Rabeb Othmani

Software engineer, developer advocate and community organiser, Rabeb Othmani shares the inspiring story of her career so far and how it is that we can bring more diversity and inclusion to our industry

- Oliver Lindberg

Seven years ago Rabeb Othmani – or Bibi, as friends like to call her – packed her bags and, at just 25, left her home in Tunisia to move to the UK on her own. It’s still one of her proudest achievements. Now a seasoned developer advocate with a decade of software engineering experience under her belt, she helps developers around the globe build user-friendly applications, while also pushing for more diversity and inclusion in the industry.

Othmani has always had a passion for maths and eventually this passion evolved to include engineering. “I’m from one of those cultures where you have the option to be either a doctor, an engineer or a lawyer,” she laughs. “My mother actually wanted me to be an engineer, surprisingly because usually, the parents want girls to be doctors!” So, at the age of 18, Othmani decided to enroll at the Preparatory Institute for Engineering Studies in Tunis for an intensive two-year course in maths and physics before studying Computer Science Engineering at university.

As she also has a passion for traveling and exploring new horizons and cultures, Othmani wanted to experience living and working abroad when she completed her degree. As a result of winning the local finals of the Imagine Cup – Microsoft’s global technology competition for college and university students – in 2010, she attended the computer giant’s TechEd conference in the US. It was there she met the person who would become her first manager in the UK; they happened to be looking for a junior developer, which opened a door and Othmani moved to Britain.