I’ve thought a good deal about what I’ll say when it’s time to start interviewing for positions as a developer.

To be really transparent, the biggest *imposter syndrome* invoking insecurity I’ve had to overcome isn’t that I don’t have a Bachelors in Computer Science, I’m very confident in the hard skills I’ve endeavored to learn. Nor is that, I come from a non-technical background, I’m just a more well-rounded person for it. It’s trying to figure out how to gracefully spin my 7-year career gap that until recently was most intimidating.

I’ve had the great fortune to connect with other #bossmoms who are also transitioning into tech either from other industries or from long stints as “domestic engineers.” Their resilience and determination are definitely a huge source of inspiration to me.

One of these #bossmoms is Erica Peterson, founder of Moms Can: Code. In a speech she gave at TEDx in Pittsburgh, she urged moms to “quit apologizing” — apologizing for being moms. I pondered her thought-provoking speech and how it related so well to this big fear I had that a future employer might not take me seriously and overlook my potential for someone with more “experience.”

Then I realized how ridiculous that was. I was afraid to own the best thing that ever happened to me! If an employer was put off by my decision to spend a few formative years at home… that company culture wouldn’t be an atmosphere I’d want to work in anyways!

So, for myself, I have reframed my thinking, released that fear, and welcomed opportunity!

There are six reasons recruiters should look to hire more moms:

1. Productivity.

Plain and simple — moms get things done!
We’ve got things to do, places to go, and people to see. Usually, dinner to cook, laundry to fold, kids to bathe, homework to check, PTA meetings to attend, and birthday parties and play dates to plan as well. Shall I go on?

If you want an employee who is self-motivated to get in and get out and knock out projects — hire a mom.

Being a mom isn’t a distraction. It’s motivation to be proficient and efficient at your job!

2. Empathy

If you want a developer who can be a team player, catch the company vision, empathize — design — and build with the future client in mind — hire a Mom!

I have seen how hiring individuals based on their “credentials” while overlooking their personal values and ability to empathize can backfire on a company and be a massive waste of time and resources.

Women are by nature more self-evolved (sorry, not sorry) and our experiences as mothers molds us into natural empathizers.

3. Communication

The role of developer often calls on strong communicative skills. Daily roles involve working within a team, relaying technical information to non-technical staff in a way they will understand, and clarifying what the client or design team needs you to build.

Moms just have better communication skills.

We spend a lot of time deciphering toddler speak and our babies non-verbal communication. Essentially, we are experts on communicating on the level of our intended audience and are programmed to jump back and forth in between levels with ease.

This skill translates well in the workplace!

4. Grit

I’m sorry but anyone who can push a baby out of a small orifice or take care of a newborn while recovering from a major abdominal surgery… is just hardcore.

If you want someone who can power through the ups and downs of a project… push through the pain of development … give it her all… and the ability to invest in “blood, sweat, and tears…,” hire a mom!

5. Courage

It takes courage to be on the bleeding edge. Often what makes or breaks a company is their market intuition, management style/culture, and ability to integrate, utilize, and produce cutting-edge technology. It takes a certain amount of courage to spearhead projects into uncharted territory. It involves risks and a lot of unknowns.

Motherhood also takes a lot of courage.

And if in the course of hiring, you come across a mom re-entering the workforce after a long gap, or mom transitioning careers, or a mom from a non-technical background… you can rest assured you are looking at someone with a whole lot of courage!

6. Perspective

You might be able to hire a lot of baby-faced college grads but one thing a mom will likely have a better grasp on is *perspective.*

In addition to hard skills, mom’s have perspective on life, work, and community building that are an asset to your company culture.

Personally, I’m happy and even thankful for my “gap years.” It afforded me invaluable real-world experience, a deeper grasp on my personal values and interests, and intentionality behind my decision to learn to code.

I do it because it’s my passion! All employers, want passionate employees.

In sum, becoming a mother is without a doubt the best thing that has ever happened to me! The fact that I have been able to be focused on such a gratifying project, namely building a family and home, for so many years is truly a privilege and a gift.

I hope when recruiters see my career gap listed on my resume they think, “wow, here is someone who is dedicated and can do hard things.”

I hope recruiters know what an asset they’ve acquired when they — hire a Mom.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Today is day one of my coding bootcamp journey!

