Why is being different actually a good thing?

Presentation for MiXiT Conference, April 2023 in Lyon, France. Watch the recording on vimeo.

I've been working in IT for about seven years now, but especially at the beginning of my career I was troubled by self-doubt and imposter syndrome. How do I fit in? This is probably the question most employees ask themselves when they start a new job. It took me some time to understand that it is actually good to be different from everyone else and not try to fit in. In this 20-minute lightning talk, I share my personal story about my experiences, my journey and my challenges and how I finally found my place in the tech industry because I didn't try to be like everyone else.

Resources:
- @lizandmollie on Instagram
- Graphic about Belonging is having that voice be heard
- Graphic about We don’t all start in the same places
- Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez
- Using Pronouns by carleton.edu
- No feigning surprise by Julia Evans
- WomenWhoCode community

Transcript

1. Why is being different actually a good thing? My Way Into Tech
2. By the way, this is a bit scary!
3. About me → ! she/her → " Nuremberg, Germany → # working in IT for ~7 years → ✍ sketchno=ng → ☝ accessibility → & pineapple on pizza → ' ( ) sports
4. I've never dreamed of working in IT
5. ! School What now?
7. ! Studying Media Engineering
8. ! 6 months internship as designer
9. And again... What now?
10. !"#$
11. In 2015, I got my first job as iOS developer
12. I had zero knowledge. Why did they hire me?
13. Is IT the right place for me?
15. !
16. !!"!!
17. ⏳⏳⏳
18. You are fine, just the way you are.
19. ✨ Why is being different actually a good thing? ✨
20. Don't change to fit in!
22. Diversity is having a seat at the table. Inclusion is having a voice. Belonging is having that voice be heard.
24. Some personal tips for a more inclusive environment →
25. Some personal tips for a more inclusive environment →Introduce yourself with your pronouns.
26. Some personal tips for a more inclusive environment →Introduce yourself with your pronouns. →Make everyone's voice heard.
27. Some personal tips for a more inclusive environment →Introduce yourself with your pronouns. →Make everyone's voice heard. →Don't act surprised when someone doesn't know something you thought they knew. Use it as opportunity to teach.
28. If you're a bit scared, you should try it!
29. Five things I wished I had known earlier
30. 1. Give other people feedback
31. 2. Talk about income with your colleagues
32. 3. The job as a developer is diverse
33. 4. Fight the imposter syndrome !
34. You can learn anything, but you can’t learn everything.
35. 5. Find a community
36. 5. Find a community →local or global meetups, like #WomenWhoCode →use sponsored diversity 7ckets for conferences →diversify your social media, e.g. follow more #WomenInTech
37. Lessons Learned →Don't change, just to fit in. Embrace diversity. You are fine, just the way you are. →You can learn anything, but you can't learn everything. →Be an ally for others.
38. What's your story?
39. Merci beaucoup
40. You can find me on →Twi%er: @felibe444 →Mastodon: @feli@iosdev.space →Github: @=ernutz →My personal website: =ernutz.github.io
41. Resources Part 1 →@lizandmollie on Instagram → Graphic about Belonging is having that voice be heard → Graphic about We don’t all start in the same places → ! Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez
42. Resources Part 2 →Using Pronouns by carleton.edu →No feigning surprise by Julia Evans →WomenWhoCode community