How to Stay and Grow in Tech (especially if you're a minority)

The de-evolution of "breaking into tech"

"Break into tech" started as a well-intentioned movement to democratize the software engineering industry. Today, the phrase has devolved into a marketing gimmick for money-hungry course creators.

I'm guilty of trying to sell this dream as well. Because I had such a financially life-changing experience, I wanted to share it with others. For four years, I ran a non-profit where I helped at least 150 women and nonbinary people of color get their first developer jobs. But every few years, an alum would let me know they had quit or were getting fired. In hindsight, I failed to prepare them for the hard parts: staying and growing in tech.

Tech’s struggle to retain talent

That reality is especially harsh for Black women in tech. While Black women are the most educated demographic in the United States, only 3% of us hold tech roles. In 2020, less than 0.5% of us held leadership roles in Silicon Valley.

These numbers tell a story of systemic barriers beyond entering tech — they reveal why retaining talent matters as much as attracting it. The conversations I have with underrepresented minorities echo this truth, each story revealing patterns of stalled growth and lost potential as we repeatedly discuss the same problem: how to stop being junior.

My struggle to stay in tech

I empathize because this question plagued my career for years. It's a layered question that goes beyond titles. What I was really asking was: Do I belong? Do I bring value? How do I thrive in a space where I'm so different from everyone else?

Moreover, I was disappointed that after spending months of sleepless nights to pursue a role that promised "a better life," I found myself at jobs where I felt lonely, disrespected, and useless. It's easy to dismiss these struggles, but work stress can manifest physically. For instance, I remember sitting on the bus one day, so burdened by my poor work performance that my muscles were too tense to stand up when I reached my stop.

People often diagnose this as imposter syndrome, but it's a different issue that our industry hasn't adequately defined or addressed yet. The obvious go-to solutions are to try harder and build relationships at work. However, this advice is vague and generally unhelpful. Does trying harder mean sitting longer at your laptop to complete a task? When it comes to writing code, taking breaks is typically more productive. And how do you build relationships when you face cultural disconnects, like struggling to relate to teammates who make kombucha and spend weekends free climbing?

Clashing communication styles can add another layer of isolation. For example, I grew up with a direct communication style - Caribbean people are blunt. Additionally, my neurodivergent mind is wired for candor. However, tech culture operates through indirect cues and subtle gestures. My attempts to adapt backfired. I overcompensated (and sometimes still do) by writing detailed Slack messages no one wanted to read.

From survival to growth

It took me years to realize I needed a more nuanced approach to building a sustainable career in tech. Finally, at GitHub, I learned to balance authenticity with technical growth and team impact. Everyone at GitHub, including Brian Douglas, Martin Woodward, the CEO Thomas Dohmke, and the CEO's Deputy Chief of Staff, Cole Driver, made me feel accepted, heard, and valued. Now, as a Staff Developer Advocate at Block, under the leadership of Angie Jones, I've had opportunities to demonstrate my strategic vision. These environments were the first where I wasn't labeled a 'diversity hire,' seen as a forever junior, or made to feel like I was bringing the team down.

In hindsight, there were moments when I unintentionally set myself up for failure. But I've now discovered ways to navigate these challenges and position myself for growth. In this post, I'll share my evolving playbook for staying and thriving in tech, especially as someone from an underrepresented background.

My "How to Grow in Tech" Playbook

• Before you even search for a job
  • Learn in public
• On the job hunt
  • Apply to non-junior roles
  • Interview with confidence
  • Choose your team wisely
• Your first weeks on the job
  • Take notes
  • Read the codebase
  • Read Slack, GitHub issues, GitHub PRs
  • Ask for clarity
• Establish a positive reputation
  • Learn how to use AI
  • Practice
  • Receive feedback gracefully
  • Share your perspective
• Map your career growth
  • Understand your team goals and company goals
  • Know your career ladder
  • Advocate for yourself
  • Enable your teammates
• Exercise peace for long-term sustainability
  • Still have a life
  • Find community
  • Be patient
  • Let go of the need for acceptance
  • Know when to pivot

Before you even search for a job

Learn in public

Many people hesitate to share their work publicly, thinking it means presenting as an expert. I take a literal approach: "here's what I learned today." Learning in public helps hiring managers track your progress and understand your learning style. When opportunities arise, people remember: "Oh, Rizel might be good for this - I've seen her working with these technologies." Angie Jones explains how this approach has been valuable for her:

On the job hunt

Apply to non-junior roles

I spent five years only applying to internships and junior roles, scared of higher-level interviews and thinking of myself as junior. But I discovered once you join as junior, that perception sticks - even after promotion. When I finally applied for a Staff position, despite it looking ambitious on paper, I came in and operated at that level. Now I don't have to fight to shake the junior label. I treat job applications like college admissions: have reach positions, perfect fits, and safety roles (to meet your financial needs).

