A few months ago, a graduate of the same coding bootcamp I attended reached out to me to talk. This week, I attended an event where most of the other attendees were more recent grads (or current students) of NYC Tech Talent Pipeline programs. The thing these two occurrences had in common is that they were both opportunities for me to share my experience and advice with people who are newer to the field and are looking for all the help and information they can get.
I’ve never thought of myself as someone who could help guide others. I haven’t been doing this for very long, and most of the time I just stumble through it, so what could I possibly have to offer others?
Having these conversations and talking to newer grads has actually helped me figure out what advice I have to offer. Whether it’s talking about how I found my current job (a recruiter reached out on LinkedIn), advice for learning algorithms (look at everyone else’s answers to see if there’s anything you’re not familiar with that you want to learn), or just chatting about what tech I use at my job (nothing exciting, honestly), my experience does have value to people who want to learn more about the industry and how to stay up to date.
I know that I don’t know everything. I’m still new, still learning, and still making a lot of mistakes. I will probably end up giving a lot of people some not-so-great advice. But … I can also give good advice. Just talking about my experience can be beneficial for those who want as much information as they can get to help them continue their journey. I may not be an expert at anything (other than possibly minor and independent league baseball teams in the NYC area), but people can learn from my experiences, so I am happy to continue sharing them with anyone who wants to hear about it.
