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At Bitrise, we enable customers to deliver mobile experiences to billions of devices every day. There are fantastic folks here making that possible, and in our Behind the Scenes series, you can get to know them too.
This time, we are chatting with Anna Bányik, Tech Writing Specialist.
Can you share a little bit about yourself?
Sure. I graduated as an English linguist then had my master’s degree in translation and interpreting. I soon found out freelance interpreting would be a chaotic way of life so I worked in a translation agency then later in multinational companies. Bitrise feels the best place so far: it gives me lots of flexibility and freedom along with interesting projects and great colleagues.
In my free time, I do completely different things than what I do for a living. On weekends you can find me hiking with my family and our giant dog somewhere in the countryside or we do lots of gardening projects. I try to mix the best of both worlds: intellectual work and physical activity as much as I can. It’s a total brainwash after a long week.
Did you always know that working in technology was what you wanted to do? How did you decide to go into engineering/tech?
No, not at all (laughing). IT never occurred to me as a career path since I always wanted to be some kind of researcher in linguistics or work as a language therapist. Since I was always good at English and wanted to make a shift in my career I was encouraged to try myself in tech writing. Some years spent in this profession made me realize I can actually break free from the Faculty of Arts stigma and build a meaningful and rewarding career on my own. I’m forever grateful for my opportunity at Bitrise. I get to work with talented, motivated, and funny people from whom I can learn a lot and who appreciate my work. It’s important to feel that your work makes a difference.
What is it like to be a woman working in technology for you?
I think it’s the best. Working for a startup and following it along the road of growing into a multinational company is an interesting evolution on its own. I also love that I can contribute to something exciting like making mobile developers' daily work less stressful with a tool that helps them focus on creative work and cuts down the mundane work.
"I love that I can add the last missing piece to a feature development with my tech guides and deliver the whole experience to our mobile dev users. They should know that they are always in my mind when writing a guide." 💜
Do you notice a lack of women in technology? If so, why do you think that’s the case?
I do notice that there are fewer women in engineering positions, for example in software development — but I’m not an engineer myself so I cannot really tell more about that. I work with software engineers but I don’t work among them. I love that I’m close to the blazing fire but still a step away.
When talking about women in tech, I have to mention that there is a great comradeship among women, we support each other and lend a shoulder when it’s needed. I also love seeing how my colleagues (male or female doesn’t matter at all) grow into different positions and support them from the first though days till the time when they feel more settled.
What’s your role at Bitrise? What do you do on a typical day?
I’m a Tech Writer which means writing technical guides about our product for our users who are mobile developers. On a daily basis, it means talking with developers and understanding how the latest feature works, trying it out for myself, then writing a Devcenter article about it. I also write knowledge base articles on errors/issues our mobile dev users might face on a regular basis, and keep our Step descriptions up to date — just to name a few of our tasks. This is a very technical job but you can absolutely manage if you are motivated. Just never give up!
Why did you choose to work at Bitrise, how did it turn out?
Bitrise seemed a very dynamic, flexible, and fresh company and surprisingly still is even after I have spent three years here. As Tech Writers, we had so much freedom right from the start — but of course, a lot of responsibility comes with it. Regular checks with the management help us deliver what works for the company and our own product, Devcenter too.
"What I love about my job is being in contact with so many stakeholders: developers, UX designers, tech leads, product managers, marketing specialists, and of course our super talented users. I get to learn a lot from these people."
What challenges do you have the most at work?
There are some lonely hours when I mess with a system, like a test environment or an integration to get it working. Just so you understand, I have to test every single feature before I get to write about it because this is the only way I get a feel for it and can craft a guide around it. If testing does not work, then I’m stuck and I have to seek help. That takes time. But every good thing in life takes time, right? Hard work and sweat always pay off in the end. Bitrise makes sure your work is appreciated.
What learning/growth opportunities have impacted you most?
You cannot get into the “lazy mood” in Bitrise. There is ALWAYS something new we engage in: a new project, a new tool to use, a new objective, or a new area I never worked at. We don’t work on meaningless things in Bitrise, if something does not help the company grow, we throw it out the window and regroup on a new project that brings us the results we want. I love that we’re so agile. You pick up this agility thing and integrate it into your own life too.
What are your future career plans, who supports you?
I love working as a Tech Writer, I get to spend hours on my own completely zooming in on feature documentation, or can work in a group brainstorming about our next big campaign. The company always provides me plenty of opportunities to grow so there are definitely no boring days/weeks at Bitrise.
Who are your role models for women in tech?
In general, I don’t believe in role models. I much rather observe people and cherry-pick their best characteristics. I love if women or men can thrive at work and keep their families together. It’s a form of art on its own. At Bitrise there are lots of great women and men who successfully manage these and I love learning from them. If you are curious they are happy to share their experiences which is such a gift!
What do you think is the best part of being a woman in the tech industry?
I feel and hope I can bring some sunshine, kindness, and happiness to our days. I absolutely love the kindness I get in return from my colleagues, men and women equally.
What advice would you give to a woman considering a career in the tech industry? What do you wish you had known?
Please don’t rule out any tech company just because you are a woman. They need your perspective, your fresh ideas, your dynamic energy and your communication skills. If you’re unsure, you can always start as an intern and see if this company works for you and vice versa. I wish I had had the courage right after uni, but hey you live and learn, right?
Thanks so much to Anna for a great interview and a look into her life as a tech writing specialist at Bitrise. Want to work with Anna? Check out our current job openings here!
