Who Am I?
I’m Mel Milligan, a Technical Project Manager at Disney Streaming.
Before that, I was a furiously dedicated to studying computer science at UC Berkeley. I analyzed and wrote code for egregiously long hours, trying my best to make it into one of the hardest programs in the world.
When I finally did, I said, “I don’t want to be a software engineer.”
And why? People.
I missed people.
A massive extrovert, I was starved of interaction, stories and connections living behind a screen. I only realized how human-centric I was until I had the degree in my pocket.
So the first chance I got I said, “how do I get to work with people while simultaneously using the degree that took all of my energy to earn?” My answer: project and product management.
I threw myself into PM’ing at Snapchat, and I met hundreds of spectacular people. After a year and half there, I transitioned to Disney Entertainment where I continue to listen, learn and grow.
With a little savvy side-stepping, I managed to nudge my way into a career that fused both my passion for people and for computer science.
Overall, this blog post, and my future posts, will be similar to this one: how to find success in your career as quickly as possible and how to find value in the mistakes you’ve made. I want you to connect with the right people, live independently, and sustain a hard-work mindset, all while maintaining your sanity.
This blog will also contain a collection of my most valuable experiences, pieces of technical knowledge that I’ve gained from the stories and lessons I’ve heard from hundreds of people, read in hundreds of books; knowledge from CS geniuses who now work for the NSA, employees of the company that basically gave Instagram the finger, and from my coworkers at one of the biggest media conglomerates of all time.
It’s a collection of impressions left on me, sometimes small, sometimes long-lasting, sometimes steering me in a direction I would have never imagined, and sometimes dangerous.
The types of content in this series include technical how-tos, inside scoops of corporate tech America, and my personal experiences.
I’d also like to be your connection. I’d like to hear YOUR story and how YOU got to where are you today. So add me on LinkedIn! : https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-milligan12345/
Essentially, if you’re aiming to become a corporate executive while also trying to make your skin look like Jared Leto’s, then this blog is the right place for you.
