My Journey to Software Development

Why I have embarked on a career in Software Development.

As a millennial, I grew up in a generation of fast-paced changes. Technology started creeping into American Schools and creating an exciting stir in many communities. I was raised in a very low-income community, but our school was able to facilitate a computer lab with about fifteen computers. My first computer lab class generated a lot of curiosity. I remember going home and begging my mother to buy a computer so I could tinker with it. Unfortunately, we could not afford it. I knew I had to find a solution to my problem. That solution came about six months later when the library inherited a few computers from another location.

Time for a Library card.

This news spread like wildfire amongst the community. Students and parents alike would gather at the local library to await a turn on those glorious pieces of equipment. While waiting in long lines to acquire my computer time, I started checking out books that related to technology. Most books were ridiculously hard to read. I tried asking my parents what a concept of the book was trying to depict. Technology had just been born a few years before. This made it hard for my parents to answer any computer science questions. In fact, the only good resource I had was my computer lab teacher. Thankfully we were on our way to the digital era.

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Everything was digital.

Soon we had toys that ran on batteries with a digital interface. Toys like the Tamagotchi and Furbies were all the rage. When I was sixteen, I inherited a Nokia 3310. Yes, the one with a green screen. Texting on this phone was an Olympic sport! If you misspelled a word you had to backspace your whole sentence. It made me really appreciate vocabulary in elementary school. As time went on, I was obsessed with keeping up to date with the newest technology. I had started working at a restaurant and would try to save for the newest items. My interest grew, but I was detoured.

Life Happens

At last, I was in my senior year of high school and I had some big decisions to make. I had no idea what career moves I wanted to make. Upon doing tests to see what careers would be the best fit, I would always score high in being customer-centric. This would lead to people telling me I needed to investigate Nursing School. So as a clueless broke teenager who worked in the fast-food industry, I went the only route that was preached to me. I went to community college and took out student loans. I ultimately found myself in a different circumstance and had to switch gears to study medical billing and coding. I was successful in graduating with honors and receiving a diploma for my efforts. It became clear to me very quickly that education was not enough. I needed to learn how to become a professional.

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Years of service

I was stuck. I did not know how to give people what they wanted in interviews. I did not know how to write a resume and I did not have a set path to a career. I would run into friends I grew up with and they would try to offer advice. That is when I discovered another issue. I was scared. I was not simply scared; I was petrified of the unknown. It was not until my oldest child was ten and I had been through a lot of life-changing events that I told myself "that was enough!" I had had it with working fourteen-hour days and begging for help. I was a single mother of three. I handled everything that life threw at me, but now, it was time for a drastic change. I knew that it was time to make each day count. I was a mother, a mentor, and a determined soul. It was time to remember who I was.

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Amazon, a saving grace.

A good friend had kept trying to recruit me to Amazon. I ultimately gave in. I was currently in a management position at the local gas station. My friend persuaded me to try Amazon after explaining the pay rate and benefits. I had never held a job with benefits. It all sounded too good to be true. I gave in and applied. About two months later I was walking into my first Amazon warehouse.
My day 1 experience was beautiful. I got to walk around the warehouse and meet managers. Then, they stationed me in a station and taught me how to stow. What really got to me was they gave us two paid breaks and I got to leave on time! I honestly felt like I was not doing enough. I transferred to outbound a short time later and before I knew it, I was an ambassador and teaching processes to newer employees. I fell in love with teaching on a personal level. I learned all the processes, including a process named 'problem solve'. That love of technology came sweeping over me like I was eleven years old again. As I progressed to a Trainer I was in awe. Amazon is so technically run that I need to explore the field. How do people make these apps? Then the bigger question "could I learn to do that?"

The Research was Real.

I wanted to know what you needed to learn to make an app. So of course, I Googled it. I found some games and boot camps that seemed okay. I started playing around on a few of the apps my daughter taught me about. They are learning coding basics in school! I was shocked. We had many conversations about coding. It turns out my youngest child is a tech wizard.
Then with all that is glorious, the world opened a door for me. Amazon offered a Software Development course in their career choice program. I could not have signed up fast enough. The excitement of a new adventure had never come over me the way it did when I got accepted into the Flatiron school.
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Tomorrow, another journey

Technology is constantly changing and becoming more interactive. Education is being integrated into our homes through mobile applications and Zoom meetings. I desire to be at the forefront of educational opportunities. I could work for a company that debugs apps or creates interactive learning games. I would also enjoy teaching a class on coding myself. I plan to do some freelance work creating websites for clients I find on Fiver. The best quality about coding is the constant need to learn and problem solve. I look forward to refining my skills in technology and creating an intriguing career. Please feel free to join me on my journey. I know it will be a great one!