How did you end up as a software engineer?

Hello Keodara, 

Thank you for the question. I did not really target working in software. It kind of just happened while trying to balance work and life. 

I used to work for DuPont in Wilmington, DE. While there, I used a computational fluid dynamics software package called Fluent to model mixing tanks. I had also done my masters research in mixing. I loved my job at DuPont, but my husband and I wanted to start a family in a smaller town where there was more snow. It was also important for me to have a good technical job. The cooler temperatures requirement ruled out a job in a small town in the south, where more traditional chemical engineering jobs are more prevalent. I had come to New Hampshire for Fluent training the prior year and saw that it was a fun place to work and that I could have a technical job in a small town. A job posting for a technical support engineer with experience in mixing at Fluent came up, I applied and was in. From there I moved into software product management. So, in my case, a desire to be where there were less people, more snow, and good technical work led me to software.

That is my story. I would like to add that one of the things that drew me to engineering, chemical engineering in particular, in the first place was the versatility of the education. I know chemical engineers in many fields. One as even my professor in business school. Chemical engineering gives you a very good technical education while allowing you to keep your options open.

Best,
Chris