WIT We Love: Karina

In our series, wit we love, we interview women who have made their way into unexpected and multidisciplinary tech careers. 

For our third feature, we had the pleasure of speaking with Karina Cadette, VP Software Engineering at J.P. Morgan. Karina studied math and economics in college and got into software development when she joined JP Morgan’s TechConnect program post-graduation. She talks about how anyone can transition into a tech career— even if you haven’t studied the subject in college.

You work at JPMorgan as a software engineer team lead. What does your role entail?

I manage a team of three software engineers. We are responsible for the North America intraday risk and P&L for the credit trading team. That role is slowly expanding into a more general market focus instead of being specifically focused on the credit desk.

How did you end up in this role?

I started at JPMorgan right after college, where I had previously done their Tech Connect program. This program was designed specifically for recent graduates from non-traditional technology backgrounds to begin a career in technology. So at that time, I could have either done a business analyst role or software engineering. I was very keen on being really technical and wanted to dive into software engineering.

What was it about software engineering that interested you?

I studied mathematical economics in college. My goal was to be an actuary, but I did a very short internship during college, and it just wasn't interesting enough, it felt very repetitive in some ways. I was looking for ways to stick to math but also be challenged. I did a market data internship right before my senior year. That's when I met a few software engineers, and I was able to see what type of work they were doing, and the projects they were working on. I was immediately drawn to the idea of building technology solutions across different industries. That's when I decided to apply for Software Engineering roles.

How did you feel like your undergrad degree shaped the way that you work now?

College is a great place to learn your work habits, what interests you, and what doesn't. I knew that I was interested in economics. I knew what I wanted to do and what I didn't, and I think having that distinction was helpful with me getting on the right team at JP Morgan. 

What advice do you have for women who are still in college who are thinking of getting into the tech space?

While you're in college — although it doesn't seem like it— you do have a lot more free time. My advice is to try to build an application. Check out things online for how to get started in technology. Figure out whether you like back-end or front-end development. Take some time to find the resources out there and try it out. Don’t let being the only woman in a room make you feel less than capable. I know that there are fewer women pursuing computer science degrees, but never let that factor into your decision to become an engineer (I got pretty used to it early on since I was a math major). 

Is there anything you know now that you wish you knew in college?

Explore similar subject areas earlier. When you know what area you want to be focused in, explore the subjects that surround it. It's like how I went in as a math major— I wish someone would have told me “Oh, you should also try some computer science classes'' or “try out engineering classes”. Just explore, so you understand what else is out there.

Do you have any practical advice when it comes to putting together a resume or applying for a job?

It’s all about your network, and that's something that I'm learning more and more every day. The events on campus when companies come and give talks when alumni come back and hold panel discussions— it's really important to ask questions and speak with the employees. Asking a question makes it easier to connect with people afterward. Find some way to connect with someone when you go to those events. It’s always good to learn about different companies, and if you are interested, you're doing yourself a disservice by not following up with those people that presented.

From there, you're able to understand what their jobs are, whether you would like to get an internship at their company or a similar company. 

Why do you think it's important to have more women and people of color working in the tech world?

If you're building technology, it should be representative of the population. So it's pretty absurd to me when there's no diversity on a team. Diverse teams create better products. I know there are qualified people out there, and companies that lack diversity are missing out on top talent.