Kemet Dugue: Helping a diverse group of engineers build the future of tech

Welcome to Formation’s Mentor Spotlight, a blog series designed to introduce you to our dedicated and experienced network of program Mentors. Today we’ll meet Kemet Dugue a Software Engineer at Microsoft. Kemet discovered his passion for engineering while working as a Financial Analyst. Read about his journey to becoming both a software engineer at Microsoft and one of our top-tier Mentors.

What is your background prior to Formation?
I studied at NYU where I majored in Economics and minored in Philosophy and Art History. After college, I worked in finance—both in a corporate environment and at a startup.

I discovered my passion for programming during my time in the financial sector. I loved working in Excel and I wanted to do more of that. I had a lot of friends who worked as engineers and they told me to look into JavaScript. I self-taught myself through Udemy courses, but I ended up having so many gaps in knowledge and I didn’t have a good understanding of how the different components of an app connected together. So, I went through a coding bootcamp to piece together my knowledge gaps.

After I graduated from the bootcamp, they hired me on as a contracted teaching assistant. I stayed there for about 5 months, then I worked as a TA at another bootcamp. In 2019, I landed my first engineering role at a marketing startup. I was so happy to get a foot in the door, but the startup folded in January 2020. I knew that in my next job hunt, I wanted to look for something more stable. I also wanted to become a better engineer during this, so I put myself through the interview prep gauntlet to target a FAANG-level company. I interviewed at multiple companies and landed a job at Microsoft where I am today.

Because we’re so underrepresented as a group, it was important for me to develop relationships and build friendships with other Black engineers outside of the workplace. As one of few Black engineers, it’s easy to become complacent and accept the status quo.

What motivated you to become a mentor at Formation?
I really aligned with their mission of helping a diverse group of engineers build the future of tech. I wanted to be a part of helping them up-level their skill set. I hadn't seen other mentoring companies focus on a diverse group of engineers and, coming from an underrepresented background myself, it was important to me.

What has your experience been like working as a Black engineer in tech?
Because we’re so underrepresented as a group, it was important for me to develop relationships and build friendships with other Black engineers outside of the workplace. As one of few Black engineers, it’s easy to become complacent and accept the status quo. One great resource has been /dev/color, a software engineer group that I joined very early on in my engineering career. Having the opportunity to engage and share my experiences with people who come from similar backgrounds on a regular basis has made me more comfortable in my own skin.

Mentoring through Formation has expanded my own thinking—so much so that I wouldn’t be the engineer I am today without it.

What are some of the most common mistakes you see engineers make?

1. Waiting too long to get help. Engineers sometimes don't like to admit they’re wrong. If they have a good idea, they typically don’t go to senior engineers or peers to understand other ways of tackling a problem. So, when they’re really far along in a feature or task and realize they’ve made a non-optimal move, they have to go back and rewrite the code. Engineers come from a diverse set of thought, so it’s cool to see different approaches, but it’s still important to go for the optimal approach.
2. Being afraid to ask the simple questions. It can be daunting when you’re in meetings with other engineers who are talking about a certain concept or design that you don't fully grasp. If you don’t understand the simple parts, it’s hard because a lot of things will build upon that simple concept. That will create complicated or buggy code, so it’s important to ask those simple questions to get a baseline understanding.
3. Not celebrating wins. I’ve seen many engineers only focus on the bugs or problems in another engineer's code. Instead, complimenting engineers when they do good work can create a more positive culture and learning environment.

Can you describe the strongest engineer you know and what makes them such a strong engineer?
I know a really strong engineer who is actually on my team at Microsoft. A few traits that make them stand out to me:

• Always willing to help others
• Communicates early and often
• Has a good understanding of the domain they work in, enough so that they can explain it to other engineers in a way that is both simplified and digestible
• Empathetic
• Always keeps the end-user in mind, no matter what

What does your role look like working with Fellows at Formation?
I lead algo workouts and algo sprint group sessions. The groups for these sessions usually range from 3-6 people. I always make it a point to foster a collaborative environment where I’m able to learn from them as much as they're able to learn from me. By doing this, I can meet them where they are and take them where they need to go, so to speak. Mentoring through Formation has expanded my own thinking so much that I wouldn’t be the engineer I am today without it.

What type of engineers would you recommend join Formation?
I’d say any engineer who is ambitious, determined, resilient, and willing to help others. The willingness to help others trait is big. I’ve seen many so many examples of Fellows reaching out in our community channels when they need help working through a problem. Another Fellow, a Mentor, or even an Alumni will respond to that person and help them work through the problem. That’s the type of community we have here, and I’d recommend anyone who is looking for, and willing to give, that join Formation.

Can you tell me about a success story with one of the Formation Fellows you've mentored and what you think contributed to their success?
There is one Fellow I’m thinking of who started out trying to work through the Engineering Method and they were struggling a bit to grasp it. But that’s the learning process. Throughout our next few sessions, I gave them direct feedback to go through examples when given a problem and, over time, they internalized the Engineering Method with such fluency that it became second nature to them. It was awesome to see that gradual change over the course of our sessions.

Throughout my interactions with Fellows, I’ve seen myself grow into a more empathetic engineer. Their grit and determination are a source of inspiration for me to keep learning and growing as an engineer.

What’s one piece of advice you have for new Formation Fellows?
My biggest piece of advice is to stay consistent. It’s really important to make sure you’re doing things consistently even if you’re not performing well. It will pay dividends in the end.

How have the Fellows impacted you?
Throughout my interactions with Fellows, I’ve seen myself grow into a more empathetic engineer. Their grit and determination are a source of inspiration for me to keep learning and growing as an engineer.

Interesting in learning from Mentors like Kemet and leveling up your career? Apply to join our Fellowship today.