Embracing Self-Discovery on the Bench: A Journey of Personal Growth
In the fast-paced world of professional life, periods of downtime or being on the bench during a project hiatus might initially seem frustrating. However, these moments can actually provide a unique opportunity for self-discovery and personal growth. This blog post explores how being on the bench can be transformed into a journey of self-exploration, reflection, and newfound understanding in the technology industry.
1. Embracing the Pause:
When you find yourself on the bench, it’s easy to fall into a cycle of restlessness and impatience. However, viewing this period as a chance to take a step back and pause can lead to profound personal insights. Use this time to re-evaluate your goals, passions, and the direction you want your career and life to take. Discovering your creative skills can come from sharing knowledge. This can be achieved by putting together some Brown Bag Sessions (lunch and learn). Knowledge sharing has so many benefits for teams. Advantages are encouraging team engagement, cooperation as well as breaking silos. It is also a learning path for yourself as you deliver learning resources and research on your favourite topics as well as experiences shared from past projects or exam topics taken through preparations.
2. Reflecting on Past Experiences:
Being on the bench offers you the chance to reflect on your past experiences, both professionally and personally. Take time to review your accomplishments, challenges, and the lessons you’ve learned along the way. Consider how these experiences have shaped you and how they can inform your future choices. Take this time to yourself for self-development, acquire some new certifications and gain new skills. Discover new challenges and set goals for yourself. Reflect and update your CV on Version 1 CV Partner and this can help you to get picked for the next project.
3. Exploring New Interests:
Exploring new interest during downtime on the bench can be a great way to learn new technologies. Learning new technology tools is a great way to improve your development and operations processes. Keep in mind that the world of technology is evolving , so it is essential to stay updated with the latest tools and technology. This downtime is the perfect occasion to explore new passions or revisit old ones. Engaging in creative activities, sports, or even learning a new skill can help you reconnect with your authentic self and uncover hidden talents. Often times you might find yourself isolated but making an effort to visit your nearest Version 1 office does wonders. Take this time to come and meet colleagues and make new connections. Join Teams communities on the Version 1 platform, for example, we have an AI community that is running competitions on the best ideas like for example The Imitation Game, engage with others on the AWS or Azure lean coffee meetings platforms come up with topics to discuss to share ideas. This allows you to showcase your talent and best ideas and share them with others.
4. Self-Improvement and Skill Enhancement:
Professional development doesn’t have to halt just because you’re on the bench. Keep in mind about your self-assessment. Whilst on the bench this is the time you might struggle to get feedback from colleagues whilst you are off a project. It can make conversations with your managers awkward but it doesn’t have to be that way. Use this time to enhance your skills or gain new ones. Version 1 AWS Partner has considerable badges for you to gain. Consider taking on AWS Partner training on Generative AI Essential Business Skills, AWS Partner Sales Accreditation Business, AWS Partner Accreditation Technical, AWS Cloud Economics training. Challenge yourself by attaining badges through the AWS Partner and you can also associate these with your Version 1 Credily. Another way of gaining skills is by attending Version 1 workshops or discovering more about Version 1 workshops through Version 1 SharePoint.
5. Networking and Building Relationships:
Being on the bench doesn’t mean you’re isolated. Connect with colleagues within and outside your organization to expand your professional network. Engage in meaningful conversations, exchange ideas, and seek mentorship opportunities. If you are a mentor it is good to create a profile and seek mentees on Version 1 as a lot of new engineers can benefit from this. Building strong relationships can lead to exciting collaborations down the road.
6. Practicing Mindfulness and Self-Care:
Downtime on the bench provides an ideal chance to prioritise your well-being. Engage in mindfulness practices, meditation, or yoga to centre yourself and reduce stress. Additionally, focusing on self-care activities like exercise, healthy eating, and sufficient sleep can contribute to a more balanced and fulfilling life. If you consider sharing tips on exercise and healthy eating sharing your experience with Version 1 communities on Viva Engage will be a great place to start.
7. Setting New Goals:
With fresh insights and a renewed sense of purpose, use this period to set new goals for yourself. Also, share your expertise with others. Experiences could be career-related objectives, personal aspirations, or both. Having well-defined goals will give you a sense of direction and motivation as you move forward.
Conclusion:
While being on the bench might initially feel like a setback, it’s essential to recognize the hidden opportunities it presents for self-discovery and personal growth. By embracing the pause, reflecting on experiences, exploring interests, improving skills, building relationships, practising self-care, and setting new goals, you can transform this period into a transformative journey of self-exploration. Remember, the bench is not a place of stagnation but a platform for empowerment and renewal.
Version 1 has provided me and my colleagues with the different opportunities listed throughout my blog. If this sounds like an organisation you would like to be a part of, check out the current vacancies on our website.
About the Author:
Wendy Sapphire is a Consulting Engineer here at Version 1.
