Becoming a Software Engineer
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Becoming a Software Engineer: Inspiring a New Generation of Developers
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2014 Voices Conference presented by Global Tech Women Presenter: Kinsey Durham, gSchool
Transcript of Becoming a Software Engineer
Becoming a SoftwareEngineer:
Inspiring a New Generationof Developers
Outreach Programs
Mentorship
Apprentice Programs
Developer Schools
Programs like Railsbridge
“I got to meet people who werenew, instead of people who had
been doing it since they were five.”
“It creates an open andencouraging environment for
people who might otherwise self-select out of programming”
Mentorship
Mentorship is worth yourtime.
Being a great mentor
Ability to explain complexconcepts simply
Awareness
Patience
Weekly Retrospectives
Pairing
Empathy
Apprentice Programs
25%
“thoughtbot noticed there weretalented people who weren’t ready forfull-time consulting jobs with us, but
figured we could train them...”
Benefits much higher thanthe costs.
Why should companies bedoing this?
More developers for hire
Corporate SocialResponsibility
Supporting employeeswho want to
mentor/teach
Good will/vision ofcompany spreads
Developer Schools
“Along with learning to code andacquiring a job, The Flatiron
School really taught me to checkmy ego.”
Critiques/Controversy
Why is all of thisimportant?
Diversity
Lack of quality engineers
Failure of educationsystem
“Providing formal mentorship isimportant for retaining and
advancing underrepresentedemployees.”
- NCWIT
Access to computers andthe Internet
82% of CS graduates aremale
Financial Access
Discrimination Lack of Role Models
Lack of Encouragement
Barriers
Who’s hiring?
4 years
Expensive
Lack of real experience
Thanks.
Works Cited:
http://www.sarahmei.com/blog/2010/02/20/scale-8x-slides-posted/Dave Hoover’s Apprenticeship Patterns
Women in IT Dr. Catherine Ashcraft and Sarah Blite for the National Center for Women inInformation Technology
http://wdr.doleta.gov/research/FullText_Documents/ETAOP_2012_10.pdfhttp://www.ncwit.org/sites/default/files/legacy/pdf/NCWIT_TheFacts_rev2010.pdf
http://www.ncwit.org/sites/default/files/legacy/pdf/BytheNumbers09.pdfhttp://www.americanprogress.org/issues/labor/news/2012/07/12/11900/the-top-10-economic-
facts-of-diversity-in-the-workplace/www.railsbridge.org
www.gschool.itwww.blackgirlswhocode.com
www.railsgirls.comhttp://www.meetup.com/Women-Who-Code-Boulder-Denver/
