Thread by @gabidavila

This is an abstract of a 10 year career in tech.

The odds were never in my favor, specially to work with technology.

When I was a kid I wanted a SNES, dad said no, it's a boy's toy.

I was always good with math, but when I wanted Lego as a gift, they gave me barbies.

Then I managed to join a really good High School. For each opening I had to compete with another 30 people to get in. I got in, but failed on 2nd year.

Then the teachers striked for 3 months in one year and 2 months in another. No way to finish my last year in time

That's when I got my 1st PC. At 18yo.

Then, I managed while on the last year, to get a scholarship for a preparatory course for college, my odds were 25 to 1.

I managed! Electrical Engineering at top school!

Me and my female colleagues were called "Engenheiro fêmea", which translates to "Female male-engineer".

Unfortunately I had to quit that good college due to financial reasons (the college was free) however I couldn't afford to live there.

I started a fulltime job as a webmaster

Only female employee. I had not given up on getting a degree, so I found a 3y course at night, doing "Digital Game Development".

For 4 years (it took me 4, I had to work Saturdays, when I had classes) it was: Work during the day, School at night

I worked at big companies in my career, but I think only 2 of those companies had female engineers. And you don't want to hear my horror stories from the other companies.

At interviews: "Why are you looking for a new job". Apparently replying "Sexism" wasn't the right answer.

At work what the other engineers didn't want to do they gave it to me to do it. Usually was the boring work or the work that if they screw up they could get fired. Were they trying to get rid of me? Perhaps.

But that taught me a lot of shit. I couldn't afford to err.

Every step of my career either I was seen as a shadow of someone or I was there to meet the girl quota. Oh, btw the times I heard: "Look! A girl applied, let's call her in to see if she is cute!".

Or sometimes during interviews having every keyword on my resume challenged.

Then, 9 years later, you see you are not welcomed for real. That you are not in the inner circle, that you don't belong.

I almost quit. No, actually I quit, for 18 months I couldn't even think or talk about tech. I just didn't care anymore.

They were winning. I wanted the path of least resistance. It's not that I don't have thick skin, trust me, I do, it takes a lot to phase me nowadays.

But my closest friends never gave up on me.

So I decided to do a crazy thing, with almost 10 years of industry I decided to join a coding bootcamp! It was a shock treatment for myself. That had 2 possible outcomes, either:

A - I wouldn't want to program for the rest of my life
B - I would find the passion in tech again

Takeaways from this thread:
1. Consider yourself privileged if you could exercise your technical abilities when young
2. I am balloon in a pool, baby. Every time you push me down, I come back right at you jumping even higher.
3. Tech is toxic, there is no easy fix

4. It's ok to give up, I don't wish this path on anyone
5. Use your privilege to help others
6. Meritocracy is BS
7. Bad situations happens everywhere, no matter the size of the company
8. You don't need a fancy degree to do what you love

For a long time I looked at the tech descriptions for a job, not the team, and today I am happy I found a team, that helps me shape my job description. And now I can say I am the privileged one, to have such amazing colleagues around me.

Thank you.

I told you my teammates are awesome! Thank you @briandorsey for the awesome gift and thoughtfulness. I may have something on my eyes, now... #Lego #SNES