After earning her degree in engineering and physics from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Diana Mendoza Ramirez, a native of Matamoros, Mexico, had one goal in mind: to become a software engineer.
“The goal was to work with a big company in Silicon Valley,” Ramirez, 33, said. “So, I wondered, ‘How do I get there?’”
Ramirez put herself on that path when she applied for the rotational engineering program at Meta, one of seven pathway programs offered by Meta.
The rotational engineering program gives participants a chance to work on core engineering products and systems across two different engineering teams for 12 months. The program includes in-depth training on Meta technologies and best practices in its engineering bootcamp. Additionally, the program offers mentorships with Meta engineers and an evaluation period that can potentially lead to a full-time employment offer.
“Having support groups through the program was good for me,” Ramirez said. “I could see everyone was on the same level and trying to accomplish the same things.”
Ramirez ultimately became a full-time software engineer at Meta in April 2022. As a key member of the well-being engineering team, she helps to create a safe community and inviting experience on Instagram by protecting people’s identities, ensuring that content and interactions are authentic and preventing harmful abuse within profile surfaces. Ramirez also creates products to help people recover their accounts, if compromised.
“For example, we do work to promote the use of safe passwords, so people don’t use ‘1-2-3’ or your pet’s name,” Ramirez said. “We also create account recovery products. We’re always trying to see where the weaknesses are, so we can fix them before anything happens.”
Ramirez enjoys that she can use her problem-solving skills in her position at Meta. She also likes coding and being able to build things that her friends will use. “We’re always striving to come up with new ideas to create new products we can implement,” she said.
As a Latina in the tech industry, Ramirez feels grateful that she was able to meet her career goals. She said that in Mexico not many Latinas pursue a career in technology. She wants to show Latinas that it is possible to earn a position like a software engineer for a company like Meta.
“Latinas in tech — we all bring our own perspective,” Ramirez said. “I think a lot of Latinas don’t get into tech because they don’t know about these jobs, or they don’t think they will have a lot of time to do other things; like spend time with their family. But being in tech gives you a lot of freedom to do what you want.”
Ramirez also hopes to prove that the more diverse a company is, the more tolerance there is for everyone and everything. “You get to learn about other people, their beliefs and the way they do things,” Ramirez said. “That can enrich your whole experience. Maybe we can come up with ways to do things better together. I feel very lucky that I found a way into this world and into this company.”
To find out more about the rotational engineering program, and other pathway programs at Meta, click here.
