How I Got A Job At BuzzFeed
"You can create the path that you want to be on."
From small farms in Montana to journal prophecies- BuzzFeed employees share how they landed their dream jobs in the most unconvential ways!
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BuzzFeed’s Director Of Engineering On How He Screens Developers
PowerToFly interviewed BuzzFeed’s Director of Engineering, Clément Huyghebaert, on what to look for when hiring remote developers.
1. The main thing is good communication. If you can’t communicate with the remotes properly, it’s going to be an issue, even if they’re extremely good. How quickly can they answer simple questions? It doesn’t have to be complicated if English isn’t their first language. But, I do look for some control over the English language. That’s priority no. 1.
2. The second thing I look for is attitude. I find that I’ve often had people start complaining about other projects they’re working on, fixing other people’s code and that kind of stuff. For me, that’s a bad sign. It’s always part of the job, you’re always going to have to fix someone’s code at least once a day. It’s part of being a developer. If you’re complaining, that’s a no-no.
3. I’m looking for excitement — about our own projects at BuzzFeed, but also tech in general. I always ask, “Tell me about the project you’re most proud of, whether it’s for work or something on the side.” It gives me an idea of what they’re excited about and how to talk about it.
4. We give them homework after the interview that will introduce them to our code base so that it will give them an idea of what they’ll be working on and us an idea of how they’re working.
5. Being open to new technologies is a plus. Our backend is built in Perl, which is not a very sexy language these days, but it does great things — we’re not switching away from it. Sometimes it cools people off because it’s not the latest, bright thing. Understanding that you can make any product using any type of technology is key. It’s about how you use the technology rather than the technology itself.
6. They need to be proactive. Because I’m a manager, I have 10–15 projects going on at once. It’s better when they keep me updated on what they’re doing, rather than me having to check in.
7. Being curious, inquisitive is a good thing. I like when people like to try new things within our app. Some people will start as frontend and then they’ll want to do backend. I like that. It shows they’re interested, and they want to learn more and that they’re not bored.
I Code For BuzzFeed… And I Was An English Major
Paola Maldonado, BuzzFeed’s mobile developer talks about her incredible career reinvention, Latinas in tech and how PowerToFly helped her land her dream job.
I’m working as Mobile Developer on the exciting new BuzzFeed News app. I’ve been there for a little over a month, and I couldn’t be happier. I have been learning so much, and I’m psyched to be writing code that will potentially reach millions. As a bonus, I get to work with great, talented people every day.
You did not start out as a developer. What was your original career?
Though I did have a good amount of programming experience in high school, in college, I actually majored in English. I’ve always been fascinated by language, I love the classics, and I fantasized about being a writer, so it seemed like the right choice. Alas, upon graduating, I had no idea what to do with my degree, and I was soon stuck in a rut at administrative positions that were unsatisfying.
You changed careers and taught yourself how to code. Explain to our readers how you did this. How long did it take? What classes did you take?
Still dreaming about being a writer, I started a blog to share some of my work, but I soon found I spent more time changing the layout of my blog than doing actual writing. I decided to learn HTML & CSS, so that I could do even more customization. I took an online course via Skillcrush. I enjoyed it so much that I started to consider it as a potential career change.
I began applying to bootcamp courses, and I was soon accepted into the Access Code pilot program, where I was introduced to iOS. This program was perfect at that time, because it allowed me to keep my full time job while I was learning. After the course concluded, I accepted a full time 6-month paid internship at startup Viggle, where I got firsthand experience at a tech company, working with an engineering team, using a project management tool and version control. The experience was invaluable, and it made me solidify my decision to pursue mobile development, but I did not yet feel confident about my skills, so I continued my education. I took a second bootcamp course, at Turn To Tech, which included an internship, and in a few short months I started to get some great job offers.
And during this time you found out about PowerToFly. What was the process of finding a job like?
I found PowerToFly via Twitter back in August 2014, and I was so excited to learn about the company and the platform it was aiming to launch. I signed up for the email list to stay informed. Not long after then, PowerToFly actually reached out to me through Twitter via NYCTechLatinas, the Meetup group I help organize, regarding a possible collaboration. I had the opportunity to speak with PowerToFly’s Community Manager, who, once she realized I was looking for work, encouraged me to set up a PowerToFly profile. This lead me to interview at Buzzfeed where I got the job and currently work!
You are the co-founder of NYCTechLatinas. Tell us a little bit about that group.
NYCTechLatinas was founded with the purpose of creating a community of Latinas in technology. Latinas are hugely underrepresented in tech, but we are definitely out there. Our goal is to connect and empower these women, which we do by hosting monthly events, including professional workshops, networking opportunities, and most recently a hackathon aimed at giving back to the community.
What other networking avenues would you recommend?
In addition to NYCTL events, I also attend iOS Meetup events. If there is something you’re interested in learning, whether it’s JavaScript or Product Management, I guarantee there’s a Meetup for it.
I also use Twitter for networking purposes. I’ve reached out to women via social media, and have had women contact me as well. I am always happy to share my experiences to help and inspire other women. Definitely put yourself out there and be reachable.
Can you provide us with any other additional tips for women looking for a career change?
Learning to code is no easy feat. You really need to believe in yourself and stick with it. It’s certainly not something that you learn overnight. In total, it took me a year and a half from the time I started learning to the day I accepted a full time job offer. I think I could have accomplished this in less time, but admittedly what held me back was my own fear that I couldn’t do it. There were plenty of times when I doubted myself and thought about giving up. Once I made up my mind that, yes, I could absolutely do this, that’s when I started to see real progress, not only in my confidence, but also in my skill. It’s incredible how negative thoughts can really cloud your mind. For this reason, I also recommend you reach out to other women in tech via Twitter, e-mail, or other online forums, and create a good support network.
Last, do your research! There are so many resources out there, many of them free. Find out which way of learning works for you, whether it’s books, online courses, in-person courses, and then just go for it. You can do it!
You can find out more about Paola on her PowerToFly profile.
This PowerToFly Mom Gets Her Work Done And Goes Skiing In The Same Day
Dana K. was hired through PowerToFly as a programmer at BuzzFeed last year. She lives in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. When not working remotely, Dana loves being outdoors with her family.
Do you have any strategies for staying efficient outside of an office? What tools do you use?
My team has an internal chat they use and some other issue tracking tools. Working in the house, your attention is on the time and you can become distracted. For me, I think it’s better to work in an office. I concentrate better and my attention is where it needs to be. I’m looking for another co-working space, because the ones where I used to work aren’t accessible anymore. I travel in my home country, and I have good internet connection through my phone network. So usually, my husband is walking with our child and doing things and I stay in the motel and work.
What are the biggest challenges about working remotely? How have you overcome them?
It would have been a good thing if I was more disciplined from the beginning. Now, I’ve learned to discipline myself in terms of my schedule and the space where I’m working. I’ve changed spaces … six or seven times. I don’t have many options for my schedule because I have a small child that is two years old. My husband also works, and we have a nanny who comes when she can. In the morning, I stay with my child and do other housework, and usually I work in the afternoon.
How has working in this job changed your day-to-day life?
It makes me feel much happier, which is the most important thing. I can do things that I had to fight for before, because I didn’t find the time. When I was working in an office, I didn’t have time to do the things I wanted. I can’t do all the things I want to now, but I can do more. I can ski and work in the same day, sometimes I can also paraglide. My husband is also very supportive, which helps me to do these things. I can stay with my baby a lot. While I was working in an office the schedule was from 9 to late in the evening. The whole day was lost. Apart from working and programming, I like going outside in the mountains, taking care of my child, and bringing him outside too.
