Talk proposal: Retail Manager to Software Engineer in 6 Months

[RebeccaBakels]

Talk title

Retail Manager to Software Engineer in 6 Months

Abstract

6 months ago I was a retail store manager in my local mall, when the pandemic hit I felt like this was the push I needed to switch careers into something more stable. I was terrified, before this I had absolutely no experience in coding/tech but I took the plunge and signed up for 3 short courses and a 10 week Software Engineering Career Course from Boca Code. I'll be speaking on how I transitioned career fields and why it was the best decision of my life. I hope to encourage those on the fence to take the dive into tech.

Your name (and pronouns)

Rebecca Bakels she/her

• This will be my first tech talk

Location

Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
I'd like to speak online, pre-recorded

Contact Details

GitHub-@RebeccaBakels
Twitter-@LadyMoses2 (I'm not active on Twitter as much)
Instagram-@beccalytics (I have been posting daily on this account about my experiences going through a coding bootcamp, I think this would be best to link)

Code of Conduct

• I've read and agree to the QueerJS Code of Conduct

Thank you!

[pixelyunicorn]

Hey @RebeccaBakels, thank you so much for submitting a talk for queerjs online, we would love to hear you speak about your background and how you got into the tech industry! Everyone has a different story tell, and I'd especially love to highlight non-traditional pathways into tech! 💖

Our next meetup is on March 30 - would you still be able to speak then? https://queerjs.com/online-2021-march

Once you confirm, I'll add you to the website! I will also follow up with you about a week before the meetup to schedule a tech check so we can make sure your talk gets streamed smoothly! 🌈🌈🌈

[RebeccaBakels]

Thank you so much! Yes, I am available for March 30th and am so excited for this opportunity.

I look forward to it, please let me know if there's anything else you need from me

[pixelyunicorn]

Thanks for confirming, I have added you to the site (should be live in a few mins!) 🙌

[RebeccaBakels]

Hello again! I just changed my twitter handle and realized I broke the link from the QueerJS page. Here's my new link: https://twitter.com/Beccalytics

[pixelyunicorn]

Hey hi @RebeccaBakels! We're just a few short exciting days away from QueerJS!

We just need about 10-15 minutes of your time to do a quick tech check to make sure that screenshare works, we can see/hear you loud and clear, and to answer any questions you may have about QueerJS Online! We will be conducting screensharing & calls over Skype, and Discord can be used as a backup.

In the notes field, please enter your discord tag & skype. I will be available anytime between 9:30am to 11pm EDT / 3:30pm to 5am(+1) CEST, on Sunday/Monday/Tuesday, up until 1 hour before the meetup. I will also be around on Discord as well! (Really sorry for the short notice - I just had my second vaccine dose and I was knocked out all week 🤧)

https://squareup.com/appointments/book/4gzr3gh5duxwbs/QZW4K71GVPJJC/services

[pixelyunicorn]

Also, here's the speaker card we'll be sharing to promote your talk! Feel free to share or repost these wherever you'd like!

[RebeccaBakels]

Hello, no worries at all, congratulations on getting the vaccine! I'll schedule something soon, working on cleaning up the video now! And thank you so much for the speaker card, this is so exciting!

[pixelyunicorn]

There was a tiny typo in the speaker card (wrong time BST) - here's an updated version!