Helping Hands

Anonymous

September 25,2023 at 6:22PM UTC

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Helping Hands

Hello! I have been in my current role for around 2 years now. I have a background in computer science and math and landed a non-coding role right after graduating. I went to another company after in hopes that I can get my hands dirty with code again and I was a little rough in the beginning since I haven't been doing it for the year and a half prior to this role. My manager and tech lead-- they weren't that encouraging and fed into my imposter syndrome and even told me that "coding isn't for everyone". I wasn't particularly bad at it-- i was able to help with a lot of features and pages that contributed to what has recently been launched. Since then, i have been pulled out of a developer role and into this customer support role where I am not able to see myself grow or ever get promoted while my knowledge for all those languages I once knew is escaping me. I tried talking to my manager earlier last year about grad school and pursuing a masters in UI/UX/HCI since thats where my passions lie and i can get back to what I have originally intended on doing with more structured learning in a niched subset of computer science but he automatically rejected it saying that he believes this customer support role is "good for my career growth". I was recently part of an internal hackathon where I used python as a techstack to build a working prototype for our idea and i was so happy being able to code again and it felt more like home. I feel stuck and am not sure how to proceed. I'm still early in my career and am afraid that this will affect how my career is paved out right now. The job market is rough right now and im not able to look for new roles either. not sure how to proceed.

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AnonymousSeptember 25,2023 at 6:48PM UTC
Check your employee benefits and see if they offer a tuition reimbursement program. If they do, I would say, go for the master's degree. There are plenty of accredited programs that offer these online, where you aren't set to specific class schedules like in-person classes are. Your manager may not be the best one to give you career advice, as they may see it as a threat. If you don't have a tuition benefit, you may want to find some place that does.
AnonymousSeptember 25,2023 at 6:52PM UTC
We have a tuition reimbursement program! I think the only thing that is making me nervous about it is that it has to go through manager approval first.
AnonymousSeptember 25,2023 at 7:15PM UTC
If he refuses to approve it, then start looking elsewhere, as you have gone as far as you can go where you are.
AnonymousSeptember 25,2023 at 9:58PM UTC
I have definitely been actively applying for multiple places. heres to hoping i get somewhere soon! Thank you all for your support. I don't want to feel stuck anymore. Especially this early on in my career (total experience i have had is roughly a little over 3 years)
AnonymousSeptember 26,2023 at 1:45PM UTC
As a woman in the tech and software fields, I see sexism like this too often. I've heard things like "Not everyone is made for engineering". These people are trying to push you into a role they deem "more appropriate" for women. You need to apply for jobs as a developer as soon as possible. The longer you don't program the harder it will be to land dev jobs in the future. I've only been in my career 5 or 6 years, so I know it's difficult without a lot of experience, but it's a lot better to do this now than to lose another year of programming experience. Developers also usually make a lot more
money than customer service.
AnonymousSeptember 26,2023 at 3:53PM UTC
Thats exactly what is happening. My manager is saying that this customer support role is "better for my career path". I know for a FACT it isnt and i wasnt hired to be a customer support person. I went through the same technical interview that everyone else has gone through to get to be a software engineer. Other teams within my company seem to be so much more relaxed and their work culture seems so much better. I would love help in recruiting. I need to get out of my role asap. I was supposed to have an interview with a recruiter but they canceled the day of due to them getting laid off. The job market isn't the best right now :(
AnonymousSeptember 26,2023 at 4:11PM UTC
I just got a new job after searching so I know how tough it is. My best advice is post your resume literally everywhere: LinkedIn, Career Builder, Monster, Indeed, and zip recruiter. Then pick up any call you get. It sucks and you're gonna get tons of calls for jobs that aren't for you, but all it takes is one or two promising leads from those hundreds of calls and emails. Also go on Linkedin and look at all your connections and see where they work. If their company is hiring for someone with your skill set, reach out and ask them to submit your resume, even if you don't know the connection super well. The last option is to look at jobs on linkedin and add or message the recruiter responsible for the applications. I have had very little luck actually applying for job. Pretty sure it's just throwing my resume into the trash sometimes. Good luck! I know you can do this, and there are businesses out there that will see your true value as a developer.
KatSeptember 27,2023 at 4:07AM UTC
It's unfortunate that you're dealing with such a sexist boss that's not encouraging you to develop your skills. But at least you recognize that is the problem, not you. Good luck with finding a new job in a more supportive environment, either inside or outside this current company. In the interim, can you volunteer with a school or org (like Girls who Code) to teach coding? It would keep your skills sharp and be a good resume builder. Continue to do hackathons and other events to develop your network. If you haven't joined any professional orgs for women in IT, do so. Start one where you work if there isn't one. The support you can get from other women in the field will be very valuable to your professional and personal development.
AnonymousSeptember 27,2023 at 10:39AM UTC
I think you already know. You need work experience and to allow time to grow. Love that you had exposure to what you like but grow and build those relationships with coworkers in the area you want to grow in to. Patience will serve you well.