Road To Tech was born in early 2021 out of the struggles that I experienced when teaching myself to code and land a job in tech.
Breaking into tech isn't an easy walk in the park, especially without a Computer Science degree. Many days and weeks are spent learning alone. Few are able to explain what your roadmap into tech should look like, what type of portfolio employers want to see, or how exactly to prepare for technical and behavioral interviews. And while everyone says the best way to land a job is through a referral, unfortunately that's not an option a self-taught software engineer or UX/UI designer has.
I'm a big believer in the self-taught route and that just because you don't, or do, have a CS or bootcamp degree doesn't mean getting that first job in tech needs to be tough. I specialize in career coaching, job searching strategies, resume and LinkedIn building for career changers, and building personalized Road To Tech roadmaps.
My biggest win is seeing our clients do what they first thought was impossible for them. We partner with clients to get clear on what they want and provide customized tools to turn their career goals into reality. Let's go all in to go after what we want!
I'm Stephanie, a career coach and self-taught software engineer with a degree in Chemical Engineering.
"Chemical engineering?! Then how did you become a software engineer?"
After college, I was working for manufacturing giants like Colgate and Hain-Celestial — and I was really good at my job. While I was succeeding in my roles, they lacked the creativity and problem solving that I craved. I was bored. I didn’t feel engaged at work.
Then, I met a group of friends in tech. They taught me how software development worked and that there was a meaningful job out there for me. Thanks to their influence and some prompts from the universe (I was laid off twice), I decided manufacturing wasn’t for me — and that coding was.
It was a major pivot and I really went for it. I remember spending countless hours preparing, building projects, and applying to jobs — all doing the things I thought were right — but I kept getting rejected. It was painful, and it wasn’t until I started studying other people's successes that I found my own.
My transition started in October 2019, and by September 2020, I was hired as an iOS engineer at PayPal.
"That's a miracle", some would say, and I totally agree — especially with a full-blown pandemic going on and unemployment rates higher than ever.
It was a long and hard journey that was made possible because of the guidance of others. Now that I found my new career, I want to share what I learned and help you find yours too.