Women Create at Facebook
Women Create at Facebook
Our Partner Spotlights highlight the innovative ways our Partner companies are advocating for change and equality in the tech field. Read the following piece from Facebook to find out what advice their women software engineers have for other women in tech.
“Be bold and dream big.”
Over and over we hear these words – spoken loudly on stage to crowds of cheers and whispered to students seeking advice. But seeing more than 20,000 people come together for the largest gathering of women technologists in the world brings these words to life.
Without a doubt, Grace Hopper Celebration provides an inspiring week of impact and a true look at the future of tech, and Facebook is proud to be a part of it.
Seasoned technologists from Facebook who were hired at Grace Hopper Celebration in the past return year after year to share knowledge and words of advice – from how to build more diverse and accessible tech to encouraging one another to explore new paths, even if you’re the only person in the room who looks like you.
Read some of the advice below from software engineers at Facebook, and click here to learn more about doing the most meaningful work of your career.
Words of Inspiration for Women in Tech
“There will be times when you will see an opportunity that will not totally align with your skill set. Having confidence and courage helps. Push yourself to take on that challenge. The industry needs to be more reflective of the people we aim to protect.” —Aanchal G., Director of Security
“If you’re new to computer science, explore every inch of the industry even if it seems intimidating, or if you’re the only person who looks like you. There are so many opportunities that exist to align with your passions.” —Amber M., Software Engineer
Why We Build at Facebook
“What inspires me to keep going every day is the potential to create something that will change others’ lives for the better. My dream has always been to make the world a better place using the engineering skills I have, and I definitely feel like I’m moving a bit closer to that goal when I work.” —Amber M., Software Engineer
“I like working on Messenger because it’s a place where I can tackle hard problems with a huge real-world impact. Tech is our future and I want to be there to help make sure we are making the right calls as we navigate uncharted territory. I didn’t think I would be able to make a difference on this scale with my fresh out-of-college skills, but I am very glad to have been wrong.” —Jean S., Software Engineer
“I have two daughters, and it was really hard for me to come back to work after my first – it’s such an emotional time. What really pushed me to stay in the industry is the fact that I really wanted to show my daughters that it’s possible to be passionate about your career while still being a great mom. I worked hard before having children to get to where I am, and no woman should have to sacrifice that. As with everything else, my girls are my inspiration, I want them to be proud of me.” —Yoojin I., Software Engineer
“What motivates me at work is being able to apply my software engineering skills to a product that helps others. Volunteering and contributing to my community has always been important to me, and I enjoy building features to connect and unify people around these important causes.” —Kaitlyn L., Software Engineer
“As a software engineer from Care Machine Learning, I’m motivated to come to work every day, build ways to protect our users from harmful contents, and do small things that ships love and care to users so that they don’t get hurt by malicious comments/photos/videos.” —Laurie Z., Software Engineer
“I work on News Feed Control, whose mission is based entirely on the sentiment of our users and giving them more control over the content they consume. The entire team’s passion and dedication to listening to what the users want is absolutely inspirational in the vast sea of tech-world-metrics.” —Clarisse S., Software Engineer
“I think if more women were creators, we would see a world where products and solutions better fit the needs, wants, bodies, and perspectives of the very diverse populations we build for.” —Sin L., Software Engineer
Come find us at this year’s Grace Hopper Celebration to chat with some of these incredible women leading the way, and follow us on Instagram for a look at our people, culture, careers, and mission-driven work.