This blog has been a little quiet over the past couple of weeks. With everything going on in the world right now, it doesn't feel like the right time to be sharing CSS tips, without acknowledging the real struggles of the people out protesting on the streets following the killing of George Floyd. Black people are literally fighting for the right to exist in a racist world.
There’s no escaping the fact that white people are overwhelmingly over-represented in tech. At the company I work for, we’re starting to have conversations about how we can improve diversity among the team. I’ve donated to Black Lives Matter and the National Bail Fund Network, and I’d encourage you to do the same if you have the means. Netlify are currently running a donation matching program, where they’ll match donations of up to $25,000 to a list of organisations.
But it’s only the beginning. I want to do more.
I want to help people from under-represented minorities succeed in tech, and I’ve been thinking a lot about how I can contribute. I’d like to offer my services as a mentor. I’m able to lend a few hours of my time each month for one-to-one calls or email exchanges (whichever is most beneficial) with people starting out in the tech world. Here are some things I could help you with:
- Front end coding help or pair programming
- Identifying and working towards your goals
- CV/resumé writing
- Putting your skills into words for job applications
- Interview preparation
- Advice on public speaking (preparing a pitch for a conference, or helping structure a talk)
- Advice and tips for structuring learning time, and balancing work and family life
- Fighting imposter syndrome
Are you from an under-represented background and taking your first steps into tech? Or perhaps you already have a junior developer position and are looking to progress your career? If this sounds like you, and you think you’d benefit from any of the above, please drop me an email at contact@michellebarker.co.uk.
Due to work and family commitments I’ll only have time for two or three mentees at most, but I’ll do what I can. My time is limited to evenings after 8pm (GMT), which might not suit everyone. Depending on demand, if I can’t help I’ll aim to connect you to someone else in my network if at all possible. It won’t fix the big problems of the world, like structural racism, but it’s a small thing I can do right now, and I hope it’ll help someone.