I Work Full Time in the Tech Field (Software) - AMA!

amother

Gardenia

Wed, Nov 03 2021, 12:43 am

Love this thread.

Super pro frum women working in tech.

Full time Agile Product Manager here. Have had alot of titles over the years and do Program Management as well.
Been working the past 5+ years in government contracting which is an interesting experience but overall love my field and my job.

Salary is great
Benefits are amazing
While yes, they are mostly super liberal they also are super accepting of anything I say in terms of judiasm. They always make sure to get kosher food and are respectful without any issues of YT and Shabbos etc.

It is hard with the kids and getting in my hours sometimes but there's also a very big mindset of family first, so me saying "I need to sign off and pick up my kids, or take them to an appointment is a standard thing"

Also Ive been working remotely since March 2020 and no issues, plus I was able to have my baby home with me the entire first year (oh and parental leave benefit) no one said boo (ok one person did but she was a nasty person regardless)

Happy to answer any other questions if ppl have

amother

Buttercup

Wed, Nov 03 2021, 2:42 am

Do you feel that as a (frum) woman / mom you’re always going to be “behind” the guys on the team? I’m not just talking about the inherent, universal male / female gaps in the workforce stereotypes… but since software is a team effort, it’s kind of like you’re never really on the starting lineup iykwim…

amother

Magnolia

Wed, Nov 03 2021, 3:02 am

How are you managing with releases and maintenance happening on Shabbos? I have worked in a corporate setting for a while - and every few weeks I need to ask my coworkers to replace me. I try to be flexible at other times, but still feel bad, since weekend work usually happens on Friday night and Saturday morning, not on Sunday.

We all put around 50 hrs a week, including coverage for releases or special projects when needed (every few weeks). Shabbos is one reason why I am not trying to get into Product Owner role, which would be a good fit for me otherwise. But I doubt I could juggle Shabbos and a higher position that makes it even harder to delegate.

amother

Acacia

Wed, Nov 03 2021, 3:41 am

I am already a software engineer at a large insurance company and I echo the amazing benefits and good salaries.
Can someone recommend a boot camp? I am advising some cousins with various non-tech bachelors degrees to move in this direction but I pre-date boot camps.
I have googled a few but it is hard to know which are quality.

amother

Acacia

Wed, Nov 03 2021, 7:42 am

amother [ Sand ] wrote:

Is this a boring job to have for so many hours a day?

My friend is training now and she admits that it's not so stimulating. No interacting with people. She's not sure if she should continue. She has the brains for it.

Do you agree with this?

Depends what you enjoy.
I very much enjoy the challenge of programming. Searching out logical errors and correcting them. Finding out how to make something work faster with new programming techniques or how to add functionality without disturbing the existing functionality. I knew already in college that I could start a new project one evening, lose myself in it and be surprised to hear the morning birds chirping.
So, no, I don't find it boring. But it's not for everyone.

HappyMom321

Wed, Nov 03 2021, 8:09 am

amother [ Buttercup ] wrote:

As I am now working full time, I do not feel behind. That being said, I do want to switch to less hours and I do get the feeling that when I do I will not be considered as much a part of the team. And also, I sometimes bemoan that I'm the only one on the team juggling so much - there are some fathers, but it's totally not the same. But every company is different

HappyMom321

Wed, Nov 03 2021, 8:10 am

amother [ Magnolia ] wrote:

I think this is company-dependent. My company does not have this issue

HappyMom321

Wed, Nov 03 2021, 8:13 am

amother [ Sand ] wrote:

I'm not sure what type of training she's doing, but programming is very stimulating. You have to combine both the logical brain and your creativity to truly do a good job. Sometimes college doesn't really give you a feel for what programming is truly like, because it's a lot of math and theory. Also, nowadays employers are looking for people skills as well, because you do need to be able to communicate with other team members and even potentially clients. The programming world is not just about "nerds" sitting alone and typing for hours anymore. I don't ever just sit and code by myself the entire day. All that being said, it is certainly not for everyone - it isn't the type of job everyone would like

HappyMom321

Wed, Nov 03 2021, 8:16 am

For everyone asking about bootcamps, I don't really know because I did the college route... But I know Lakewood has some frum coding schools. However, if you really want the quality that the big companies are looking for, Manhatten has some top rated ONES (but maybe since covid you can do it remotely - I have no idea). You generally have to have a little knowledge though, to get in (unlike the frum ones that will tale you with no previous programming info)... Some of these NYC ones don't even charge - after you get your first job you pay back a little from your salary for a certain amount of time. They often also guarantee that they'll find you a job. I know Grace Hopper is very highly regarded and only takes women, but again - you have to apply and get in, which requires some basic knowledge.

amother

Peach

Wed, Nov 03 2021, 8:53 am

For those asking about boot camps, my dd did one 2 years ago. (2019-20, but you can start anytime, its not fixed to the academic calendar) We did a bunch of research and she did bloc, all online. She actually did not complete in the required time frame (I think 9 months) which meant she lost the money back guarantee if you don't get a job within 6 months. But she did complete it, just took a bit longer. If you go that route make to sure to leave enough time - she was working part time, in seminary in the mornings, plus she is a social butterfly! Bloc give a discount for women. Bloc had good reviews, and she really wanted all online. She happened to be in the USA but I think you can do it from anywhere. I don't know what the entry requirements were, she did do some short coding courses before starting bloc.

