Quick Question
Snaps Jennica Pounds shares how she got her start in STEM.
In Bustles Quick Question, we ask women leaders all about advice.
I was worried we wouldnt connect, she signs.
He would cry and ask his father for a new mommy who wasnt deaf, Pounds tells Bustle.
There is so much potential for augmented reality [to] enhance the way humans connect, Pounds says.
Here, Pounds shares advice for getting into the industry and the importance of workplace empathy.
How did you start your career as a software engineer?
Were there any twists on the path that led to your job at Snap?
However, when I graduated, thedot-com bustwas in full swing and morale among computer science graduates was low.
I had resigned myself to a lifetime of working retail, but applied to Amazon after much encouragement.
To my surprise, I passed the coding interview.
When my company in 2018 started having layoffs, I decided to switch fields.
How do you pump yourself up for a big meeting or presentation?
I just prepare the materials and get busy with something else until its showtime.
Out of sight, out of mind.
How do you turn your brain off at the end of a busy day?
After work, I like doing puzzles with my 3- and 8-year-old sons, cooking, and swimming.
WhenGoogle open-sourced their speech-to-text engine, I compiled it as an Android system and ran it on my phone.
It was the first time my oldest son was able to speak directly to me.
His first request was for me to make his favorite white chocolate chip cookies.
Of course, we made them on the spot together.
Who do you go to for career advice?
My other major role model has been my manager, Brent Mills.
He has an understated style of management that is data-driven and highly effective, which works well for me.
Whats something theyve helped you with recently?
Meaning, the smartest people dont always make the smartest teammates if they dont treat others with empathy.
Whats the best career advice youve ever received?
For example, its important to give people grace.
What about the worst?
What would you tell someone just starting off in your industry?
In my industry, high technical ability is important and should not be neglected.
However, technical skills matter little without the ability to empathize, understand, and love others.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
