Careers are such personal journeys - everyone’s path is different and brings unique experiences to their field. Sometimes major life events can completely change the trajectory of our career and steer us into an entirely new direction. Switching from one industry to another can be intimidating, but also exciting! These switches provide value to those fields, as you bring in a new perspective and skillset that you might have not found on a traditional career path. 

Iloriem McLaughlin, one of our wonderful software engineers, shared her career journey, leaving healthcare after the pandemic and jumping into the world of tech.

How long have you been working at Kipsu?

I have been working at Kipsu for a little over 2 years.

What was your path to engineering?

Before becoming a software engineer, I was a music therapist for a hospice company in the Twin Cities area. After COVID, the healthcare industry changed drastically. I was looking for more opportunities for growth, more challenging work and honestly, a change of pace. Being that both my parents are software engineers, I decided to take a deeper look into the career. After some research, I decided to enroll in the Software Guild coding bootcamp. Shortly after completing the program, I was hired at Kipsu and have made my way from support engineer to software engineer.

What do you find rewarding about being a software engineer?

As a software engineer, there’s no greater feeling than finally solving a problem or issue you’ve been working to fix for hours on end. Resolving a bug in the codebase, or creating something from scratch, and then seeing the results come to fruition is freaking awesome. Personally, I also love any moment I get to help someone else. I feel so much gratitude whenever I get to be useful to others and put my knowledge to the test. 

Do you have any defining or “aha” moments you’d like to share?

In the codebase, you are able to see the names of the people who wrote each line of code. Since I started at Kipsu, I’ve been reviewing hundreds of lines of code and seeing names I either didn’t recognize or barely knew. So it was a pretty defining moment for me to see my name in the “Kipsu Core” codebase and know that my work was out in the universe for the whole world to see! 🙂

What’s your favorite thing about working at Kipsu?

My favorite thing about working at Kipsu is the culture, it’s truly one of a kind. Co-workers across all departments are always willing to jump in and help, no matter the issue. I believe Kipsu has mastered the definition of “Work Hard, Play Harder.” I am amongst some of the smartest and hardest working people I have ever met. Yet, they also make me laugh everyday, are incredibly caring and are always rooting for my success. I am incredibly lucky to have found Kipsu and to call these people my co-workers, as well as my friends. 🙂

What advice would you give to someone starting their career as a software engineer?

Welcome the unknowns and be fearless. Learn to be comfortable with the uncomfortable. Be ready to make mistakes and a lot of them. Yes, there is such a thing as a stupid question but who cares, ask it anyway because chances are someone else is wondering too. Ask for help sooner rather than later and be helpful yourself. Taking a break or a walk around the block is sometimes necessary. Stop comparing yourself to others. It’s okay to respond to a question with “I don’t know,” this is a hard profession and one that’s constantly changing. Find good mentors and take the time to truly learn from their experience. Build strong relationships with your peers, when all else fails, they’re the ones who will have your back.

At Kipsu, we love building a team of diverse backgrounds and see the value these personal journeys bring to our workplace. Whether you’ve taken a more traditional path in engineering, or are considering a career change, be sure to check out our open positions on our careers page to see if Kipsu is a good fit for you.