***I feel that feeling you get right before going bungee jumping or riding a roller coaster.***

My instincts tell me this is going to be one of the most difficult things I have ever done and also one of the most rewarding.

I will most likely experience a wide range of feelings from…

to…

So today… I am outlining my <goals> to look back on along the journey:

Bootcamp
• Gain the HARD SKILLS and CONFIDENCE I need to land a job as a developer in Houston.
• Full mastery of the course material. (Basically, know it well enough that I could teach the basics.)
• Make the most of my mentors — show up prepared for each meeting with questions in hand.
• Begin working with career services early on in the process.

Job
• Start freelancing mid-way through the program.
• My ideal company to work for would be a start-up or forward-thinking mid-size corporation with a stellar company culture!
• I will have a flexible work schedule that will allow me to work remotely the majority of the time.
• I will spend most of my time writing code but will have ample opportunities to collaborate with the design team and other departments.
• My starting entry-level salary will be $65K or above.

Professional
• At the end of my program, I want to have a clear plan on which technologies to learn more in-depth going forward. (Python, Solidity, Blockchain development, Swift, Vue, UX/UI Design are things I am really interested in!)
• Establish a local network of professionals/developers to learn from and be mentored by.
• Maintain consistent involvement with tech/blockchain meetups.
• Give back — establish a local Mom’s Can: Code chapter and volunteer for Bloc.

I am looking forward to seeing where this endeavor leads! Time to crush some goals! Wish me luck.

Fortunately, for all wanna be coders — you can learn just about anything on the internet these days!

Unfortunately, the task of researching and then choosing which resources to work with can be time-consuming and overwhelming, especially for someone (like me) just getting into tech or having been in full-blown mom mode a few years and not really up to date on current events… let alone the tech scene!

Here was my process for navigating my way through learning to code:

1. Find out your learning style and personality type.

This step is totally optional! There are exceptions to every rule. Researching your learning style and personality type, however, can be extremely informative and helpful for individuals transitioning into a new field or who have been out of school for a few sleeps… ahem… years/decades.

Knowing your personality type will give you insight into what careers within tech might be most interesting or suited to you, the potential strengths you have to offer your future employer, and what challenges you might encounter with co-workers.

Knowing your learning type will help you break down and prioritize resources in a way that helps optimize your productivity and the retainment of information.

16 Personalities — A Meyer’s Briggs Test

What Color is your Parachute? By Richard Bolles

Do What You Are by Paul Teiger

Learning Styles Quiz

2. Do some research.

One of the first things I did was read up on different careers in tech.
Learning the different roles of developers.
Front-end vs. back end.
Developer v. Designer.
User Experience v. User Interface.

This is all very basic knowledge and there are tons of articles on medium or videos on youtube explaining these concepts. It helped me become a little more familiar with the terrain, what interests me, and thus what my learning outcomes should be.

3. Start Coding.

Once I got a feel for things, I jumped right into coding! I knew that my end goal was to become a full-stack web developer with an eye for design and UX.

I started with the three front-end programming language fundamentals: HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

Definitely, take advantage of free resources while experimenting and deciding if coding is actually something you enjoy.

Freecodecamp

The Odin Project

W3Schools

Codecademy

Khanacademy

There are a ton of other free coding sites but I would start with these. Complete a few foundational courses and do some extra coding on things that are still a little fuzzy.

If you want to spend $12 bucks, I highly recommend The Web Development Bootcamp by Colt Steele on Udemy! All of his courses are great!

Team Treehouse is also a great monthly subscription platform for learning to code!

4. Follow influencers and get inspired!

One of the first things I did was follow tech influencers and other self-taught programmers on social media. Seeing their progress and passion was definitely a huge part of what inspired me to learn to code.

I love watching Sylvester Morgan’s videos on Youtube. He is a self-taught programmer, down-to-earth guy, and father of four who changed his life by teaching himself to code.

Check out his story!

Masha from the Coding Blonde is another one of my favorites! She uses her blog and youtube channel to breakdown tech stereotypes and inform her audience about technology in a very fun and relatable way.

Check out her channel!

Here are some of my favorite talks!
Mom’s Can Code (Quit Apologizing)
You Should Learn to Program
The Poetry of Programming
Women in Tech: The Missing Force

Search hashtags like #momscancode #womenintech #momsintech #geekmom #techmom #girlsinstem #steminist #STEAM #coding #techblog … (you get the idea) — on social platforms like Instagram and Twitter to find people to follow!

