Women in Tech at DocuSign: Cristina C.
Our “Women in Tech” blog series places the spotlight on female employees in tech jobs who tell us about why they decided to start a career in software engineering, what they do at DocuSign, who their role models are and more. At DocuSign, we believe in the next generation of female leaders in technology and want to help them get on the right career trajectory. This week we sat down with Cristina in Engineering based in Seattle to learn more about her career.
What is your current role at DocuSign and what do you actually do day-to-day in that role?
In DocuSign, I work as a Software Engineer. In my role, I write/fix/test the code behind our DocuSign main products. For the past 3 years, my work focused on the DocuSign integrations with Microsoft SharePoint Server. I recently moved to a new assignment in one of the DocuSign core products.
What did your kids or friends and family think you do?
My kids think is cool that mom is an engineer and she can fix anything.
When did you choose to work in technology and why?
Technology was an early choice for me and I never regretted it. My first encounter with technology was in 8th grade. I was attracted to computer programming after I was able to draw a snowman on a computer screen. I used a programming language named Pascal (self-taught), which was quite popular at that time, but rarely used today. The high school I attended was a computer science-specific high school. During my 4 years of high school, I also studied computer algorithms and programming languages like C and C++.
What excites you most about working at DocuSign and why?
At DocuSign we ride the wave of all that is new and exciting in technology. I learn something new all the time. In DocuSign, we have a chance to shape the way that business transactions are done today and in the future. We have an opportunity to contribute to an increase in productivity for all our customers. Our work gives people back some of their time, enables them to collaborate more and further develop their business scenarios.
As a woman in tech, do you have any role models in technology that you look up to? Who are they and why do you look up to them?
Out of many women that had a contribution to developments that shaped what we know today as technology and one that many consider the first computer programmer, I admire Ada Lovelace. In her short life, she developed the first algorithm for a computer. I admire Ada because she was able to see unlimited potential for the computer, well beyond simple math operations. Her visionary wisdom inspires me each time I am in front of a problem in need of an analytical resolution.
Another woman that had a significant impact on my professional life is my high school algorithms teacher Delia Garbacea, who now teaches at DeAnza College, in Santa Clara, California. I learned a lot from her, but most importantly she inspired my confidence that I can do a good job in a technology field where women are many times outnumbered. I will mention her name:
What advice would you give women who might be considering a career in technology?
Set clear, realistic goals and have a plan on how to reach these goals. If things don’t go quite as planned, keep in mind that there are other ways to reach your goals. The technology community is always looking forward, and there are plenty of resources out there to help women reach their career potential.
Interested in pursuing a career in technology and working at DocuSign? Check out our job openings. Coming to Grace Hopper in Houston on September 25-28? Visit us at booth #6548 and sign up for an interview! We’d love to talk.