Girls in Expertise: Alis Klajda

Liquid Net Software program Engineer, Alis Klajda, on what drew her to tech, why she loves her colleagues, and the significance of letting passions information you.

Considered one of Alis Klajda’s earliest recollections is of her father establishing his work pc of their Michigan basement—a Commodore 64. “It was love at first sight for each my brother and me,” she says. “At first, we performed video video games, however that rapidly escalated. Quickly, we had been studying BASIC to jot down our personal and ultimately constructing our personal desktop computer systems.” Now, in spite of everything these years, Klajda and her brother are each software program engineers.

Klajda bought her first job working at a tech firm straight out of faculty in 2011. “That was the period of know-how consulting teams earlier than distant work turned widespread,” she says. “The consulting firm I labored for would spend a ton of money and time flying their consultants throughout the nation to work in shopper workplaces, away from their households for lengthy durations of time, residing out of resort rooms. It’s sort of onerous to think about now, with the widespread adoption of distant work. I needed a greater work-life stability, and ultimately ended up at Liquid Net in 2014.” She’s been right here ever since.

Now at Liquid Net, Klajda is a software program engineer within the Expertise and Growth division. “My crew builds and maintains most of the methods important for day-to-day operations inside the firm. For instance, our billing and invoicing methods, buyer portals, purchasing cart and cellphone methods, and even most of the merchandise we promote had been constructed by us, in-house.”

What Klajda loves most about working in tech is the folks. “I work with many tremendous sensible people with intense and attention-grabbing hobbies. I’m at all times rising as an individual and studying new issues from my coworkers,” she says.

Klajda says that her household has been very influential in her profession journey. “They’ve at all times unconditionally supported my life and profession selections,” she says. “Once I was younger, my mother and father advised me they didn’t care what I did for a residing so long as I used to be comfortable. That sort of help actually gave me the power to take dangers and make selections primarily based alone long-term success fairly than social expectations.”

The folks on the opposite facet of the apps hold her motivated. “On the finish of the day, it’s all in regards to the folks. The purposes I construct are utilized by hundreds of consumers and lots of of coworkers daily, and if I could make their lives simpler, that’s actually satisfying,” she says.

Outdoors of labor, Klajda likes to journey. “A few years in the past, I set a objective to go to each Nationwide Park in America, and to date, I’ve visited over a dozen,” she says. “I wish to journey old-school road-trip fashion in order that I can see all of the quirky little bits of the US alongside the best way.” She additionally has two cattle canines, Jewel and Chloe. “We spend a number of time outside, mountain climbing or on the lake. I’m additionally a giant fan of reside music and go to a number of reveals.”

Concerning the way forward for girls in tech, Klajda says that’s the million-dollar query. “Extra girls are looking for greater schooling in a single type or one other after highschool, however we actually haven’t seen that uptick as a lot in tech,” she says. “Solely 20% of pc science diploma holders are girls, and solely 25% of tech staff are feminine. These are attention-grabbing, high-paying careers, so it’s onerous to think about that the work itself is answerable for that hole. I believe a bigger cultural shift is critical earlier than we see full gender parity in tech.”

Her recommendation for girls all in favour of pursuing a profession in tech is easy: “If you are interested in tech — or something, actually — don’t let social expectations steer you away,” she says. “There’s a enormous quantity of stress from household and society in relation to selecting a profession. Most of that stress is said to conventional notions of what a lady’s function in society needs to be. Lots of girls are steered into ‘nurturing’ roles corresponding to nursing or instructing; and whereas these are fantastic profession choices, on the finish of the day, you’re the one who has to reside your life and go to that job day after day. Let your passions information your course in life. I believe that’s the important thing to happiness.”