Getting started with Tech (1)

The start of your career should be about delivering as much value as possible.

Sacrifice

Starting a career in Tech especially as a Software Developer or Engineer, requires a lot of sacrifice. Be prepared to sacrifice everything outside work and work smartly for a couple of years. This includes your personal relationships, social life and activities you used to do before now. Your social life if there will be any, will be with similar minded people either at work or field of learning. Everyone else is a distraction.

Personally, the first 7 months of my career was spent alone. No social life, gathering or relationship. I saw every little time or opportunity for eXtreme learning and programming. From a course to another, note to another and whatnot. I knew that I had lost every form social life and as much as it was hard accepting it, I had to make that sacrifice but then again, being an introvert made it a lot easier. The time spent in solving problems and understanding principles and fundamental of programming built an astounding amount of technical skill and it has helped me find my balance in the programming community.

Sprint not Marathon

Don’t do pointless task, or study pointless things. Go straight to your needs. Don’t take up jobs that are boring or not importance to your growth and development. Job hop when necessary. I was talking to a friend who is a software developer who has been in the industry for some years and spoke about how he quit his job and he has started another and I was like “whyyyyyy????” and he said the work load was a lot. So no matter how good you are, you’ll eventually get tired and bored out.

Maximize your opportunities and your skills. The balance between life, social life, non-tech hobbies would come after you have established yourself in the industry and have rock-solid confidence in your skills.

Have a Mentor

The need of a mentor can’t be overly emphasized. Mentors are people who have gone through the path before you, so having one already lets you have a practical instance on what you are to expect along the way and a guide through the journey. They may not necessarily be 10,15 years older than you, but you sure do know people who have stood the test of time in your field and you can boast in their skills. Having someone in the age group, even makes it easier because it helps with relating and being open.

When I started my career as a Developer, I had friends who were years ahead of me and I would always run to them whenever there was a problem and along the line I got a Mentor. This has helped in accountability, coaching, motivation and simply seeing someone who went through this path and is doing great is the best form of encouragement. Just lets me know that if they could do it, I can do it also.

Burning out

I can’t count how many times I almost lost it. But the good thing is the “loosing it” reduces with time, practice and studying.

Don’t feel INTIMIDATED

It is very normal to seat and think if you’re making any progress at all. Its easy to see big Tech bros and Sis and wonder when you’ll get to that point, or when you’ll start attending Tech seminars and rolling with the cabals. I mean I was once there; stalking the big boys and girls in total admiration.

But remember, before they became cabals, they went through all of these; SACRIFICE, SPRINT AND NOT A MARATON RACE, HAVING MENTORS, and BURNING OUT.

So seat down, work hard and smart, go through the process and you’ll become one of the cabals.

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