Cohort Stories: Meet Francisco B.
vol. 5, no. 37 — guest post by Francisco B.
We have all faced challenges to get where we are today, while some face unavoidable external challenges, others face internal challenges. One of the many challenges I have faced is questioning whether I have what it takes to be on par with the rest of the tech competition. No matter how good you think you are, there will always be people who are better than you. “How will you stand out from this crowd”? This is one question people face when they first start their careers; the stress and intimidation can be unbearable, reaching the point where one may abandon their dreams before they take their first steps into their new career. I faced this challenge when I started my first computer science class in college, this specific class had an infamous reputation among students, known as the “gatekeeping” class. With a reputation like that, who wouldn’t be scared. As the semester went on, I found myself studying countless hours, preparing myself for the worst to come; But it never did. This is when I realized that the only difference in each of us is the amount of work and dedication we put into our passion. With this in mind, I soon found myself succeeding in many classes, though it does have its setbacks from time to time.
To be successful in the tech industry, first we must define what our version of success is. For some it may be working in their dream company such as Apple or Google; for others it may be earning a six-figure salary. These goals all sound nice and enticing but they all sound temporary. The tech industry is known for its job-hopping culture; where you are today may not be where you will be five to ten years from now. What success looks like in the tech industry for me is having long term stability. I see this as being able to work on my own terms, being able to create what I want, not what someone else wants. In other words, I want to create a tech company of my own. There are many risks that come with startup companies: results can success or bankruptcy, but I believe it’s a necessary risk to take in order to be successful in the tech industry. The end result aside from financial success would be being able share my ideas and creations with the world. But before all these dreams and aspirations, we must pass our first obstacle, an obstacle everyone faces. Landing that first job.
There are many things that motivate me, from finally having the skills needed to make my software ideas a reality, to soon landing that first internship or job. However, none of this compares to my true motivation, being the first one in my family to have a college degree.
The idea of seeing my family as I receive my degree on stage is all the motivation I need. This motivation will allow me to become successful both academically and career wise.
When times get tough ether because of a difficult course or during a pandemic, I use my motivation to keep pushing forward and achieve success. As the semesters go by, this motivation gets stronger as I get closer to this dream. Some may call this a generic response, who doesn’t have this motivation. For me, this is important because it something that I have been told while growing up. While I have already made my parents proud by moving on to college, finishing college is everyone’s goal.
