What learning opportunities have you missed because you said “I’m not a designer” or “I am not a coder” ? Or how many times have you missed out on widening your skill set because you’re known as “just” a back end developer? Whether you like it or not, the harsh truth is that labels affect you and the work you choose to do.
“Designer” “Engineer” “Developer” “Front End” “Back End” “UI” “UX”. Things move quickly in tech, and beginners might feel the pressure to assume one of these identities as soon as (or even before) they know what the label really means for them. I wish I could say that titles are not that important, but they can carry a lot of meaning. A title can convey a skill set and degree of proficiency, but it can also pigeonhole someone. A title greatly influences how others perceive you, but more importantly a title can influence how you perceive yourself.
What can you do about it?
Own your labels and do good work.
Better yet, next time someone asks you who you are and what you do, show them your projects. Anyone can claim to be a developer, but it’s the portfolio that will earn the name. Create the content you like, and the titles will follow.
