Q&A with Shamma Qureshi

Shamma is a Full-Stack Web Developer with a background in Biology and Education. She recently transitioned into a career in tech after completing General Assembly’s Software Engineering Immersive and joined the Codence team as an Apprentice. When she’s not coding, she’s either fangirling about BTS or making travel plans with her family. 

– Tell us, how did you end up doing an Apprenticeship with Codence?

After completing General Assembly’s Software Engineering Immersive, I came across the Codence Apprenticeship through an alumni careers slack channel. I was looking for an opportunity where I could continue to learn while still gaining real-life experience, so the apprenticeship was a perfect fit for me.

– Do you have any advice for people transitioning careers to the tech industry?

My biggest advice would be to be patient with yourself through this new journey. There will be some learning curves, and you will feel a rollercoaster of emotions. Just keep trying your best and make good use of the resources available to you, and don’t give up. 

– What made you interested in learning Claris FileMaker Development?

This apprenticeship! I had never heard of FileMaker before my experience with Codence, but I am super glad I did because Claris FileMaker is such a powerful tool. I feel like I’ve only scratched the surface of what Claris FileMaker can do, and I am excited to keep learning and building custom apps with Claris FileMaker. 

– What is your favorite thing about Claris FileMaker?

My favorite thing about FileMaker is how intuitive and user-friendly it is. It is fairly simple to create & manage databases. The scripting workspace comes with a functions library that isn’t available in other code editors. I also really enjoy testing scripts in the data viewer and script debugger.

– What are your favorite things to work on? What do you feel are your strengths?

One of my favorite thing to work on are layouts. Once your database structure is mapped out, it is effortless to create a UI by dragging, dropping, and adding styles. I would consider being detail-oriented and persistent as my biggest strengths. 

– What is your favorite and least favorite part of working from home?

My favorite part of working from home is spending more time with my fur baby Bambam. My least favorite part of working from home is cooking lunch every day.

– Besides BTS and Kpop, do you have any other obsessions?

I am an avid plant mom and have a collection of 37 indoor plants. I also enjoy cooking and recreating recipes from Tiktok. Pre-pandemic, I used to travel a lot internationally and had a goal of visiting all the countries of the world. I hope to one day re-embark on my travels once it’s safe again

– Share with us one piece of advice you’re glad you took and one piece of advice you’re glad you ignored?

 I am glad I took the advice to travel as much as possible. I am glad I ignored the advice to go to nursing school (Props to all nurses and health care workers, just not for me). 

– What is one thing that might surprise remote coworkers upon meeting you in person?

I make way too many tik-tok references in conversations. I am also pretty short (5’1), which might surprise some folks.

– Do you mind sharing with us your goals or resolutions for the next year? 

I’ll be transitioning into a full-time developer role with Sansei in the new year, which I am really excited about. Career-wise, I hope to get my FileMaker certification and succeed in my new role. On a personal note, I hope to attend a BTS concert in person. 

Shamma will be a great extension of our team in her new role! We appreciate being able to grow the greater Claris Community, help our clients succeed, and — most importantly — to start new careers.

Visit this page if you are interested in learning more about the Apprenticeship program.