Early years and where you came from?
I have an atypical path. I have always dreamed of making a difference and I have tried to do it in several ways. I started in the social area, doing an internship in a support office for victims of domestic violence and in a psychiatric clinic. I felt that I wasn’t doing enough and I switched to the human resources area with the ambition of making the work more adapted to the needs of the workers. Here I worked in IT companies and had contact with the technological area and I fell in love with this area. As I always say, don’t let the fear of change stop you from doing what you love and I’ve switched areas.
How were you introduced to the world of the Portuguese tech industry?
I had the opportunity to participate in an Outsystems Academy at ISCTE and Glintt participated as a training entity. At the end of the academy, my partner and I won the academy contest and I was invited to join the company.
Walk me through your work and what you are doing now in the tech industry.
I am currently developing applications for EDP with Outsystems technology and I am starting my thesis work, in which I intend to develop an application that will help people suffering from epilepsy, like me, to monitor the disease.
What part of what you do, you love the most?
I love that every day is different with new challenges that make me grow and learn more.
How do you think that your background and knowledge impact the way you approach your work in the Portuguese tech industry?
I believe that my atypical path makes me not only have a technical point of view but a point of view closer to the users of the applications.
What advice do you have for young women that want to get into tech and don’t know where to start?
I don’t want to become repetitive but believe in yourselves. Skills are learned with work and dedication. Our essence cannot be replaced. Always fight to be better and go further. Make a difference, have an impact. Don’t let fear stop you from doing what you love.
Walk me through a day in your life as a Portuguese women in tech.
On each working day, I wake up at 6 in the morning. Study until 8 am. I wake up my daughter and husband, have breakfast with them and prepare her to go to her grandmother. It’s 8:45, I get ready to start working. I have a meeting with my team where we talk about what we did the day before and what we will do on that day. I develop features of the application until 6 pm. I have classes on some days from 6 pm to 9 pm. I make dinner, I give dinner to my daughter, I fall asleep to start all over again.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
I wish I had only 10% of your determination.
What apps/software/tools can’t you live without?
ServiceStudio, LinkedIn, and Spotify (I love podcast like School of Greatness or On Purpose with Jay Shetty)
Anything else you would like to share?
While I was changing careers and studying, I was pregnant, I became a mother and nothing stopped me from fighting to arrive where I arrived.
👉Find Cátia on LinkedIn