5. Tune in to tech news!

Following other programmers and influencers on social media is a great way to be exposed to tech lingo but if you really want to kick your knowledge up a notch… follow tech news!

You feel less of an imposter and more confident in your own technical skills when you know a little about what is happening on the tech scene.

Don’t be discouraged. When I first started looking into tech I felt so far behind. You don’t need to know what was important in tech news a few years ago… there is no catching up to do. Technology is constantly changing and evolving.

Following tech news blogs, podcasts, or the companies you hope to work for one day is a great way to familiarize yourself with the industry.

TechCrunch

Mashable

Engadget

Vanity Fair — Tech News

Check out this great list of tech podcasts!

Check out the blogs and podcasts from tech companies you love! LinkedIn is good for this!

6. Get connected.

A huge step in learning to code and eventually landing an awesome job is growing your network and connecting! This is vitally important for coders with non-tech backgrounds, career changers, and mom’s re-entering the workforce.

Engaging with other programmers on social media and tech forums like Reddit is great! Make sure you are going out and meeting people face to face too! Join local meet-ups and if there isn’t one in your area — start one! Each connection that you make is someone you can learn from and a professional contact (read — link to future job).

Join an organization like Moms Can: Code! Moms Can: Code is an amazing resource offering support, networking, webinars, career prep, virtual summits, virtual co-working hours, and a thriving Facebook and slack group for charter members. Moms Can: Code uses their social platform to promote its members by tweeting about the amazing work they are doing and re-sharing Instagram posts that use #momcancode! The founder Erica Peterson says, “You really learn something when you are able to teach it to others.” She encourages all moms to actively share their knowledge with the group and offers numerous opportunities for moms to develop professional and personal soft skills by being an active contributing member.

Moms Can: CODE

7. Join a challenge.

Joining a challenge helps you track your progress and commit to developing the habit of practicing your code. There are a lot of community forums built around different challenges and sharing your progress on social media helps you connect with other people and gain credibility.

My favorite is 100 Days of Code.

8. Document your journey.

Share your process.

Not only will it be rewarding to look back over the progress you have made but it can potentially help show your future employers the work you have put in over time.

Also, if you are a reading/writing type learner, like me, blogging about different technologies, code, and resources will help concretize those concepts for yourself!

It doesn’t have to be a blog though… if writing isn’t your thing — take it to Twitter or Instagram. Just put your work out there!

9. Decide how to proceed.

At this point in my process, I knew that I was in this for the long haul and really wanted to establish a career in tech which meant I needed to decide which pathway to take in order to achieve that goal and do more advanced learning. I hope to expound on all the different options out there soon! The four main options I considered were:

1. Going back to school and getting a computer science degree.
2. Become a fully self-taught programmer.
3. Attend a virtual boot camp.
4. Attend an in-person boot camp.

There are pros and cons to all of these. Following tons of research which involved interviewing fellow programmers who went down each of these paths to learning to code, I personally decided to enroll in Bloc’s online boot camp. But there isn’t really a right or wrong way to go about it. Do what works for you!

10. Work on your personal and professional development.

The hard skills are important. You can’t get a job as a developer, designer, or software engineer without them.
But that doesn’t lessen the importance of developing your personal or professional soft skills.

The tides are changing and forward-thinking companies and start-ups are increasingly more open to recruiting women with non-traditional or non-technical backgrounds if they have the right skill sets.

It is easy to feel “the imposter syndrome” creeping in as you apply for jobs or prep for interviews.

What mom’s learning to code need to realize is that our non-technical backgrounds, real-world experiences, strong communication skills, intuitive natures, and efficient multi-tasking skills are not liabilities. They are assets! A company worth working for will value that!

Focusing on polishing those soft skills, defining your personal brand, and strengthening your own confidence will help you get out of your own way and put your best self forward.

Finding a life or career coach who can challenge you with hard questions and help you get unstuck is so worth the investment!

Connect with a mentor in your field of interest.

And my personal fave — read good books!

Career Courage by Katie Kelly

Co-Active Coaching

Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin

The Leader In You by Dale Carnegie

11. #hacktheworld.

At this point, you are ready to go out and use those hard-earned skills to innovate and be a female role model in tech.

Landing that first job tastes pretty sweet I am sure.

I am not there yet but I have my eye on the prize! I can’t wait to get there.

If I can do you it… you can too!