February 9, 2021
“when I connected with moinworld and Women Techmakers and started networking and hearing stories from women in technology that were doing things that I never considered. Hearing about their journeys made me rethink where I wanted to “go” next”
Who are you? What do we need to know about you?
I am Valerie. I was born in the US. I lived and studied in London for just over 2 ½ years. In 2018 I moved to Germany and taught English to grades 5-13 for 2 years before transitioning back into IT. I currently live in Hamburg.
Where do you currently work and what are your activities there? What are your tasks?
I work as a Junior Software QA Manager at LimeSurvey. I do QA testing and technical writing.
When did you start to be interested in software development?
When I was working at UPS in Georgia in the company’s supply chain solutions legal (contacts) department and was asked to test a software application that was being developed for contract administration. Then I decided to do a career change.
What fascinates you about the IT sector?
The one thing that really fascinates me is that there is so much to learn! I love gaining knowledge. And in this field, you never run out of new things to learn! There are so many different areas that interest me. I never get bored.
What was the biggest challenge in your career so far?
Returning to IT after being out for 5 years and doing so in a new country. What was also difficult for me, was that I did not know anyone in tech. So, I had to navigate (and find out) things on my own in the beginning.
Was there a certain event for you that you would call a “turning point” in your career?
Yes, when I connected with moinworld and Women Techmakers and starting networking and hearing stories from women in technology that were doing things that I never considered. Hearing about their journeys made me rethink where I wanted to “go” next (as far as my career in tech).
How did you find moinworld?
Through an internet search. I decided to transition out of teaching back into IT. Living in a new country, I thought networking would be the place to start. I attended my first event in the Fall of 2019 and a few more before the corona pandemic did away with meeting in person. And I continue to attend the online meetups.
What was your experience with the mentoring programme?
My experience was a positive one. I was paired with Laura, a developer who shared information that was extremely helpful in my transition back into IT. But it went beyond technical talk. She also shared tips that were helpful in navigating life in Germany that were not IT/career related.
Interested?
Apply today here. A moinworld member will get in touch with you for the next steps within 1 week.
Do you have any questions? Get in touch with us at mentoring@moinworld.de.
We will also have a Meetup celebrating the ending of our first mentors and mentees batch in September. Everybody is welcome to join and listen to some of the success stories. Just follow our events!
Read more about some of our great mentors here.