Epic Women in Tech — Sofia Fredriksson
Full stack web developer with a passion for the great outdoors. I love using my knowledge of Ruby on Rails and React to bring ideas to life, and enjoy working in a team to get results. When I’m not in front of my computer I also enjoy cooking, playing golf, hiking and skiing. Currently a junior software engineer at Seedrs.
How did you get into the tech field?
Growing up I always thought computers were so cool and magical, but I had no idea how they worked. Then when I was in school one of my teachers taught me how to change the color of my text using hex color codes and that blew my mind (random numbers and characters = color? whaaaat).
I didn’t have the opportunity to study anything tech related in high school, but I did have a bit of exposure to it during uni, and it was the only part of my course that I really enjoyed. After finishing uni I didn’t know what I wanted to do, so I decided to try a coding bootcamp.
After a very intense and emotional 3 months I graduated from the Flatiron School and was hired as a coach, which was such an amazing experience (I firmly believe that the best way to learn something is to teach it to someone else!). After that I applied for my first software engineering role (yikes) and now I’m a junior software engineer, working mostly with React and Ruby on Rails.
What are the main challenges in this field?
The main challenges that I faced are confidence related. Imposter syndrome has a tendency to creep in and make you feel like you don’t know anything, that you aren’t good enough and that you don’t belong, which is a bit of a bummer.
Most people that I work with come from a computer science background, so being from a bootcamp background can feel pretty challenging.
What are the things you’ve learned being a woman in tech?
I’ve learned that we are a rare breed and that there should be more of us! My mom used to work with computers back in the day, so I never doubted that it was something a woman can do.
Having a female role model was key for me, because without that there were so many barriers to entry that would have held me back from even trying.
What advice would you give to women who would like to join the industry?
Be fearless and go for it! Reach out to other women in tech, unapologetically ask questions and don’t hold back.
Who are your role models?
My mom, my sister and my grandma are huge role models for me. They are so strong, yet humble and get things done with such grace it blows my mind. I feel so lucky to have these women in my life!
The people I volunteer with now at Pride and that I used to work with at the bootcamp have also been key in my journey to becoming a software engineer. They continue to inspire me every day, and the support that we have for eachother is so powerful!
If you could go back in time to your first days in the industry, what would you do differently or tell yourself?
Don’t stop yourself from being vocal and asking questions. The only stupid question is the one not asked! ASK. MORE. QUESTIONS!
If you are a founder or a member of a community for women in tech, can you introduce it?
Pride in London! This is such an amazing community to be a part of, and I am so proud whenever I get to talk about this organisation and the amazing people I get to volunteer with!
