This blog post was inspired by the prompt "Career Opportunities" for my Outreachy internship.

For most of my life, programming was more of a hobby than a career aspiration. In middle school, I spent countless hours tinkering with frameworks like GameJS, creating random projects that would hold my interest for a little while before being forgotten. In high school, this hobby turned into a useful tool for building utilities that made my life easier, though I never considered it something that would shape my future. (I really should dig out the hard drive from my old PC and look at my code, who knows what hidden gems I might find)

But as I approached the end of high school, reality set in. After a brief stint in hotel staff training in Portugal with Erasmus, I realized I needed to figure out how to support myself once I graduated. My grades didn’t seem like they would carry me to university, so I began thinking more seriously about how to turn my programming skills into a career. However, my path took an unexpected turn when I earned a silver medal in the National Information Technology Olympiad. This achievement opened the doors to university.

This post reflects on what I now expect from a future job, shaped by my experiences, particularly during my Outreachy internship as a LLVM intern. I don’t have specific plans regarding exactly what I want to work on, but software close to the hardware has been refreshing after using JavaScript most of my life.

Supportive and Inclusive Environment

When I started working as a volunteer programmer on a fan remake of a childhood game called FusionFall Re:Spawn, I was simply looking to build some sort of resume. The team was great—people were friendly and supportive, even when I came out as transgender during the project. Their acceptance meant a lot to me, especially in an online space where you never quite know how people will react.

This environment, where my identity didn’t matter, was incredibly welcoming. I want to work somewhere that values diversity and creates a safe space for all employees to be themselves. My experience during the Outreachy internship further reinforced this. The organization’s commitment to inclusivity allowed me to feel comfortable being out from the start, enabling me to focus on my work without worrying about potential negative reactions from colleagues.

Collaboration and Taking Over the Steering Wheel

While working on NavigoLearn with a team of other computer science students, we aimed to build a platform that reflected our vision of effective learning. We created a comprehensive list of resources for various subjects, mainly programming-related, to help others learn as we did.

In this project, each team member had specific responsibilities, and we organized tasks to ensure everything stayed on track. This experience highlighted the importance of collaboration and taking ownership of projects. One memorable challenge involved a bug related to SVG Foreign Objects behaving erratically in Safari. We struggled with it for days before diving into the WebKit source code and creating a workaround through a sleepless night.

Similarly, during my Outreachy internship, working on LLVM and contributing to clang-tidy, I found that balancing collaboration with individual responsibility was crucial. Receiving feedback from other developers helped me take charge of my tasks and improve the code. The collaborative environment and the ability to independently handle complex problems were both vital to my development.

Meaningful Work

At CRI (Creștem România Împreună), NavigoLearn, and LLVM, I have felt the impact of my work. From the CRI – Mall Tărănesc, where our efforts support community growth, to NavigoLearn’s roadmaps aimed at enhancing programming education, and the LLVM optimizations and clang-tidy checks I’ve contributed to—each project has reinforced the importance of working on something meaningful.

In the CRI project, seeing our contributions come to life and benefit the local community was deeply fulfilling. NavigoLearn’s mission to improve programming education resonated with me, and the technical challenges and enhancements in LLVM provided a sense of accomplishment and progress. Each of these experiences has strengthened my desire to pursue work that not only challenges me but also aligns with my values and contributes to a larger purpose.

Conclusion

My journey from a hobbyist programmer to someone with focused career aspirations has been shaped by various experiences that emphasize the importance of a supportive work environment, collaboration, and meaningful work. My Outreachy internship has significantly influenced my career expectations, clarifying what I want in my future roles.

As I continue to explore career opportunities, I am committed to finding positions that offer a supportive and inclusive environment, opportunities for collaboration and growth, and the chance to work on projects that are both challenging and meaningful. I hope my reflections inspire others to consider what they value most in their careers and to seek out roles that align with their own aspirations and values.