Sabreen A. - Software Engineer

Title: Software Engineer
Location: Chicago, IL
Joined: 2018
Preferred pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Doing good things and building great things with Sabreen, one of our Chicago Software Engineers.

How did your Groupon journey begin? What roles at Groupon have you had since then?

My Groupon journey started in the summer of 2018 as an intern for the Ion Team (Web Search & Discovery). During my internship, I met some incredible people, learned a lot, and even delivered a feature that eventually made it onto the production website! Because I enjoyed my experience so much, I decided to come back full-time after graduation, and have been on the same team ever since. It’s been just over two years now, so I’m looking forward to getting the Groupon green track jacket!

How are you staying connected with your team as we’re all working remote?

Since transitioning to a remote environment, my team has incorporated a lot more Zoom meetings into our schedules. We have weekly pair-programming meetings in which we work on tickets and debug issues together. My favorite meetings though, are our virtual games times! We take time each week to play games like Among Us, Code Names, or Drawsaurus. It’s a nice way to take a break from work and have fun with each other virtually. 

What do you love about your job?

This is a very unoriginal answer, but it’s true - I love the people! All the people I’ve worked with here have been kind, welcoming, and very collaborative. I have been able to get along with my team very well, and have always felt included and accepted. Working with amazing people makes my job a lot more enjoyable, and it's one of the things keeping me here at Groupon.

What advice do you have for women who want to pursue a career in engineering?

Take advantage of all the resources available to you. There are so many groups and initiatives dedicated to supporting women in tech, whether it be at your school, on social media, or employee resource groups at your company. All of these women just want to help each other out, so don’t be intimidated to reach out and ask for advice or support 🙂.

What’s the first career you dreamed of having as a kid?

I’ve always wanted to be an artist. I like all types of art, from painting to drawing, and even graphic design. I think this might be why I enjoy front-end engineering. I love the visual aspect of seeing my code come to life!

What do your parents think you do?

My dad is a Software Developer himself, so he understands what I do. However, my mom keeps referring to my field as “IT” no matter how many times I correct her. During my internship, it was really cool to show them my Quick View feature on the website when it was launched so they had a better idea of the kind of work I do.

What do you miss about being in the office?

I miss the spontaneous conversations that would come up naturally. Just by grabbing coffee from the kitchen or walking in the hallways, I was able to meet new people and catch up with people from other teams. In the virtual world, it’s a lot harder to connect with people that you don’t work with directly.