I Pivoted To Software Development And I’m Finding It Real Tough.
The imposter syndrome is real
I always envisaged myself pursuing a career in tech, but like with most things, the expectation differs greatly from reality.
I had initially studied business and after university, I went into product management. But, it didn’t really appeal to me as I felt there were too many meetings and I wasn’t really getting my hands dirty.
So, I looked at software engineers in awe. Simply because they got to solve problems all day creatively.
They didn’t have pointless meetings to attend.
Learning The Craft
That’s when I decided to take up a software development bootcamp with General Assembly.
And, oh boy, was it tough.
Tough, but rewarding.
Yet, there was always a part of me at the back of mind that felt that surely I would get the hang of this eventually. And for the most part, I was slowly progressing.
But when I finished and spent many months preparing for interviews and finally landing a gig, I thought to myself: I’m finally ready.
Little did I know that I was only scratching the surface. I then realised that this career involves a tonne of continued self-learning, practice, experimentation and testing.
And that’s not easy to come by whatsoever.
Remodelling My Understanding Of Work
I always had this expectation that whatever thing I’m going to be doing, I need to be ready from the get go.
I treated work like an assessment or an exam, but what I’ve come to realise after a couple of years in the industry is that no person joining a new company can be immediately ready. It’s an impossibility.
And it’s a really unfair expectation to be setting on one’s self. It only leads to despair.
So, I’ve come to appreciate my inadequacies and my gaps in my knowledge as opportunities for future learning and development.
