Courteney's Story - LGBTQI+ and Neurodivergence In Aotearoa’s Tech Industry

Courteney is one of our talented Summer of Tech mentors (and 2017 alumni) who we recently caught up with to discuss LGBTQI+ and neurodivergence in tech. Now a Power Platform Functional Consultant at Datacom, she generously shares her experience and advice with us about identity disclosure and how to ask for support at work.

Why did you choose a career in tech?

When I was ending high school I didn't know what I was going to do. It was lucky that my school offered computer science as a subject, it was an all girl’s school with a female teacher so I never considered it a “male” dominated field. I was torn between studying that and being a chef. My computer science teacher encouraged our class to go to the University of Canterbury and study computer science and so I and 4 others did just that. 

How was the journey into tech for you?

My first job in tech was an internship through Summer of Tech in my final year of study. I had first hand experiences in being looked down as a women in tech, both at university by other students and at the retail store I had worked at where I had been quizzed a few times about my computer knowledge where as my male colleagues were not. Fortunately, we had a great support system in place to help me through those moments including a club created for women and non-binary people in Tech. 

I got an internship in my 4th year with a company called Totara, which is a Learning Management System (LMS) platform. My role while there was working to build a plugin to ensure the platform was GDPR compliant.  At the same time that I got an internship offer, I also got a grad offer from Datacom. I got the internship offer just before my grad offer, so I was able to complete the internship first and then start my grad role at Datacom, where I have been for five years now. 

What were your considerations when applying for a role in a company?

I’ve always known that I wanted to do something to help people. I don’t want to build things for nothing! When I was looking for an internship and graduate role, I  looked for companies that put “good” out there. Things like, do they have a good reputation? What kind of work are they doing in the community? I did a lot of LinkedIn stalking! That’s also what drew me to move to Wellington and government work. You can see the good of what you’re doing out there. 

How did your internship go?

It was amazing. We created a plug-in for GDPR compliance. I was really well supported throughout, and I loved it. It was hard to move to Datacom after the internship but the whole experience was great. At Totara, they paired me up with several people so you really saw the whole lifecycle. 

Were there any challenges and what helped you overcome them during your internship

The biggest challenge was knowing that my internship was going to be cut short by a few weeks due to taking up the grad role. We also discovered that we were unable to auto-translate Terms and Conditions, as they had to be manually translated to be compliant. I had a great support team around me and was told at the end that they were really surprised we managed to get it done! I hadn’t done PHP much at that time and that allowed me to really get into the groove and learn that. Some of the principles I learnt there I still use to this day. 

How do you ask for the support you need in the workplace?

I’m very lucky in the team that I have at Datacom. I have a great relationship with my manager and lead. I was also buddied up with someone - and to this day I still don’t leave their side! There is a culture of being able to ask - there’s no such thing as a silly question! We also have a workload channel where people can ask for help if they need it, or put a hand up if they need more work. It’s a very community-based team. If I need help I usually go to my manager, she is great. She helped me work through situations with clients to support me and help. 

How would you advise juniors to disclose information about their identity? 

So I believe, being neurodivergent and queer, that your first priority is your safety. If you think you're being put at risk in any way, then walk away from either the situation or the job. I found it easier to put feelers out there first by starting a conversation to gauge people’s reactions. For example, “How do you feel about conversion therapy being banned?” From that, you can gauge their reaction. I’ve not hidden it but I’ve not necessarily been super explicit about it either . 

In regard to ADHD—I look at what my strengths and weaknesses are due to having it instead of the diagnosis itself. For example I work best in a high-speed environment. I shared that insight with my manager and she can help to support me to work on projects with that kind of environment. Being specific with what works for you helps to ensure you get the support you need as a number of people out don't understand disorders outside of what they have seen in media. 

What advice do you have for neuro-divergent or queer folk who are considering or starting a career in tech?

Have a look at what the tech industry does, and use LinkedIn. Go in knowing your values to make sure you’re in the environment you want to be in. Look for companies that have a well-known reputation. Especially for queer folk, look to companies that have a reputation for supporting that community. The Rainbow Tick website shows that companies are meeting certain standards within that community. 

Thank you, Courteney, for sharing your experience and advice with us.