International Women’s Day Interview: Lee Shoham

In honor of International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, RapidAPI interviewed four of our team members to learn about their experiences. We will be sharing their answers throughout the month!

This is our fourth interview featuring Lee Shoham, a Backend Developer at RapidAPI.

1. What do you do at RapidAPI?

I’m a Backend Developer in the Enterprise Management team. My team is responsible for all entities and services that support enterprise-related flows.

2. How did you decide to transition from chemistry to software engineering?

After completing a B.Sc in chemistry I worked in a pharmaceutical company for a year, during which it became apparent to me that this field was not for me. During my M.Sc in Industrial Engineering, I took a course in Java, which was my first encounter with anything software-related and it blew my mind. After completing my master’s I decided to give software a try and complete an intense boot camp after which I integrated into the industry.

The things I love the most about being a programmer are the immediate satisfaction (relative to chemistry) and the fact that although you never stop learning, you still don’t know everything.

3. What advice would you give to someone looking to get into software engineering?

It’s a tough field to get into, but the most rewarding (in many ways), so I’d recommend choosing the best way that first one’s needs; be it through a university degree, a bootcamp, or independently working hard and getting the first job. You only need to get your first opportunity.

4. What do you like to do outside of work?

I enjoy reading a book with my cat in my lap, working out, baking, traveling the world, and exploring the exciting culinary of Tel Aviv. Thankfully, my job allows me to enjoy all of that 🙂