Real Talk with Bernadette Carter

Meet Bernadette Carter, Staff Software Engineer at Google and member of /dev/color.

Location: San Francisco Bay Area

Education: Georgia Institute of Technology

A Quote to Live by: “Just do it.”

Connect with Bernadette: on her Linkedin.

Tell us a bit about your early years.

Math was my favorite subject as I was growing up because it lacked ambiguity. Outside of academics, I enjoyed playing trumpet in band, which I did all the way through my first year of grad school. I had great mentors for each of my internships as well as when I entered into industry, which helped me remain on a positive trajectory.

How did you get started in software?

I took my first programming class in 12th grade.

What are you focusing most of your time on now?

I’m focused on growing the members of my team, as well as myself, in a manner that will allow us to continue to execute well in a fast manner.

What is the most interesting technical challenge you’ve worked on recently?

I led the introduction of the new Private and Hybrid modes that are available to Google+ enterprise users. It was great working with multiple teams to lead changes across all layers of the stack to make it a reality.

Please state 2–3 of your current career goals? Why are these important to you?

• Create and lead a cross company initiative that improves the lives of our users and enables greater efficiency.
• Be a multiplier that enables everyone that I work with to reach their greatest potential. I love to make a significant positive impact.

Give an example of a recent time you’ve helped a fellow engineer. What lessons can be taken from their situation?

I helped a fellow member learn what options are available for IP protection and how to navigate it in a corporate environment. Lesson: Never be shy to reach out to your network when you have questions because you never know who might know someone with insight.

In what areas can /dev/color members reach out to you for help?

Leading a team & IP protection in a corporate environment.

As a member of /dev/color you are also committed to developing yourself. Can you share some areas you are looking to improve?

I’m looking to hone my public speaking skills.

Can you speak about any passions outside of programming?

I enjoy swing dancing. When you’re swing dancing, you’re absorbed by the music and the atmosphere. Therefore, everything else blurs into the background, which is a lot of fun.

Why is being a part of an organization like /dev/color important to you?

It’s great to be around talented individuals that keep you accountable to making progress towards your goals.

/dev/color is a non-profit organization whose mission is to empower Black software engineers to help one another grow into industry leaders. We create environments where Black software engineers can learn from one another and hold one another accountable for reaching ambitious career goals. To learn more, check out our website and follow our blog & twitter account.