She found a badly paid job with a startup quite easily, which she took to gain experience, and left after a year for a better paid job with a Jewish non profit. She was not interested in corporate jobs.

Last edited by amother on Wed, Nov 03 2021, 9:29 am; edited 1 time in total

amother

Magnolia

Wed, Nov 03 2021, 9:06 am

amother [ Sand ] wrote:

Some jobs have more interaction with people than others. There are usually meetings with fellow developers, business analysts and sometimes with users. However, on most days I work solo for hours, with intense focus.

I happen to love it and find it very stimulating. If it's not her cup of tea, there are other positions in tech she might like better: support, QA, business analyst, scrum master, UX design. But ability to write code is very useful in any such position, so her training is valuable in any case. She might find the first couple of jobs she lands boring, but as she gains expertise, her options will expand.

amother

Magnolia

Wed, Nov 03 2021, 9:30 am

amother [ Buttercup ] wrote:

I have worked in teams where I definitely felt it. I was as young as other coworkers, but I had a family while they were mostly single guys. They used to stay late in the office just to research new cool stuff or hang out after work in bars. But that was in a startup, many years ago. Even then, I felt that I did have my place in the team and respect from others for what I brought to the table: coping with pressure, multitasking, etc.

I later moved to a larger company with a more diverse workforce. I am now part of a large international team and don't feel different or "behind" in any sense.

amother

Gardenia

Wed, Nov 03 2021, 9:33 am

amother [ Sand ] wrote:

No totally not which is why I do product/program management cuz its all about the people.
I tell people I'm a glorified problem solver Smile

My job is to understand what we are doing and where we need to be.
Set the mission and vision.
Roadmap how we will get there
Break it down into the PI work (basically each quarter)
Then down into stories (we use Agile/Scrum)
Make sure each developer has the clear acceptance criteria and the value statement. so they know what they need to do and why
Then facilitate all the scrum ceremonies, and check in with each team member (bi weekly)
and make sure they have what they need to be successful.

Stay on top of overall team morale and plan.
work with stakeholders to make sure that we are staying on track

so lots of people management, product management and project management.

I love to learn different tech stacks and understand what my team is doing but I am NOT a developer. I was at one point but its been a while.

For example my team right now is dealing with Cybersecurity and compliance for the government. Using AI and Machine learning to reduce burden and automate processes.
Plus working with something called OSCAL, so I immerse myself in understanding this area so I can ensure all of the above is happening.

HappyMom321

Wed, Nov 03 2021, 9:51 am

amother [ Gardenia ] wrote:

No totally not which is why I do product/program management cuz its all about the people.
I tell people I'm a glorified problem solver Smile

Thanks for these details!
I am currently a full-stack developer, but my goal is to get into management. How did you transition? did you need specialized training?

amother

Gardenia

Wed, Nov 03 2021, 9:59 am

HappyMom321 wrote:

Thanks for these details!
I am currently a full-stack developer, but my goal is to get into management. How did you transition? did you need specialized training?

So I personally utilized the training budget my company gave and did the trainings in the following areas:
1. Scrum Master
2. Agile Product Owner
3. Safe (scaled agile for enterprise)
4. Leadership
5. Product management

I also started volunteering to be more involved in these type of things and did the transition slowly.

Happy to answer any other questions but overall I love it.

HappyMom321

Wed, Nov 03 2021, 10:08 am

amother [ Gardenia ] wrote:

Do you find that it gives you more or less flexibility than being a developer?
Also, what was your education previously? (degree, boot camp, etc)

amother

Gardenia

Wed, Nov 03 2021, 10:21 am

HappyMom321 wrote:

Do you find that it gives you more or less flexibility than being a developer?
Also, what was your education previously? (degree, boot camp, etc)

This is such a great question.

I personally think it depends on a few things but overall I'd say more if you're doing your job right.

My goal is to build the team and set the goals in a way that if I need to disappear for a week there will be little to no impact. But that does take time. To get a team through forming storming to norming and performing is a process but once we get there its amazing.
Obviously I am always adding value but things shouldn't stop cuz I need to step away.

HappyMom321

Wed, Nov 03 2021, 10:44 am

amother [ Gardenia ] wrote:

Great, that's what I'm hoping for one day!! Thanks Smile

Would you say the pay is comparable to a developer? More? Less?
Sorry for all the questions 🙈

amother

Celeste

Wed, Nov 03 2021, 11:40 am

I LOVE product management and QA. I've been in the field for over 20 years. Not boring at all. My background is in software development and I sort of fell into QA because I didn't want to code all day.
I've do create QA scripts and use automation so my background is very helpful.
I'm now in a management position.
Never had issues with shabbos or yom tov.