Meet a Web Developer
Hear directly from someone working in this field about their experience, career path, resources, and more.
What program did you enroll in?
The NYC Web Development Fellowship at Flatiron School.
What are you up to today?
I found a job as a software engineer for a financial startup around 3 to 4 months after completing the Web Development Fellowship with the Tech Talent Pipeline (I took some time off in between).
Today, I’m working as a software engineer for Spring Health, a mental health company that provides mental health services to companies such as Whole Foods & Gap Inc.
What do you like most about your current role?
I really like my current company as a whole – its mission, culture and people, and dedication to bettering the mental health field. I particularly enjoy working on a product that’s related to mental health. It makes for interesting work, and interesting problems.
In terms of working as a developer in general, the joy of it for me is in creating and solving problems – it feels like one of the few careers where you get paid to tinker around all day solving puzzles.
I also really enjoy the tech community and culture – there is a ton of camaraderie in the tech field, the open source community is fun (and a revolutionary concept), and it’s a constantly evolving, exciting field to be a part of.
Hanna
Software Engineer
NYC Web Development Fellowship Graduate
What advice would you give someone interested in web development?
The beginning can feel stressful. If you don’t know anyone or anything about the field, I’d suggest connecting with other developers.
When I was first starting out, I went to as many meetups as I could. When you’re stuck on a bug or a problem and Google isn’t proving to be helpful anymore, popping into a meetup and getting another set of eyes on the problem can be extremely helpful. Through meetups, you’ll get to meet and pair with other newbies, as well as more experienced developers, and also get to see what they’re currently working on – it’s a huge learning opportunity. (You can also come across interesting conferences, workshops, and potential job offers and connections through meetups). It’s a great way to get to know more about the field and all that is available, and for getting the inspiration and encouragement that is quite helpful in the beginning.
My advice would be to try to step out of your comfort zone and meet other developers. If that’s not your thing or unfeasible for you, there are also virtual meetups and slack groups available. (Here are a few: devchat, rubyonrails, leagueofwomencoders.slack.com – there’s plenty more.)
What are your thoughts about diversity in the tech industry?
In regards to inclusion and diversity, we are in such an amazing time. People are talking about diversity in tech fields! When I was in undergrad, it wasn’t something that was as openly talked about. It’s a conversation that’s much more addressed now and there are actual initiatives and action items coming out of those conversations. The number of resources and supportive groups are endless and still growing by the day.