From English Teacher to Tech Expert: How Anjana Vakil’s Non-Linear Journey Shaped Her Career in Developer Education

Introduction

Anjana Vakil has had a fascinating and non-traditional path to becoming a developer educator. In a recent conversation with Tejas Kumar, Vakil shared her journey from an English teacher to a tech professional, emphasizing how her background in languages and problem-solving led her to become passionate about teaching in the tech world. This article captures Vakil’s unique career trajectory and her insights into tech education, computational linguistics, and community-driven learning.

Anjana's Winding Path to Technology

Unlike many in tech, Vakil didn’t grow up with the singular goal of becoming a programmer. She describes herself as someone who "goes where the wind blows," embracing different opportunities along the way. With a degree in philosophy, she initially pursued roles in sales and English language teaching before finding her way to tech in 2015. This winding path, Vakil explains, was less about planning and more about following her interests and exploring new areas.

“I’ve always loved languages,” she says, recounting how her love for linguistics eventually led her to study computational linguistics (how computers can understand and process human languages). This field introduced her to coding, which became a means to carry out her research and analyze linguistic data.

Discovering a Passion for Code

Vakil’s initial interest in technology was born from necessity rather than a desire to pursue a career in software development. During her studies in computational linguistics, she found herself needing to write code to analyze language data and perform complex tasks, like building speech recognition models. But it wasn’t the linguistics research that fascinated her most, it was the coding itself.

She found joy in problem-solving and in the hands-on aspects of programming. “I liked building the tools more than I liked using them to conduct research,” Vakil admits. This realization shifted her focus and inspired her to pursue a full-time career in tech.

Joining a Community of Self-Directed Learners at Recurse Center

A major turning point in Vakil’s tech journey came when she attended a program called the Recurse Center. Based in New York (and now available online), the Recurse Center is a self-directed learning community where individuals from all skill levels come together to deepen their understanding of programming. Unlike a typical boot camp with structured lessons and instructors, the Recurse Center is more like a writer’s retreat for programmers. Participants set their own goals and learn by collaborating with others, sharing knowledge, and tackling new challenges together.

Vakil found this community to be both inspiring and empowering. “It’s a place for anyone excited about learning,” she says. The Recurse Center promotes continuous learning without egos, providing a welcoming environment for people who want to learn from one another and share what they know.

The Recurse Center also stands out because it doesn’t charge tuition. Instead, it’s funded by companies looking to hire curious, self-motivated individuals who are driven by a love for learning. Participants who are interested in job placement receive guidance on improving their resumes, finding suitable roles, and connecting with companies in the Center’s hiring network.

Tech Career with a Passion for Teaching

After her time at the Recurse Center, Anjana Vakil dove into various roles in tech. She worked as a developer, building applications using Python and JavaScript. Her experience spans frontend and backend, as well as organizational learning and development. Yet her love for teaching and sharing knowledge remained central throughout her career.

“Once a teacher, always a teacher,” Anjana Vakil said. Today, she works as a developer educator, focusing on making complex tech topics accessible. She enjoys breaking down technical concepts in ways that are easy to understand and helping people experience those “aha” moments where everything clicks. Functional programming, a programming paradigm that uses functions as the primary way to build programs, is one of her favorite topics to teach.

Final Thoughts

Anjana Vakil’s story is a testament to the power of curiosity and the willingness to explore new paths. From linguistics and teaching to coding and tech education, Vakil’s journey shows that a non-linear career path can lead to unexpected and fulfilling opportunities. Her passion for helping others understand complex topics has made her a valuable contributor to the tech community, proving that there’s no single “right” path to a successful tech career.

Vakil encourages anyone interested in tech to check out opportunities like the Recurse Center, where community-driven learning and self-directed exploration can help shape their own unique path. “Tech is a field where learning never stops,” she says, and her career is a testament to that.

P.S. This article is an excerpt from “Anjana Vakil: How to Get Into Tech and Be Successful” from the <Contejas /> podcast. Listen to the full episode on Spotify and Apple. Don’t forget to follow, like, and share with your network!