Profession recommendation doesn’t have to return from the pages of a self-help enterprise e-book or a high-profile CEO’s TED Speak to be helpful — the truth is, essentially the most memorable recommendation typically comes from surprising sources, like a short espresso chat along with your work bestie, a reassuring Slack message out of your staff chief, and even the lyrics of a Beyoncé music.
For ladies who work in tech, there’s energy in getting suggestions and suggestions from different girls who’ve been in your footwear. Regardless of incremental progress towards gender equality within the tech trade, girls nonetheless solely make up about 28% of the tech workforce.
In honor of Girls’s Historical past Month, we requested girls within the Codecademy group to share one of the best profession recommendation they ever obtained. Learn on to be taught the sensible and refreshing pointers that helped girls within the tech trade thrive.
Keep in mind to barter
The recommendation: “At all times negotiate [your salary], even should you assume the quantity is ultimate. I’ve at all times negotiated when getting a brand new position, and I’ve at all times ended up getting a better quantity than the preliminary supply. Prior to now, I’ve felt anxious that they might rescind the supply or be upset, however that by no means occurred! I noticed my worry was standing in my method. Plus, it’s an effective way to follow advocating for your self. Keep in mind, you’re value it!” – Sarai Fernandez, Codecademy Area Supervisor, Pc Science & Cybersecurity
How one can do it: Negotiating your wage might be nerve-wracking, however consider it as a possibility to ask for what you’re value. Even in fields like expertise, the gender wage hole exists. The most recent Census Bureau information discovered that ladies earned $0.83 to each greenback earned by males — and the hole is even wider for girls of coloration. Unsure what to say when it comes time? Learn this weblog for some examples of strains you need to use once you’re negotiating your wage.

Face your fears
The recommendation: “Concern received’t take you anyplace past the place you stand. Generally we really feel unhappy or scared as a result of issues aren’t going how we would like them to — however what are you doing to alter that? Do you need to work at a giant firm? Effectively, what about making use of for the job? Do you need to change your position? As an alternative of enthusiastic about it, begin a course about your new pursuits! Would you like a job improve? Speak to your boss! Unsure how one can do sure tasks? Communicate up! Information issues might be solved by studying; worry is solved by going through it.” – Laura Guette, Multimedia Engineer
How one can do it: Studying a brand new talent is empowering and may also help you develop in your profession. For those who’re able to take the following step — whether or not that’s enrolling in a course or taking over a brand new challenge — make sure you try the brand new and improved Codecademy plans. The brand new Codecademy Plus plan, for instance, is right for folk who’re working in direction of a promotion or who need to construct specialised expertise, as a result of you’ll be able to construct your individual roadmap primarily based in your objectives. Check out the entire Codecademy course catalog to get impressed.
Apologize sparingly
The recommendation: “As a lady early in my profession, I by no means realized how a lot I apologized — even for issues that I wasn’t answerable for or weren’t in my management. My boss on the time gave me the suggestions that I didn’t want to repeatedly fall on the sword for my staff and others. She shared how she did the identical factor, and as a lady we are able to typically use it to maintain everybody completely happy. I didn’t must say, ‘Sorry,’ as a substitute I wanted to consider how I might work with the sources I needed to discover a answer. There may be in fact a time and place to take accountability, however I by no means realized how a lot I used to be utilizing it as a catch-all for any drawback. Now I understand the facility of being solution-focused and direct.” – Britney Russ, Codecademy Director of Product Administration
How one can do it: For those who’re an over-apologizer, there are many different helpful phrases you need to use instead of “sorry.” For instance, “I respect your endurance” or “I’d like so as to add.”

Keep constant
The recommendation: “Consistency is the one approach to obtain your objective.” – Ankita Choudhury, Scholar
“Consistency is the important thing.” – Roseline Aderemi, Knowledge Analyst Teacher
How one can do it: It’s not shocking that a number of individuals emphasised the significance of consistency in tech careers. Irrespective of the place you’re in your coding journey, it’s necessary to discover methods to make coding a behavior. Set a sensible objective for your self, and select your weekly studying goal (discover this within the “My Residence” part once you’re logged in to Codecademy) to remain accountable. Unsure the place to start out? Listed here are some bite-sized coding objectives to contemplate setting for your self.
Be certain your voice is heard
The recommendation: “Be taught the phrases: ‘I haven’t completed talking’ and ‘Sure, I perceive that,’ and use them.” – Megan McCoy, Codecademy Challenge Supervisor
How one can do it: File away these concise and clear phrases the following time you are feeling such as you’re being interrupted, talked over, or simply plain ignored. Communication analysis has proven that ladies are interrupted extra continuously than males.
Monitor the influence of your accomplishments
The recommendation: “One of the best profession recommendation I’ve ever obtained is to at all times keep in mind to trace the influence of my accomplishments, to make sure that there’s a method for me to measure the success of what I do. That is always useful throughout annual efficiency evaluations.” – Jennica Econg, Product Supervisor
How one can do it: Maintaining a working log of your accomplishments at work is an superior approach to ensure that your particular person contributions aren’t neglected. Try this article for tips about creating and sustaining a “hype doc.”

Make your individual luck
The recommendation: “I reference this TED Speak on a regular basis, as a result of it shatters the concept that ‘luck’ simply occurs to individuals. Luck does occur, however on this speak, [engineering professor Tina Seelig] equates luck to ‘the wind,’ and ‘the sails’ are your actions that invite luck in. For example, speaking to a stranger creates a brand new connection that in the end advantages you each in the long run.” – Sil Lavers, Codecademy UX Researcher
How one can do it: Do one thing small that stretches you exterior of your consolation zone, like introducing your self to somebody whose profession you admire, or providing to current in a gathering.
Suppose in potentialities
The recommendation: “This recommendation jogs my memory to let go of my insecurities and never consider my limitations, feeling unsuccessful, and that I’ll fail. It helps me assume positively and never be formed by prejudice on background, gender, and schooling.” – Emi Stockx, aspiring JavaScript Developer
How one can do it: Most of us are aware of impostor syndrome, or emotions of self-doubt concerning your capabilities and achievements. This phenomenon is much more widespread amongst individuals who have underrepresented identities, like individuals of coloration and girls, in response to the American Psychological Affiliation. If you end up caught in a cycle of self-doubt, there are many methods that may enable you to overcome impostor syndrome, like connecting with different individuals or discovering methods to acknowledge your successes.
Don’t doubt your {qualifications}
“In case you have 50% of what they ask for within the [job] advert, you’ll be able to apply for the job.” – Emelie Wänstedt, UX Designer, in response to an invite from Codecademy for individuals to share their private experiences on Fb
How one can do it: Deciding to submit your utility for a job opening can take lots of braveness — and analysis has proven that girls typically received’t apply for a job except they meet 100% of the {qualifications} listed. Girls apply to twenty% fewer jobs than males, and are 16% much less more likely to apply to a place they view, in response to a LinkedIn Gender Insights Report. For those who’re job searching and questioning whether or not or not you might have sufficient expertise to be thought-about for a job, learn this weblog for suggestions from a tech recruiter.
You should definitely try the Codecademy weblog for much more recommendation on how one can have a satisfying profession in tech, interviews with individuals who have cool coding jobs, tales about Codecademy learners who launched new careers, and extra.