Who helped you the most in your career in tech?

I’ve been feeling really grateful for all my mentors, managers and senior leads that helped me grow as a software engineer over the years. I’ve been so fortunate to have really good managers, who recognized their biases, weren’t afraid to work with a woman, and were genuinely interested in my career development.

It’s super empowering to have someone who believes in you more than you believe in yourself. At my last company I had a really good professional relationship with the tech lead, who gave me projects that I felt like were over my head, but he told me “I trust that you’ll figure out the best way forward”. And I felt like I could get help any time I have doubts.

On my current team, my manager and the team lead are great. They tell me I should start thinking about a promotion, and tell me I deserve it even though I’m terrified to be promoted or even think about it!

Most of the amazing mentors and people who believed in me, who treated me equally have been men who have daughters at home. They’re progressive and recognize that they’re paving the way for their daughters’ future. Others were educated intelligent well-raised successful people.

Who is there for you in your work life? Who made the most impact?