Kellyn Duarte
Kellyn is the definition of growth mentality, from getting into tech + developing her career as well as skills to her fitness. This girl lives a very inspiring lifestyle and creates content about it. So if you enjoy being motivated by stories of badass women, you will enjoy following Kellyn’s journey!
Follow Kellyn on social media and learn about her story below!
About Kellyn
My full name is Kellyn Vianna Duarte, I’m 28 years old, I graduated in pedagogy but I decided to be a software developer. My history in the field of technology is relatively recent. About 5 years ago, I left classrooms and started working in technology companies. In that time I worked a little bit with commercial, marketing, processes and even writing some code from time to time. In the latest years I worked as Product Owner/Manager, I was the interface between development teams and stakeholders, analyzing the quality and specifications of software, scoping tasks and prioritizing deliveries. I always liked the technical part a lot and felt a little disappointed for not being able to solve things by myself. I’m a doer person and having to wait for the development team with endless demands frustrated me. I had the ideas but not the knowledge to apply them. So this year I officially decided to start my career as a software developer. Every day I dedicate my time to learning more and getting closer to my goal. I’ve learned HTML, CSS, Javascript – React, NodeJS, Ruby on Rails and a lot of other stuff. But more importantly, I’ve been learning how to have the discipline not to give up when things get complicated and that I really like to program. 🙂
How did you get into tech?
There are some reasons that made me start this journey. First, I always liked the technical side a lot and working as a Product Owner I felt a bit disappointed that I could not fix things by myself and I had that feeling that something was missing, you know? So I decided to leave a stable career and change again. Now here I am, on this beautiful and confusing journey to become a developer, learning to program on my own.
Another reason is that this is a career that gives you many possibilities, you can choose between different areas in programming (frontend, backend, full-stack) and also various work environments (corporations, startups, consulting, freelance, agencies). I get bored easily, so working in an area that is constantly changing and that is always challenging makes me motivated.
It also has the satisfaction of creating something that can still be useful to others: software transform and make life easier for people and directly or indirectly we end up making a difference for those who use them.
And last but not least, I ended up finding that programming is really fun. Writing code is a creative process, there are several ways to do the same thing and different tools and languages. Besides the sense of accomplishment when you can solve a very complicated problem and your code runs without any error is inexplicable.
What languages/technologies do you have the most experience in?
I’ve learned HTML, CSS, Javascript – React, NodeJS and mostly Ruby on Rails.
What are you currently learning/practising?
I’ve taken some online courses about React and Ruby on Rails and now I’m trying to put the knowledge into practice by creating some applications. In addition to that, I also like to study other subjects and important skills for a developer like git, database, tests, object orientation, Design Patterns.
What are your favourite resources to learn/stay updated on tech?
I believe that internet is the best way to find information today. I always like to take some courses, from Udemy mainly, because they are good and accessible. I read blogs about tech, follow people on social networks that inspire me and that share content about tech. And I believe that contributing to open source projects is also a great way to learn and exchange experiences, and you will be contributing to the community.
What would people learn about by following you?
I still do not have much experience as a developer, but I am sharing what I already know and what I am learning through this journey and I want help others who are willing to learn from my experiences and challenges.
What inspired you to start sharing your experiences on social media?
I believe that one of the best ways to stay motivated is to connect with people with the same passion. Real people with inspiring stories, people who have decided to change the course of their careers and are going their own way, it helps me stay motivated and social networking is a great place to meet these people. Also, I know how hard it is to start a new career, learn something new from the beginning and by sharing my experiences and thoughts I want to encourage other people, especially other women, to learn how to program as well.
How can we get in touch with you?
DM on Instagram @kellynvd or by email: kellynvd@gmail.com
Lightning round
iPhone or Android?
Android
Dogs or cats?
Cats
What’s your favourite ice cream flavour?
Dark chocolate
What’s the next place you want to travel to?
New York
How many hours of sleep do you need to get to feel like yourself?
8
What is your superpower?
I think a superpower is not a skill, but a perspective, a mentality, a way of thinking that improves everything you do.
Outro
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