Becoming a UI Engineer: Dasha Nikitina

In this series from Flatiron School, we’ll be talking to women in tech about their career journey, the essential lessons they’ve learned, and how more women can follow the path to join essential roles in computing.

This interview features Dasha (Daria) Nikitina, a UI Engineer at Auth0 and self proclaimed “Integrated Marketer turned Web Developer.”

How would you explain your role to a 5th grader?

I work with teams to create beautiful and easy to navigate websites that communicate my company’s products and services.

What inspired you to follow this particular career path?

I love being challenged and have opportunities to always learn new things. A career in web development gives me exactly that. I will never stop learning and every project has its own challenges.

If you could go back 5 years ago and talk to yourself at that time, what would you share with her about her future in this career?

Don’t be afraid to take risks or fail. Your future is not pre-determined or written anywhere. You pave your own path and it is full of possibility. Follow your curiosity, it will lead you to places you’ve never imagined. Also, praise yourself, be proud of your achievements. You are worthy.

What were the most important actions you took that helped you land the job role you have now?

I got out of my comfort zone and joined as many meetups as possible to network and learn about local Denver startups, and I asked for informational interviews before applying to jobs. I also participated in local hackathons, Go Code Colorado, Code for Denver, Techstars Week, conferences, etc.

Tell us about the most exciting (or inspiring, or creative) thing you've done so far in your career?

I led a project on a complete revamp of one of our developer tools. It was a collaborative effort that involved multiple teams. It was challenging and we had a lot of new features to discuss/deliver but the process was rewarding and we were able to meet rapid deadlines.

What was it like attending Flatiron School?

It was a great experience. I was able to travel around the world while learning how to code remotely. The curriculum was challenging but I had access to Flatiron’s support who was available in all of my timezones. I also enjoyed the school’s community through Slack and the projects I got to build.

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Meet Dasha and other Flatiron School Alumni at this upcoming event

How I Became a Web Developer: Alumni Panel | Flatiron School Denver
May 22, 2019 from 6-8 P.M. ​
WeWork LoHi 2420 17th Street Denver, CO 80202

Learn what impacted their decision to change their lives and careers, how they survived and thrived in an immersive program and how what their lives look like today as developers

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