. When he was still searching for his first web developer role, he created a community for bootcamp grads to connect with and support one another as they navigated the industry and worked to demonstrate to companies that bootcamp grads were qualified candidates in those early days when hiring managers and tech companies, in general, were still rather skeptical.He landed his first role after he cold-emailed the CEO of a startup and offered his skills - owning that he wasn’t the most technical or senior dev by any means, but offered them his community-building powers and the confidence that he would be able to learn the necessary skills while in the role. He has since gone on to work as a Front-End and UI Engineer and now in Developer Relations at Cloudinary as a Developer Experience Engineer. Today he creates Egghead courses and organizes meetups for folks who are also looking to learn to code. He is an active advocate for people hungry to make the career change themselves and e continues to incorporate community work in everything that he does.  Resources: Reactadelphia: a Philly meetup dedicated to showing how awesome the local React community is!Domitrius on Twitter @DomitriusClarkDomitrius on Twitch: twitch.tv/domitriusclarkWe Belong Here Podcast:Follow Lauren on Twitter @LoLoCodingwebelongpodcast.comSubscribe on AppleSubscribe on SpotifyWe Belong Here Discord CommunityJoin us on Discord Server today! bit.ly/webelongdiscord 

Chris Ferdinandi helps people learn vanilla JavaScript. He believes there’s a simpler, more resilient way to make things for the web. His developer tips newsletter is read by thousands of developers each weekday which you can check out at GoMakeThings.com.In college, Chris had a lot of curiosities and even 4-5 majors before landing in Anthropology. He loved studying the content, but the work wasn’t exactly interesting to him. His dad suggested he explore the world of HR (Human Resources) and he did, for quite a while in fact.Interested in helping people solve problems within the world of HR, he started a blog and began teaching himself WordPress, HTML, and CSS. As he was learning but still working at his 9-5 job, he and his HR manager had the idea to create a scavenger hunt app to help new hires learn more about the company. The problem was that it was WAY too expensive to outsource and have someone else build. So Chris was given the opportunity to build it himself! And while creating that app, he discovered the joy of building and creating something with code. He has since gone on to become a Sr. Front-End Engineer! He has also developed deep expertise on Vanilla JS and teaches people how to create powerful and exciting things with it!We discuss how to know when you’re ready to apply for your first web development job. Chris’s advice is to apply even sooner than when you feel ready! He encourages folks to teach others, help newbies, and blog about your learning to help others on their journey as it can help you find a job too! Resources: GoMakeThings.comFollow Chris on Twitter @chrisferdinandiVanilla JS Podcast Vanilla JS AcademyDeveloper Tips NewsletterWe Belong Here Podcast:Follow Lauren on Twitter @LoLoCoding: https://twitter.com/LoLoCodingWeBelongPodcast.com https://webelongpodcast.com/Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/we-belong-here-lessons-from-unconventional-paths-to-tech/id1455784370#episodeGuid=Buzzsprout-6495208Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0YilCmVxb3t9dHAYCQoExCWe Belong Here Discord CommunityJoin us on Discord Server today! bit.ly/webelongdiscord 

Mindy is a math teacher turned software engineer with the goal of supporting folks entering the tech field. She had wanted to be a teacher ever since she was a little girl but after teaching middle and high school for a few years, she decided it wasn't quite the right fit.She started searching for roles where she could use her math degree and found work as a temp at a civil engineering company. She was always looking for a new challenge and began to explore helping them automate their processes. That exploration led her to have a conversation with friends about potentially looking into learning to code. So she attended an online coding school called Launch School and was fortunate to participate in one of the first cohorts of Collab Lab - a project-based collaborative experience for new developers. We talk all about her journey of applying to jobs and finding the right company and fit. And she tells the story of landing her dream role as a Software Engineer at New Relic! Resources: Launch School: https://launchschool.com/The Collab Lab: https://the-collab-lab.codes/Ignite Program at New Relic: https://newrelic.com/resources/articles/ignite-program-hiring-overviewMindy on Twitter @Mindy_Joy: https://twitter.com/Mindy_JoyWe Belong Here Podcast:Follow Lauren on Twitter @LoLoCoding: https://twitter.com/LoLoCodingWeBelongPodcast website: https://webelongpodcast.com/ Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/we-belong-here-lessons-from-unconventional-paths-to-tech/id1455784370#episodeGuid=Buzzsprout-6495208Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0YilCmVxb3t9dHAYCQoExC We Belong Here Discord CommunityJoin us on Discord Server today! bit.ly/webelongdiscord 

Yechiel Kalmenson is a rabbi and teacher who pivoted to engineering three years ago. After serving as a rabbi and elementary teacher for a few years, Yechiel faced a crossroads and needed to pivot careers. He started working in technical support, took courses online, and ultimately enrolled in a boot camp to learn to code. And today, he is a software engineer at VMware!He still loves teaching and does that as much as he can through mentoring and using his blog and weekly newsletter, Torah && Tech.Resources: Rabbi on Rails Torah && Tech Yechiel’s LinkedInYechiel on Twitter: @yechielkYechiel on GitHub: @achasveachas We Belong Here Podcast:Follow Lauren on Twitter @LoLoCodingWeBelongPodcast.comSubscribe on AppleSubscribe on SpotifyWe Belong Here Discord CommunityJoin us on Discord Server today! bit.ly/webelongdiscord 

