Criteo

After her professional transition, Estelle Thou joined Criteo as a software engineer. The young woman tells us more about her fast progression inside Criteo.Tell us, how did you join the tech industry?&nbsp;Before working at Criteo, I was a quality manager in the food industry. I mainly worked with a team of bakers. And it's very different from what I expected. Everybody thinks that working in food is always very sexy, but in fact, it's very challenging, with a lot of stress and production. Finally, I found that I was missing the part about learning every day. I would like to go into more strategic and scientific topics.&nbsp;During the lockdown, I was able to step back and think about what would make me happier in my life. Finally, I decided to leave my previous job and test myself as a web developer. I started by watching a basic MOOC online. I liked it, then I jumped to a six-month bootcamp at Epitech. For my internship, I decided to apply to Criteo, even though I wasn't very confident, I knew I had nothing to lose!&nbsp;Then the “magic” happened. I passed all the tests and got my internship. Less than 4 months later, I received an offer from my manager for a permanent role. And that's how I started working for Criteo as a software engineer for one year and a half now.&nbsp;&nbsp;You said that you were not very confident. How did you manage your imposter syndrome?&nbsp;We all have to deal with this kind of challenge. But I'm learning to tell myself that if I'm here as a level 2 software engineer, it's because I did a good job. It's not because of chance. It's not only thanks to the people who helped me to get there. It's mainly because of all the hours I spent on my laptop learning. I refuse to have that barrier of 'I'm here but I don't deserve it'. I'm working on my self-confidence and if I succeeded in changing jobs and getting promoted at the same time as my other colleagues, it's because I work really hard.&nbsp;Your company is one of the best in terms of gender parity. Tell us what this means to you.More and more of us are looking for meaning in our work and being part of a company like Criteo that values the inclusion of women is part of that. It gives me even more energy, I want to be part of the battle and fight for this inclusion. I am proud that the company I work for is contributing to a more inclusive world.&nbsp;I also feel reassured through actions like the returnship program which supports women after a long break such as maternity leave. It's a technical refresher course. I feel valued through this interview with 50inTech. I am given a voice and I greatly appreciate that it is an initiative taken by my company.How does your company structure its onboarding process to support and help new employees integrate well?To be transparent, there is no predefined process. But there is a state of mind. At Criteo, we have 3 pillars: Open, Together, and Impactful. Inclusion, regardless of gender or background, is a key focus of our company. This means that while there is no formal process, there are shared ideas put forward by our managers, our CEO Megan, and the Diversity Equity and Inclusion team who all have roles to play in conveying these values. When these are driven from the top, it becomes very natural for all of us to commit to this vision.&nbsp;In my own experience, I came to Criteo as a complete outsider: a woman, from a bootcamp, a non-native English speaker, who had never done backend before. And finally, I have never felt so much at the right place.&nbsp;What is your proudest achievement in your company so far, and where do you see yourself in the next few years?So far my proudest achievement is the promotion I got at the same time as my colleagues. It's a detail, but my colleagues have had 5 years of IT school, and I have six months of training camp. It means that even if I didn’t have the same educational background, my work is still recognised as good as the others. I may not be as technical as them, but my peers recognise my efforts and value them. So we have different strengths. I have mine, and I succeed to put them in a good way.&nbsp;In the coming years, I would like to become a dev lead. I know that nothing is impossible when you give yourself the means to achieve your goals. I'm not afraid of aiming high anymore, I'm going to try in any case. I still have a lot of work to do, but like everyone else, it's nothing new.Do you get the sense that the company supports your career growth? If so, how?Having a professional career is very important to me. At Criteo, I feel like I'm being supported and challenged by my managers. They believe in and listen to me, which gives me the confidence to get there.&nbsp;In addition, Criteo offers us many learning activities. For example, a quiet Friday in the company is a day when you don't have meetings all day. Then you can learn new things, which are not related to your job, but they are really for you, like being better in a certain area or a framework or whatever.&nbsp;Is the DEI's advocacy a key factor for you to join a company?&nbsp;Having a DEI team is a privilege. In an ideal world this would be standard but today it is still a privilege. Considered a privilege when I was looking for a company, I didn't see it as mandatory in my expectations. But now, when applying for another company, the dimension of inclusion and parity in my work becomes essential.Any last tips you would like to share with the 50inTech community? Once you have a clear idea of your goal, you will have to work very hard to achieve it. But just because it's hard doesn't mean it's impossible. It just means that it will cost you time and effort, of course, but you can make it happen.&nbsp;And just because you're different doesn't mean you don't have the same chance as the other, so even if you don't have the same background, even if you didn't go to the same school, even if you're not as fit as the other person, you don't have to be afraid of it. It is even a strength. You have to use it to make a difference. And there is no doubt that if you work hard, you can achieve anything you want.

"I am proud that the company I work for is contributing to a more inclusive world”

Julien Londeix