Women in technology continue to lag behind their male counterparts in terms of representation, leadership roles, and pay. Many systemic issues must be addressed for women to achieve greater equality in technology, and devmio wants to help by providing an opportunity for inspiring women to introduce themselves and share their stories about why they chose a career in technology.

Every Wednesday, we celebrate women in the tech world. This week, we’d like to introduce you to Maribel Duran, Senior Software Engineer at NerdWallet.

Today’s Woman in Tech: Maribel Duran, Senior Software Engineer at NerdWallet

Maribel Duran is a Senior Software Engineer at NerdWallet. Her journey to landing her first software engineer role was long due to having imposter syndrome and low confidence straight out of college. Through her determination and a supportive community she found her way back and has since then been building products that are improving and empowering lives. She is helping others as she advances in her career through mentoring and blogging. The quotes she works by are “Lift As You Climb” and “Lead With Love.”

What first got you interested in technology?

Ever since I was young I enjoyed tinkering with technology. I loved spending hours on the computer discovering new settings and enjoyed troubleshooting tech-related issues around the house. At school, I loved math, physics, and science. When it was time to apply to colleges I wanted to study computer science or some type of engineering. I didn’t know what career paths a computer science and engineering degree would provide, but I knew that was where the future was headed and I loved that.

Did you always know you wanted to become a software engineer? How did you get to where you are now?

Not all. I didn’t even know what a software engineer was until I was in college. I first learned how to code during my undergraduate program. It took me two years of exploring engineering courses to declare my major in computer science and engineering. Programming was a whole new world and a different way of problem-solving for me. I knew that I loved software development when I started building single web applications on my own. I was amazed at how we could quickly bring ideas to life. I was inspired to build things that many people could benefit from. My journey to becoming a software engineer was long, 5 years to be exact. I graduated in 2013, but imposter syndrome, low confidence, and fear of failure derailed me from continuing to apply to software engineer roles. I ended up taking a different career path so my journey to becoming a software engineer was put on hold. In 2015, I was feeling really lost and without a sense of purpose in my career. I wanted to align my mission of improving and empowering people’s lives with my career path. Finally, in 2018, I finished building up my online portfolio and self-confidence, interviewed again, and landed my first software engineer role! Fast forward to 2022, I am now a senior software engineer helping other women start their careers in tech.

When I failed my first few interviews, I didn’t think I was cut out for software development.

Who are some people that inspired you to become successful?

My parents. Both my parents immigrated to the United States when they were teenagers and have since been field workers. We weren’t sure why college was important, but we knew it was so I applied to universities and since then I studied and worked hard to become successful in my career. Through their sacrifices, they gave me the opportunity to choose any career I wanted.

What was the biggest challenge you’ve faced in your professional career, and how did you overcome it?

My biggest challenge was landing my first software engineer role. As previously mentioned, I hit major imposter syndrome when I started applying for software engineer roles straight out of college. When I failed my first few interviews, I didn’t think I was cut out for software development. As a first-generation college graduate, I didn’t have family or friends that could provide any insight into the interview process. None of them had received a higher education nor interviewed for a professional job. Those days I didn’t know where to find the resources to help me prepare for the technical interviews. I didn’t know that interviewing itself was part of the learning process. While still having a full-time job, I learned web development in my spare time and built apps on my own. I then started contributing to open source, attended a hackathon, and worked on a real-life project with a team of aspiring developers. Through this, I was able to gain software development skills. I also let go of my fear of failure and low confidence through personal development like meditation, listening to podcasts, going to meetups, and reading self-help books. In 2018, I was determined to land my first software engineer role, and this time I was not going to give up. I had nothing to lose and everything to gain. Overcoming this challenge and going through a long journey to becoming a software engineer helped me prove to myself that I am capable of doing anything I set my mind out to do. Also, finding the resources, guidance, and support to help me get into the career I wanted was key. This is why I make it a goal to share my experiences about challenges and obstacles I have overcome so that someone similar to my background: that be a woman, a first-generation college graduate, or someone with low confidence knows that it is possible to become a software engineer or any other career they attempt to pursue.

