2019 In Review

Lenovo Software Engineer => Full Time React and Django Consultant, A Year In Europe

There is no such thing as a meritocracy. By virtue of ignoring that implicit bias and inaccessibility exists invalidates its concept. If you trace the origins of the word “meritocracy” it comes from a book The Rise of Meritocracy by Michael Young that describes it as incongruous concept in a dystopian UK society where intelligence and merit have replaced social class. It was written a satirical critique.
Being an engineer as a woman of color, getting opportunities off of “trust” doesn’t come often.
I’ve had to focus on opportunities that support me financially and in the short term. Without a trust fund, a parent’s basement to code in, a gap year I could take, and a dog that has grown accustomed to a certain lifestyle.
Conferences, “networking” and mentorship have been the life blood of my technical career thus far.
“Networking” is just making friends with really bright people and enjoying what you do enough to talk about it. Knowledge falls out and everyone grows from the exchange.
Mentors should be free.
Mentorship is defined by what you can provide for free, everything else should be sold as educational packages and the seller should be able to be held accountable for the quality and contents of information delivered.