Mom restarting her career in tech – an internship story
– Muthulakshmi A, Product team
As a postgraduate in computer science, I had a strong foundation in technology, but life took me down a different path after graduation. I found myself focusing on family and kids and eventually started a small business based on my passion for handwork. It was a rewarding experience, not just for me but also for the women I trained in these skills. It felt fulfilling to pass on the knowledge and empower others through creativity.
However, even as I immersed myself in my business, the tech world never quite left me. I still found ways to use my technical skills to offer design and technical support to others when needed. Yet, there was always a yearning inside me to return to coding, to reignite that passion for technology.
The turning point: My return to tech
About a year ago, that desire became overwhelming. I realized that the skills I had spent so much time developing during my graduation and post-graduation were slipping away. The feeling that I needed to get back to application development was stronger than ever. But there was another crucial factor: I needed a company that would offer flexibility and support, especially as a mother.
At that moment, a WordPress internship ad popped up, and I knew instantly it was the opportunity I had been waiting for. codePannu was looking for women who were familiar with the basics of WordPress and wanted to start/restart their career from home. The shortlisting assignment was to do a mock WordPress website and submit it for evaluation. While I understood WordPress’s popularity for blogging, I lacked practical experience in building a complete website. This opportunity motivated me to expand my skillset. I began exploring WordPress and quickly discovered how engaging the platform is. I was particularly impressed by WordPress’s user-friendly, no-code environment, which allowed me to build something from scratch with ease. To ensure a structured learning experience, I quickly enrolled in a Coursera course that provided step-by-step guidance on WordPress website creation.
Following the tutorial, I used Hostinger’s free hosting service (000webhost) to create a website with intuitive menus and organized categories. Seeing my ideas come to life was incredibly rewarding.
When I finally finished the website, I submitted it immediately, my heart racing with excitement. But then came the waiting game. A month passed with no response. Despite the silence, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was the right path for me. Then, the call came—the “aha!” moment. I had made it.
I was on my way back into the tech world. The following week, I started my 3-month internship with 2 other interns.
Learning to overcome obstacles
My role as an intern was to develop features for codePannu’s LMS platform, which was built on Moodle, an open source technology. Naturally, my very first challenge was installing Moodle on my laptop. The catch? My laptop was a relic from the early 2000s. It had a 32-bit operating system, just 3GB of RAM, and, to top it off, the screen had detached from the base. You can imagine my frustration—especially when today’s smartphones have far superior specs!
But I wasn’t going to let that stop me. I turned my old laptop into a makeshift desktop by connecting it to our family TV. Of course, this led to some conflicts when my family wanted to watch their shows, but codePannu was incredibly flexible about working hours, so I was able to manage my time efficiently.
The next step was to give my laptop a much-needed upgrade. I dismantled it, upgraded the RAM from 3GB to 8GB, and did a fresh install of the operating system—upgrading from 32-bit Windows 7 to 64-bit Windows 10. It felt like a huge accomplishment, considering the laptop’s condition! Once upgraded, I installed Moodle and started exploring it. As I dived deeper into developing modules in Moodle, my confidence grew. I was learning new things every day, and it was rewarding to see how far I had come, especially after feeling disconnected from coding for so long.
From internship to full-time role
Three months went by really fast and my internship at codePannu came to an end. As I was closing my final tasks, I reflected on how much I had learned, from basic hardware troubleshooting to mastering a new platform like Moodle. I genuinely didn’t want to leave. Then, just before my final internship presentation in the second week of January, I received an incredible offer: a full-time position as a Moodle developer!
I was ecstatic. It was my very first internship after my studies, and it had transformed into my first real job. I’m incredibly grateful to my all-women team who allowed me the freedom to explore and were understanding as I navigated the new work environment. They were always ready to help, answer my questions, and support me during my learning phase, and even became great friends.
I also took advantage of the internal trainings provided at codePannu, which has been immensely helpful in modifying/developing themes and plugins in Moodle. After a year of being a Moodle developer, I transitioned into the role of a product developer. I’m now actively developing internal applications using other technologies.
This journey, from feeling disconnected from tech to becoming a product developer has been an incredible experience. It reinforces the idea that with determination, flexibility, and the right opportunity, anything is possible.
To all the women out there who are yearning to start work again or reignite a passion you once put on hold — remember, it’s never too late. Your dreams, your skills, and your ambitions are valid, and you have the strength to pursue them. There are organizations that are willing to support you by providing flexible work arrangements. So don’t be afraid to take that leap, even if it feels daunting at first. If I can do it, so can you. Let’s continue to rise together. All it takes is a little determination, flexibility, and looking for the right opportunity.
Stay tuned for my next blog post, where I’ll share more about my transition, challenges faced, to becoming a product developer. The journey continues!