We’re back with another day in the life! This month, we’re featuring Hailey Robledo, a software engineer II at Codecademy.
Hailey first learned how to code on Codecademy, then went on to attend a bootcamp and launch a career in software engineering (returning to Codecademy for interview prep along the way!). Now, as a member of our Discovery team, she helps make Codecademy better for future learners.
Read on to meet Hailey (and her two dogs, Miles & Suby!) 
Tell us a little about yourself.
Hi, I’m Hailey and I am a Software Engineer II on the Discovery team at Codecademy. Our team works on engaging non-pro/free users with content they will find engaging and making sure they can find and access content that is right for them.
I was born and raised in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. I have resided in Brooklyn since 2012 with my spouse and our two dogs, Miles and Suby. My interests include trying new restaurants, movies, music, podcasts, fitness, and anything dog related.
How did you end up working for Codecademy?
Codecademy was my introduction to programming in 2015. The content and course structure always resonated with me. During the pandemic, the company I was working for shut down. I knew I had to start studying for interviews again and turned to Codecademy. While on the site, I figured I should check out if there were any software engineer roles available. I was thrilled to see there was and immediately applied.
Did you always want to be a Software Engineer?
Nope! I was always interested in computers growing up and dragged my dad to computer shows in town. Like many people in my age group, I also dabbled in creating sites on Geocities and Angelfire as well. However, it never occurred to me then that I could turn that interest into a career.
I ended up studying marketing in college with minors in communications and film studies. I worked a few companies after college and realized that marketing was not something I wanted to pursue. It was around that time that I discovered Codecademy. After working on the Javascript course, I applied to Fullstack Academy which is a coding bootcamp here in NYC. I graduated in 2016 and have worked as a fullstack engineer at a small startup, fitness company, and now Codecademy.
What are the best aspects of working as a Software Engineer?
I feel like there is always something new to learn. There is never a sense of stagnation which I have felt in previous roles. When you get to work on something engaging, it’s almost meditative because hours can go by and you’re just immersed in critical thinking and creativity.
What are the worst aspects of working as a Software Engineer?
Imposter syndrome. I was first introduced to this term at Fullstack Academy because it was such a prevalent issue amongst students. I’ve become more confident as my experience grows, but it’s still a foe I deal with from time to time.
If you could make one piece of fictional tech reality, what would it be?
Tricorders from Star Trek. It’s a handheld device that can diagnose medical issues and vitals in seconds by just holding it near a person.
Do you have any advice for the learners?
Learn by doing. Make simple apps. Even just getting started with making a boilerplate can help you learn a ton and help concretize what you’ve learned.
If you could make one brand new course what would it be?
Writing documentation. Documentation is crucial because it saves time getting people onboarded and provides a consistent source of truth.
What does a typical day look like for you?
I’m trying to become more of a morning person. These days, I’ll wake up around 7:30am, walk my dogs, get coffee, make breakfast, and then head to my computer to catch up on outstanding tasks and get my thoughts in order for the team’s stand up meeting at 11am. From there, I’ll work on tickets from our sprint, attend meetings, or do research on upcoming projects or technology I want to become more familiar with. The work day usually ends around 6pm and from there I’ll get a workout in and start getting dinner ready.
