When I'm asked to describe my journey into tech, I always start with codebar. This is the weekly workshop that helped give me the skills and confidence to seek out my first job as a web developer.
I got my first job in mid-2017 and the company seemed excited to take me on, even though they didn't necessarily have an intern position open. Before starting, I had built a personal website and done some coding challenges.
The internship was overall ok but there were moments that made me feel down such as being asked if I really enjoy JavaScript and if not, did I want to choose a different career? Or being jokingly asked by a colleague "what, they really pay you?!". Or being told indirectly by the lead developer that I should go away and take a bootcamp first.
Maybe they were out of line, but maybe they also had a point. Who knows? I know for sure that I still had an enormous amount to learn. But were the confidence knocks really going to help me get there? In hindsight they didn't help at all.
Luckily at the same time I had wonderful and supportive people around me. It's a shame I wasn't working with or for them instead.
My second job in tech wasn't much better on the support front. I was hired as a trainee but didn't get one-to-one meetings or help with measuring my progress. After 10 months I was told that I didn't even have the skills to become a junior developer, because a junior should "be able to take a simple project from start to finish alone". Hmm. Even back then, that opinion sounded off to me.
My third and current job is really great. I was hired by two people who value non-technical expertise and people skills just as highly as technical expertise. The job was challenging from the start but I've learned so much there. If I hadn't been given the opportunity, I wouldn't have all that valuable experience behind me.
What will 2021 look like for me? Well, it'll soon be the fourth year anniversary of my first developer job. Am I proud of what I achieved and learned in that time? Yes! Do I still feel imposter syndrome around my technical abilities? Yes! But if there's one thing I've learned, it's to make sure I am comfortable with being uncomfortable.
Besides, many people have told me they admire what I achieved so far with my tech writing, helping organise codebar in Berlin, being involved in the web community, and more.
The top three bits of advice I'd give to anyone who is new(ish) in tech, especially those who aren't white cis guys, is firstly that while there are insensitive people, there will always be 100 amazing people in their place to support and cheer you on. Being part of the web community has kept my motivation and sanity up! Secondly, it's okay to feel imposter syndrome. Everyone does, even super-technical people who make amazing things. Being a developer means you need to be comfortable with never knowing everything, and always be learning.
Lastly - everyone works at their own pace, has their own strengths, and interests. Comparing yourself to others is never a good strategy. Only compare yourself to yourself. There is no way that you from today compared to you from 6 months ago has not progressed or learned anything. Above all, try to enjoy what you're doing and don't rush things for the sake of being the "best". 🙂
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