Published: 12/3/2025

How I Broke Into Tech Without a Traditional Path

If you look at my portfolio today, with projects across artificial intelligence, blockchain, web development, community leadership, and systems that support thousands of users, it might be easy to assume I followed a clean and orderly path into technology.

But nothing about my journey into tech happened in a straight line.

I did not grow up coding. I did not have a mentor. I did not even begin as a computer science major. My introduction to technology began with curiosity, trial and error, and many years of feeling completely lost. What carried me through all of it was a quiet belief that I could eventually figure things out.

This is the story of how I broke into tech without a traditional path, and why I believe anyone can build a meaningful career in this field no matter where they begin.

Getting Lost Before Getting Started

Before I wrote a single line of code, I was a full time student studying business administration and computer science. I was new to both subjects, navigating content that often felt foreign and confusing. I did not understand the terminology, the logic, or the systems. Every class felt like I was trying to translate something I had never heard before.

What I did know was that I had always been fascinated by computers. Back in 2012, I took apart an HP notebook in an attempt to fix a memory issue. I definitely did not fix it, but I learned how much precision and care were required to work with hardware. It showed me that computers were not magic. They were machines made by people. And if people built them, then I could learn how to build things too.

Still, a career in tech was not on my mind yet. I was working odd jobs and ghostwriting to survive. Eventually I realized I needed a website for my ghostwriting services. That simple thought became the spark that started everything.

Seeing the Web Differently

The real turning point happened when I watched the evolution of Facebook. It began as a simple social website and quickly grew into a complex platform with integrated tools, features, and interactive components. It reminded me of MySpace but with a more deliberate structure and design. I began to wonder what it would take to build something like that.

This curiosity pulled me toward front end development. In early 2015, resources were limited and I did not know where to start. So I read the React documentation long before I understood any of it. What mattered was that for the first time, I could see how modern applications were created.

I taught myself HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React, and Node. These tools introduced me to a world where I could create something from nothing.

That was the moment I realized that I did not just want to use technology. I wanted to build it.

A Non Linear Path With Many Twists

Shortly after building my first website, life changed quickly. A family emergency forced me to step away from school. I moved to Puerto Rico for a period of time and continued my studies part time. Suddenly I was learning computer science in Spanish, even though English was the language I used for every academic subject before that.

It was difficult. Concepts felt twice as hard. Vocabulary did not translate cleanly. And I was learning everything without support.

So I taught myself.

I relearned my courses in English. I studied late at night. I watched long tutorial videos. I read documentation that barely made sense until it slowly began to. I worked small part time jobs during the day and coded whenever I could.

This period taught me the most important lesson of all. You do not need the right tools at the beginning. You just need determination.

After years of learning on my own, building small projects, and working through uncertainty, I received my first technical contracting role in 2017. It was not glamorous, but it opened the door.

The Obstacles That Almost Took Me Off the Path

Breaking into tech was not simple. Some of the hardest challenges were the ones that no one could see.

Financial strain and working to survive

I always worked while studying. Stability was never guaranteed. Tech was both opportunity and escape.

Starting from zero with no guidance

I did not have friends or family in the field. Everything I learned came from my own effort.

Imposter syndrome

Even after writing production code, I often questioned if I belonged in this industry.

Learning computer science in Spanish while thinking in English

Syntax is universal but instruction is not. This created an additional layer of difficulty that many students never face.

Limited access to tech at the time

Living in Puerto Rico during periods of instability meant fewer resources and fewer ways to connect with other developers.

Balancing ambition with survival

Trying to grow while carrying real responsibilities is a challenge rarely acknowledged in tech stories.

These experiences did not slow me down. They made me resourceful, adaptable, and persistent.

Finding Momentum and the Breakthroughs That Changed Everything

If the early years felt like wandering in the dark, the next set of experiences felt like someone gradually turning on the lights.

My first technical role in 2017

This was the first time someone trusted me to build real software. It helped me begin to see myself as an engineer.

My first hackathon

Hackathons taught me to collaborate, move fast, stay creative, and build under pressure. They opened my eyes to what was possible.

Women Who Code leadership

Becoming a leader in this community pushed me to guide others and claim a space in tech that I once felt unsure about.

Running the Lehman College Computer Science Club and organizing a three hundred person hackathon

This experience taught me leadership at scale along with the importance of building community. Creating opportunities for others helped me grow into my role as an engineer.

Winning the ETHGlobal prize for ETHJobs

Years after that first ghostwriting website, I created a decentralized job platform called ETHJobs and received recognition from PayPal for innovation. This moment validated everything I had worked for. It confirmed that unconventional paths still lead to extraordinary outcomes.

These milestones were not just achievements. They changed the way I saw myself. They showed me that I did not need to match the traditional profile of an engineer. I simply needed to keep building.

Learning to Code and the Moment It Finally Made Sense

My first languages were HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and eventually React and Node. But real understanding arrived when I saw front end development as more than syntax. It became a way to tell a story, create structure, and shape an experience.

It took several jobs before I truly felt that I belonged in tech. What helped me overcome self doubt was not a degree or a certificate. It was practice, consistency, and the realization that learning while working is the nature of this trade. Tech requires constant growth and a steady belief in your ability to figure things out.

What I Want Others to Know

If you are reading this because your journey feels uncertain or unconventional, this is for you.

There is no single right path into tech.

Most engineers I admire arrived through unexpected routes.

Community is more powerful than credentials.

Your network, mentors, and peers will carry you in ways textbooks never can.

You can start at any time and still succeed.

Your timeline is not a limitation.

Your lived experience is your strength.

Everything that makes you different adds perspective to your work.

Tech rewards resilience.

If you keep learning and keep trying, growth is inevitable.

My path was not traditional, but it was meaningful. It taught me that there is space for everyone who is willing to learn, create, and persist.

What I Want Others to Know

A lot of people ask me where I started when I was preparing for technical interviews. To make that process easier for others, I created the Technical Interview 101 eGuide under my brand Computer Science Society.

It includes the exact fundamentals I wish I had known earlier, presented in a clear and beginner friendly format. It is available for $12.99 for anyone who wants a simple and affordable way to begin preparing with confidence.

https://emilypmendez.gumroad.com/l/technical-interview-process-101-ebook

Closing Thoughts

If there is one message I hope readers carry with them, it is this. You do not need a perfect beginning in order to build a powerful future.

I did not have a clear direction. I did not have guidance. I did not have certainty. What I had was curiosity, persistence, and a belief that I could grow even when the path felt impossible to navigate.

That was enough.

Technology is not reserved for a select group of people. It is for the persistent, the curious, the determined, and the unconventional. It is for anyone willing to follow a path that may not be straight but is entirely their own.

Onwards & upwards,

Emily