Before learning to code, Cecelia worked in journalism and financial services. She always had a hobby of making WordPress websites for friends but never thought of pursuing tech professionally. But after moving to Atlanta, meeting a few bootcamp grads, and discovering that coding is such a creative form of expression, she knew it was the path for her! She is a graduate of the Full-Stack Software Engineering Program at Georgia Tech and today is a Technical Account Manager at Cypress.io where she spends her days talking to users about testing strategies, helping them overcome technical challenges, and providing education and training. Resources: Women Who Code Front EndOut in Tech AtlantaCecelia’s websiteCecelia’s personal GitHub Cecelia’s professional GitHubBlogpost on NetworkingWe Belong Here Podcast:Follow Lauren on Twitter @LoLoCodingWeBelongPodcast.comSubscribe on AppleSubscribe on Spotify We Belong Here Discord CommunityJoin us on Discord Server today! bit.ly/webelongdiscord 

Ceora is a software developer based in Philadelphia. She worked in childcare and with children but was always interested in tech. Coding was always in the back of her mind. She starting freelancing as a digital marketer and was finding success, but then the pandemic hit, and lost all of her clients. At that moment in time, Ceora had an opportunity to reset her career progression and decided to go all-in on learning to code.In a moment of transparency, she decided to share her learning with her community and create tutorials and blogs with others learning to code as well.  Egghead.io saw her initial blog post and asked her to become a learner advocate for them. She took their courses, attended workshops, documented her learning, and published those notes to GitHub, all while getting exposed and building relationships with experienced developers in the industry!She worked as a teacher with Kode with Klossy, as a writer for Digital Ocean, and as a Developer Marketing Coordinator at CodeSandbox.  She's on a journey to become a Developer Advocate and will have more to share with the world soon!She is a huge proponent of inclusion, accessibility, and community building. Her career thus far has centered around creating educational content focused on making the tech industry more accessible to everyone.  This episode is packed with encouraging bits of advice and wisdom. It is not one to miss! Resources: Ceora on Twitter: @ceeoreo_Ceora’s website: ceoraford.comCeora on LinkedInWe Belong Here Podcast:Follow Lauren on Twitter @LoLoCodingWeBelongPodcast.comSubscribe on AppleSubscribe on Spotify We Belong Here Discord CommunityJoin us on Discord Server today! bit.ly/webelongdiscord 

Kenneth is played the saxophone in school and always wanted to be a high school band director. But soon he discovered that while he was passionate about music, it wasn’t exactly the career for him. In college, Kenneth worked at a QuikTrip gas station part-time. When offered a promotion to be a night assistant manager, he realized that he would be making more money in that role than what he was studying in school. The competition in music was high and the pay was low, so he did not pursue it any further.At QuikTrip, he learned the trade of handy maintenance and learned how to fix nearly anything! One day while browsing Reddit, he discovered a smart kegerator and wanted to see if he could build it himself! He began teaching himself Python, started creating web apps, and was thrilled by the new skills he was learning.He worked out a schedule with QuikTrip and decided to go back to school to learn to program! There he joined a programming club, met some incredible individuals, participated in some hackathons, and began searching for a full-time gig!He landed a development role at a boutique consulting firm and continued to build software on the side to help developers level up and earn money from their knowledge. He was always working on a side hustle, is ridiculously motivated, and his story is beyond inspiring.Today, Kenneth has gone all-in on his company, Slip! Be sure to check it out. This episode is packed with incredible tips and words of wisdom for those looking to break into tech. Resources: Kenneth's company SlipKenneth’s Twitter: @KennethCassel We Belong Here Podcast:Follow Lauren on Twitter @LoLoCodingWeBelongPodcast.comSubscribe on AppleSubscribe on SpotifyWe Belong Here Discord CommunityJoin us on Discord Server today! bit.ly/webelongdiscord 

Claudia Maciel grew up in a small farming community in California and had dreams of exploring the world. She went to college full of enthusiasm and curiosity - eager to discover what she was most passionate and interested in. In her first year, she enrolled in an intro to computer programming course but was the only girl and the only Mexican in the entire class. Her professors were encouraging though and she loved the class. In fact, she was so great at it she decided to major in Computer Science!But when she graduated from college and started going out onto interviews, she suddenly was back to that same place of feeling alone and as though she didn’t belong in the industry. She just didn’t feel as though she belonged. So instead, she decided to help others and to teach students about computer science and aviation.Oh yeah,  in college she also discovered a passion and aptitude for aviation and flying!So that is what she went on to do for a long time - she was teaching at an after-school program as well at the local aviation school. And that’s when NASA approached her! With NASA, Claudia helped to empower children to get into STEM and push beyond societal boundaries. It was an incredible program, but ultimately, the fact that she was encouraging students to pursue these sorts of careers despite pursuing them herself became too glaring and she felt ready to break into the industry herself.That’s when Claudia became a pilot for SkyWest Airlines. She was finally then able to travel, to leave her town, and see the world!She loved it, but the traveling became too much for her family, and so with the confidence gained after joining the male-dominated industry of aviation, Claudia discovered she felt ready and able to enter the tech industry.She discovered the Lambda School’s iOS program and dedicated herself to their program to dive int0 the world of native application development. And since recording the interview, Claudia has landed her first tech job as a mobile app developer at Jack Henry & Associates!This episode is packed with advice and tips for those looking to break into tech. Claudia overcame fears of being the only woman or Latina in both aviation and tech. Today, she is an example for all young Latinas to never stop pursuing their dreams!Resources: Claudia on Twitter @coder_pilot#WomenWhoCodeMobileClaudia on LinkedInWe Belong Here Podcast:Follow Lauren on Twitter @LoLoCodingWeBelongPodcast.comSubscribe on AppleSubscribe on SpotifyWe Belong Here Discord CommunityJoin us on Discord Server today! bit.ly/webelongdiscord