Interview with confidence

Your interview is their first impression of you. You don't need to lie about your skills; remember you have valuable contributions to offer the team.

Choose your team wisely

You're interviewing the company as much as they're interviewing you. Look for a team that will invest in your growth and uplift your skills. For minorities, it's easier to join teams where you're not the first of your underrepresented group. While the current economy might limit options, and teams can appear less toxic during interviews than they truly are, aim to find a team that cares about your success.

Your first weeks on the job

Take notes

Taking notes helps you avoid repeatedly asking for help and gives you context for better questions when you do need support. You can start on day 1 with your local environment setup. Document any hurdles and solutions - ideally in team documentation or at least in personal notes.

Read the codebase

Reading the codebase helps you understand how various components connect. Use your IDE and GitHub's search to trace how methods are called and why. Start when you join and continue your research throughout your time at the company.

Read Slack, GitHub issues, GitHub PRs

To supplement reading the codebase, read past discussions to understand your team's architectural decisions.

Ask for clarity

The silliest thing I do is stress out when I don't understand someone's feedback or response, but I get work done faster when I ask, "I'm interpreting your response as X - is that what you mean?"

Establish a positive reputation

Learn how to use AI

Mindlessly copying AI-generated code can be a sign of an immature developer. Instead, use it to understand code and concepts. When I joined Block, I used my company's custom GPT plugin to help me grasp complex functions and confirm my assumptions without constantly asking busy teammates. Beyond code, I use AI to help refine emails for clarity and tone. Here's an example of me using ChatGPT to understand a concept that was new to me:

Practice

Doing your day job isn't always enough for growth - coding is a craft that needs sharpening. Realistically, you may not have time to do extra coding, but you can find ways to practice that fit into your life, like:

• Listen to tech podcasts while doing chores.
• Contribute to open source when you can.
• Work with your manager to gradually take on more challenging tasks.

Receive feedback gracefully

I used to resist feedback out of ego until I realized feedback helps me grow. Gracefully receiving feedback can mean accepting it, discussing it to find a middle ground, or respectfully pushing back to maintain authenticity.

Share your perspective

Start small with code reviews - suggest ways to make code clearer, regardless of the author's experience level. As you gain confidence, share your broader thoughts. Your unique perspective might help the team see things differently.

Map your career growth

Understand your team goals and company goals

Pay attention to how your company makes money and how your team contributes. To make a big impact, I look for ways my strengths can complement my teammates and help reach team goals.

Know your career ladder

Each company defines levels differently. Work with your manager to understand promotion requirements and create a plan while recognizing that business needs affect timing.

Advocate for yourself

Your manager can't read your mind. Good work isn't enough - you need to clearly express your goals and ask what it takes to achieve them. My husband and I interned at the same company: he did good work but stayed silent, while I asked what I needed to do to go full-time. His silence led our manager to assume he wanted to leave, while I received a full-time offer.

Enable your teammates

As you gain more knowledge and expertise, it's time to share it with your teammates. Empowering others avoids bottlenecks, strengthens the team, showcases your expertise, and protects you from burnout.

Exercise peace for long-term sustainability

Still have a life

Don't let career growth consume your whole life. Regular breaks and activities outside of work prevent burnout and actually make you a better engineer. Your career should adapt to your life choices, not vice versa. This includes major life decisions - when I chose motherhood, I knew my career might slow down, but I'm at peace with that.

Find community

In a world where you often feel like you don't belong, connect with others who share your experience. I found my people through my bootcamp Resilient Coders, Hack.Diversity, and by starting BlackRel, a community for Black DevRel professionals. The right community can provide both emotional support and career guidance.

Be patient

Sometimes, staying at your level longer gives you space to grow stronger. Plus, being junior gives you the advantage of having teammates eager to help you learn.

Let go of the need for acceptance

I used to want to fit in at work, but embracing what makes me different created unexpected impact. For example, posting my tech themed nails on social media at GitHub Universe started a trend that outlasted my time there. While others had worn fun nails to conferences before me, sharing it on social media helped normalize combining tech with personal style.

Know when to pivot

Leaving a role or company isn't failure—it's growth. Some of my best career moves came when I recognized it was time to move on. I've explored roles like phlebotomy, IT support, front-end development, DevOps, developer advocacy, and different companies until I found my fit. Sometimes, staying too long stifled my growth, and leaving opened new doors. It's okay to pivot for progress.

Your turn

These are just a few of the ways I've learned to take control of my career. What strategies do you use to help you stay and grow in tech?