Providing a good onboarding experience gives women the motivation and excitement to kick off their careers at a company.

What do you believe makes you good at your job?

I really care about what I build and who I’m building for. I care and build for the end users, my team, future engineers, the company I work for, and the mission it supports. I get to work at companies where their mission aligns with mine. So I go and do the best that I can do from every angle. Software development is so much more than building a product. For me, it's about using technology to empower and improve lives.

What new skill would you learn if you could learn it overnight?

I wish I could learn how to swim. I love being around water and would love to try water sports, but I have a fear of drowning. I was not taught how to swim when I was young and trying to learn this life skill as a grown-up is tough.

What does your typical workday look like?

A typical day is a very communicative and collaborative one. The first thing I do when I open my laptop is review slack notifications which usually consist of requests to help other engineers, review their code, or answer other questions that come in for our team. After our daily 15-minute team meeting, we work with other team members by helping with anything that is blocking them. Then I am usually attending around 3 meetings which could consist of meeting with business stakeholders, 1 on 1 with a team member, design, or a team/company-wide hosted meeting. In the afternoon, there is some focus time to work on assigned work which consists of actual development or development breakdown work for future projects. The end of the day consists of doing more code reviews, answering engineering questions, and finally reading emails.

I care and build for the end users, my team, future engineers, the company I work for, and the mission it supports.

What motivates you on not-so-productive days?

I motivate myself by going to Joe and the Juice, my favorite coffee shop. I order my favorite drink, stare at the walls (which are full of inspiring and funny quotes), and work on something that motivates and energizes me. This helps me get out of my slump and gather the courage and energy to get back to my committed work. Going to the same coffee shop reminds me of the last time I was able to overcome a slump and how I can do it again. And who doesn’t love a delicious Pick Me Up juice.

How do you balance your personal and professional life?

I schedule personal and professional time. I sign up for workout classes, music events, date nights with my husband, and all the things that I love so that I commit to making time for my personal life. Professionally, I try to keep a solid work schedule during the week and am currently working on building a better morning routine to have time to learn or write about web development before work. In 2021, I burnt out twice because I was overworked during the world pandemic. It was tough. After that, I went through 6 months of regular work-life balance coaching, career coaching, and therapy to help me gather the tools and techniques I needed to find a good work balance. To be honest, I am still trying to find the right balance.

How do you keep yourself up to date with the latest trends in software development?

I listen to podcasts and follow tech experts on Twitter. Two of my favorite podcasts are Syntax and DeveloperTea. I also take on tasks at work that enable me to learn about the latest trends.

I love working in tech. I love it even more when I get to onboard and mentor women engineers.

What tech topic would you like to learn more about?

Web3.0. I can’t yet wrap my head around it. Honestly, I haven’t tried looking much into it yet, but I'm really curious to learn more about it now that wedding planning is over and I have free time again.

Where do you see yourself in the next five years?

Being a staff engineer and continuing to help women get into tech. I also want to lead mentorship and onboarding initiatives inside and outside of work. For now, I want to continue learning by volunteering at different mentorship organizations to gather different ideas and experiences.

How can the industry help support and retain women in tech?

By providing a good onboarding experience, mentorship opportunities, and career-accelerated programs. Providing a good onboarding experience gives women the motivation and excitement to kick off their careers at a company. Providing mentorship opportunities allows them to build a network and community. Furthermore, providing a career accelerated program will give them the skills to not only accelerate their career in tech at their current company but anywhere else they decide to go. I speak from personal experience because, through these resources, I have been able to continue my journey in tech.

What advice would you like to give women looking to start their careers in tech?

Join us! A career in tech provides so many opportunities to work at so many different companies solving different problems. We get to choose where to work and what products to work on. Find a supportive community, mentor, or career coach to help you navigate a career in tech. It can feel lonely at times and without the support that's where I feel people quit. That’s what initially happened to me. Luckily, I found my way back. I love working in tech. I love it even more when I get to onboard and mentor women engineers.