Dev Chats is back for season two! This is a series where I speak to an awesome developer or techie every week or so. You can read more here. Let me know if you know someone awesome I should chat to next.
Introduce yourself! Who are you? Where do you work?
My name is April and I am the CEO and founder of Vogue & Code - a platform created to help people with non-traditional backgrounds transition into the tech industry. I currently work for Microsoft as a Sr. Program Manager with Microsoft Docs helping to build interactive experiences for developers.
Who or what got you into programming?
I studied linguistics in undergrad given my curiosity to know more about why people speak the way they speak. As I began to learn more about syntax, I developed an interest in computational linguistics. Post undergrad, I had a dream to become a computational linguist. I did a lot of research to see which programming language would help me reach that goal and I realized that Python was the answer. That honestly opened a world to AI chat bots - which is now my forte.
How do you think the tech industry will change over the coming years, and how might that affect your role?
The more that people innovate, the more there will be a need to produce content for said technology. Both my professional job and side-business focus on generating technical content which happens to be a double win in my book.
What has been your toughest lesson to learn in your software career so far?
There’s a lot to learn, therefore, it’s ok to take it slow.
What would be your number one piece of advice for a successful software career?
Find your niche and stay current with relevant topics in your niche.
Have you got any hobbies outside of your job? Do you think they help your tech career in any way?
I sew for fun and actually code for fun as well (as I do not do it professionally for my role with Microsoft). The sewing part is a far polar opposite compared to what I do for my job with Microsoft. However, my interest in coding helps a lot. I’ve done a good job at familiarizing myself with the developer community which has helped me develop a lot of empathy for developers.
What books/resources would you recommend for others wanting to follow a path similar to yours?
Honestly, tech-based articles on Medium are a good start for getting the perspective of others. Although no two people walk the same exact path in tech, it’s nice to get an idea of what one might expect in addition to helpful advice.
Finally, make your shoutout! What would you like the readers to go have a look at?
Go check out my website: www.vogueandcode.com
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