Women in Technology: Alis Klajda

Liquid Web Software Engineer, Alis Klajda, on what drew her to tech, why she loves her colleagues, and the importance of letting passions guide you.

Considered one of Alis Klajda’s earliest memories is of her father organising his work computer of their Michigan basement—a Commodore 64. “It was love at first sight for each my brother and me,” she says. “At first, we played video games, but that quickly escalated. Soon, we were learning BASIC to put in writing our own and eventually constructing our own desktop computers.” Now, in spite of everything these years, Klajda and her brother are each software engineers.

Klajda got her first job working at a tech company straight out of school in 2011. “That was the era of technology consulting groups before distant work became widespread,” she says. “The consulting company I worked for would spend a ton of money and time flying their consultants across the country to work in client offices, away from their families for long periods of time, living out of hotel rooms. It’s sort of hard to assume now, with the widespread adoption of distant work. I wanted a greater work-life balance, and eventually ended up at Liquid Web in 2014.” She’s been here ever since.

Now at Liquid Web, Klajda is a software engineer within the Technology and Development department. “My team builds and maintains most of the systems essential for day-to-day operations inside the company. For instance, our billing and invoicing systems, customer portals, shopping cart and phone systems, and even most of the products we sell were built by us, in-house.”

What Klajda loves most about working in tech is the people. “I work with many super good individuals with intense and interesting hobbies. I’m at all times growing as an individual and learning latest things from my coworkers,” she says.

Klajda says that her family has been very influential in her profession journey. “They’ve at all times unconditionally supported my life and profession selections,” she says. “After I was young, my parents told me they didn’t care what I did for a living so long as I used to be completely happy. That sort of support really gave me the power to take risks and make decisions based by myself long-term success reasonably than social expectations.”

The people on the opposite side of the apps keep her motivated. “At the tip of the day, it’s all concerning the people. The applications I construct are utilized by 1000’s of consumers and tons of of coworkers day by day, and if I could make their lives easier, that’s really satisfying,” she says.

Outside of labor, Klajda likes to travel. “A few years ago, I set a goal to go to every National Park in America, and thus far, I even have visited over a dozen,” she says. “I wish to travel old-school road-trip style in order that I can see all of the quirky little bits of the US along the way in which.” She also has two cattle dogs, Jewel and Chloe. “We spend quite a lot of time outdoors, climbing or on the lake. I’m also a giant fan of live music and go to quite a lot of shows.”

Regarding the long run of girls in tech, Klajda says that’s the million-dollar query. “More women are looking for higher education in a single form or one other after highschool, but we actually haven’t seen that uptick as much in tech,” she says. “Only 20% of computer science degree holders are women, and only 25% of tech employees are female. These are interesting, high-paying careers, so it’s hard to assume that the work itself is liable for that gap. I believe a bigger cultural shift is vital before we see full gender parity in tech.”

Her advice for ladies serious about pursuing a profession in tech is easy: “If you have got an interest in tech — or anything, really — don’t let social expectations steer you away,” she says. “There is a large amount of pressure from family and society in terms of selecting a profession. Most of that pressure is said to traditional notions of what a girl’s role in society must be. A whole lot of women are steered into ‘nurturing’ roles corresponding to nursing or teaching; and while those are wonderful profession options, at the tip of the day, you’re the one who has to live your life and go to that job day after day. Let your passions guide your direction in life. I believe that’s the important thing to happiness.”