What if your non-technical background could actually be your greatest strength in tech?
Sarah Soutoul’s remarkable journey from aspiring journalist to software engineer to passionate tech educator reveals exactly that.
“I was really skeptical at first,” Sarah confesses about her first coding class. “I thought why do we need to take this class?” That required university course completely transformed her career path, igniting an unexpected passion for problem-solving and creativity through code. But it wasn’t just the coding that captivated her – it was the empowering presence of a female professor who saw potential in her and became a crucial mentor.
Sarah takes us behind the curtain of women’s experiences in tech education, where self-doubt and imposter syndrome run rampant. “The number of times I’ve heard the word ‘stupid’ come out of women’s mouths is crazy,” she reveals, highlighting how societal conditioning affects confidence more than actual ability. Yet through structured support and representation, she’s witnessed remarkable transformations as women overcome these barriers to thrive in technical roles.
Throughout our conversation, Sarah challenges conventional wisdom about who belongs in tech. “Whatever you’ve been before actually might help,” she emphasises, explaining how her journalism background enhanced her engineering skills through superior documentation and communication. This perspective offers hope to career-changers wondering if their past experience has value in technology.
Whether you’re contemplating a career change, struggling with imposter syndrome, or seeking to create more inclusive tech environments, Sarah’s practical insights provide a roadmap for overcoming obstacles and embracing your unique strengths. Join us for this candid, inspiring conversation that might just change how you view your own potential in the technology landscape.
Related Articles
AmazingTech: Mentorship & diversity: How an inclusive workplace is key to driving innovation in engineering
In this article, Jane Neil, Supply Chain Manager at Subzero Engineering, discusses how an inclusive workplace culture that addresses unconscious biases, integrates supportive policies, and promotes values of respect and collaboration can be key to driving innovation and creativity.
AmazingTech: My career as…a Hardware Engineer
In this third installment of the ‘My Career as’ series, we hear from Jing-Jing Duflot, Hardware Engineer at Zama as she explains how every step of her career brought up something new and showcased the importance of teamwork.