INTRODUCTION:
My journey in tech, as a software developer, has been full of potholes and speed bumps (especially at the beginning). Along the way, I have learnt that speed bumps are for slowing down and potholes can be filled in. Just like real-life challenges some could be lessened, and others we could fix.
Follow along as I share with you 3 major challenges, I have faced in my career journey and how I have been tackling them:
1. Choosing a career path
In front of you are four different flavored lollipops to choose from: pineapple, strawberry, orange, and watermelon. Which would you pick? To me, the different career paths in Tech are like the four lollipops. All very good options. And hard to pick if you- like me - want to have them all. To overcome this challenge, I have decided to first narrow down my options, then try them all.
1. First, I narrow down my options: I do this by surfing the internet and attending tech events to know more about the different paths. “What is web development? What does it mean to be a digital marketer?” etc. I strike out the ones that sound the least exciting.
2. Second, I try them: I started by learning front-end web development. To avoid being a jack of all trades, I went as far as I could; immersing myself in the track, building projects, learning frameworks, and reading articles. Now, I am learning something very different; Data Science and Machine Learning, and hope to dip my feet in its waters too.
The point is, by the end of the day I would like to settle for an option knowing I enjoy it most, and not wondering how the other options are like.
2. Lacking motivation
Most days, my name is ‘Passionate’. But, every once in a while, I feel drained and lack the will to move forward. In my opinion, these emotions are usually triggered by feelings of self-doubt, anxiety, or stress. To me, this challenge is a speed bump; unavoidable. Now, how do I slow down when there is a speed bump ahead?
Remind myself of the end goal
Remind myself that “I haven’t come this far, to only come this far”.
Reward myself for the small and big wins
Take breaks, eat and sleep well to avoid getting burnt out
Find and talk to people that motivate and push me
3. Debugging
Debugging code which is the routine process of locating and removing computer program bugs, errors, or abnormalities, could be the most frustrating and soul-crushing part of being a programmer. Several times, when all hope was lost, I considered giving up. Soon enough, I discovered that there were platforms available online to help with debugging. On websites like stack overflow, one could post his error message and his code, and get volunteers to suggest or make corrections.
Those are just a few of the major challenges I have been facing, and how I have been tackling them.
If you find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere. Frank A. Clark
Thank you for reading.
Photo credits: Unsplash