I wasn't always interested in coding; for a long time I wanted to be a writer. When I first started at McGill University in 2014, I was in the Arts program doing a major in English Literature. It wasn't until my second semester that I took a computer science course for fun, and ended up loving it. Fast-forward a few dehydrated and sleep-deprived years, and I graduated with dual major in English Literature and Computer Science (that's right, still kept my love of literature alive!)

Fülhaus was my first job out of university. The product was a white-glove service for interior design. It was a true, early-phase startup — a half dozen or so people working out of a garage in Montréal. I was the first engineer they hired, and was tasked with building out a platform for the designers to use that integrated with inventory tracking and procurement. I was out of my depth, but they soon added a second, more senior engineer, and he was instrumental in guiding and mentoring me. I owe a lot of my success to having such a sink-or-swim experience at Fülhaus.

I joined Sonder a year or so later, as I felt I needed a bit more structure for my professional development. A scrappy startup is fun and all, but I felt I needed to learn about the processes and best practices for a larger organization. Sonder was that organization for me, having opened up a Montréal office and securing unicorn funding status. There I learned a lot about how a larger engineering organization is run, and also made some friends I still have to this day.

Finally here I am at Contra. Pretty short resumé, right? A friend I made at Sonder suggested I apply at Contra, and in less than a week I had completed interviews and accepted the offer. Contra falls between Fülhaus and Sonder in size and scale, but I find I like it much more than both. The environment is fast, learning-focused, and supportive.