LeadDev's PriorityZero S1E3 Distinguished Engineer Annie Vella's wild career journey and finding joy as a reluctant manager
Aug 27, 2024
Annie Vella, a distinguished engineer at Westpac New Zealand, shares her remarkable career journey. She discusses the challenges of gender in tech, emphasizing resilience and confidence. Annie reflects on her transitions between technical and managerial roles, highlighting the importance of adaptability and continuous learning. The conversation also dives into how AI tools like ChatGPT are reshaping software engineering, alongside the rising trend of prompt engineering, underscoring the need for evolving skills in the tech industry.
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Early Coding
- Annie Vella's interest in software began with a Commodore 64 and a BASIC manual.
- Instead of playing games, she typed code, creating a smiley face and playing music, sparking her passion.
University Journey
- Despite discouragement from a teacher, Annie pursued computer science.
- She faced initial challenges but persevered, further solidifying her passion for the field.
Gender Gap
- In university, Annie observed a significant gender gap in computer science.
- Many female classmates dropped out, a trend she later noticed in the tech industry.