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Fetchly Diaries Session: Featuring Vanessa Aoki

Written by Dela Ogbemudia

Edited by Tommy Perry

April 20, 2023.

Welcome to another episode of the Fetchly Diaries series! 😁 This week, we chatted with one of our hardworking female developers, Vanessa Aoki.

What are some of your hobbies?

I like playing video games; I'm a bit of a nerd, lol. I enjoy playing many different games, but one of my favorites is a game called Hades. It is an exciting video game with great graphics and a catchy soundtrack!

I have so many different things that I love doing that I cannot list them all, but I also enjoy reading, and I love my cats! My cats' names are Gandalf and Lumia, and I spend a lot of time with them.

Was it always your dream to work in tech?

Before working in tech, I was a lawyer. I worked as a lawyer for almost two years but decided it wasn't for me. When the pandemic started, I figured since we would all be at home anyway, I should start studying something else, and that’s how I got back into tech.

Being a developer came naturally because I started learning to use HTML and CSS myself when I was about 12. So when I was thinking of changing careers, I geared towards becoming a developer. My parents are also in the same field, which was another huge motivation to walk on that same path.

However, even though my parents have always worked in tech, I only sometimes saw myself getting into that field. It was more like a hobby because I was trying out this new skill, so if I said it was always my dream, I would be lying. Regardless, now that I am fully involved in tech, I cannot see myself doing anything else.

What is it like to work in tech as a woman? Any negative or positive experiences?

Being a female in tech can be very intimidating because you can be the only one in a group of male developers, but my experience has been outstanding. I've worked with two other companies, and in the first, I was the only female developer in a group of 20 developers.

Regardless, they were very respectful, and I never had issues like someone not acknowledging my ideas or acting in a discriminatory manner. I know that many girls out there struggle with this because it's a very male-dominated area, but in my case, all of my experiences have been quite pleasant, and everyone here at Fetchly is very polite.

What advice would you give to ladies who want to get into the tech field?

That’s an easy one because every time a girl comes to me and asks about that, I always say this: most women are perfectionists, and we want things done the right way so the outcome is perfect, but in all honesty, you don’t need that much.

You can start from where you are, start small, and grow from there. Many women struggle with imposter syndrome, which can be hard to deal with alone. So as a lady, it’s best to seek help if you ever feel that way.

We’re all humans, and sometimes we need someone else who has been in our shoes to encourage us. As far as I know, asking for help is not a sign of weakness. As a woman in the tech field, let's look for different avenues to try and help each other out and grow together. So that’s my advice. Just do it; you’re doing great; don’t push yourself too hard, and please ask for help whenever needed.

What’s something currently on your bucket list?

Thankfully, since I work remotely, I can travel and visit other places while working. I love traveling, but sadly that stopped a bit after COVID, and I haven’t returned to it. So it’s on my bucket list to start traveling again.

Now that I am available, I would love to visit other countries and stay a little longer because it’s hard to say you know a lot about a place if you only spend five days there. Living in a new place and experiencing a new culture.

We had a great time getting to know Vanessa, her journey to becoming a female full-stack web developer, and her experience working at Fetchly Labs. Project development is complete with a great team, which is why Fetchly provides a comfortable working environment that is culturally diverse and focuses on encouraging team members to become better versions of themselves.

Check out our job openings at fetch.ly and LinkedIn. We can't wait to meet you!

*This is not the official Fetchly opinion but the opinion of the writer who is employed by Fetchly*

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