Breaking Into Tech Through Streaming: A Journey to Teach Jenn Tech

Welcome back to another episode of CodingCat Dev, featuring hosts Alex Patterson and Brittany Postma! Today we have a special guest, Jenn Junod, joining us to discuss her unique path to a career in tech through starting a livestreaming show called Teach Gentech.

This episode is brought to you by Storyblock, the only headless CMS that allows both developers and content creators to work independently and build together. Check out Storyblock to build anything and publish everywhere with their powerful visual editor and flexibility.

We’re also excited to announce Jamstack Conf happening November 6-7th in San Francisco! Don’t miss out on connecting with the Jamstack community and learning from top experts in modern web development.

Let’s dive into Jen’s story! Jen got her start in tech working customer support roles at companies like Verizon and GoDaddy. Through these experiences, she gained familiarity with technology and problem-solving skills.

A few years ago, Jen underwent experimental brain surgery which required her to take time off work to recover. During this challenging period, Jen started posting videos discussing her mental health journey. This vulnerability inspired her to eventually start a podcast focused on tough topics related to homelessness, racial bias, abuse, and more.

Jen later joined API documentation company Stoplight as a content creator. Although new to the world of APIs, she soaked up knowledge from the engineers and started making training materials. Jen’s role expanded to leading curriculum development for Stoplight’s learning team.

After parting ways with Stoplight earlier this year, Jen turned to live streaming as a fun way to network and learn more about tech. She met developer advocates Wesley Faulkner and Ramón Huidobro who encouraged her to start her own show.

Within a week, Jen launched Teach Jenn Tech - an interactive livestream dedicated to making tech more accessible. Although unfamiliar with many concepts at first, Jen leveraged her natural curiosity and communication skills to break down complex topics with guests.

“I had this call with Anthony on [Tuesday]. And that Friday, July 1st, I launched Teach Jenn Tech.”

Jen openly shares her learning journey as part of making tech feel welcoming to everyone. She focuses on building community and helping viewers see that tech careers are possible regardless of background.

In addition to the live show, Jen hosts a popular Twitter Space on mental health and neurodiversity in tech every Wednesday. She is passionate about creating open dialog around topics that often feel taboo in the developer world.

When asked about finding a niche, Jen acknowledged the importance of mastering a specific programming language. However, she wants to keep exploring the breadth of technology for now through her show.

“I’m going to start doing JavaScript, 100 days of code. Just so that way I do it and I’ll probably end up streaming those too, just because I find it more entertaining and then I actually do it.”

Jen’s contagious enthusiasm for learning makes Teach Gentech a must-watch for anyone curious about pursuing a career in technology. She demonstrates that confidence, resilience and a willingness to be vulnerable can help you succeed in tech - even if you don’t have a traditional background.

We’re rooting for Jen as she continues her tech journey and helps make the industry more inclusive along the way! What did you think about Jen’s story? Let us know in the comments below!