When I chose a tech career, I assumed the struggle would end once I became ‘good enough.’ I was wrong.
The hardest part didn’t come at the beginning. It came after.
There’s a phase nobody talks about, where you’re no longer a beginner, but you don’t feel confident either.
You know enough to realize just how much you don’t know.
At first, everything felt exciting. New tools. New concepts. That feeling of “I’m building something”. I believed as I work more, I would grow confident.
Instead, I grew more confused as I progressed.
I started doubting things I used to feel sure about. I compared myself with people who seemed miles ahead. I wondered if I was slow, or worse, if I had chosen the wrong field.
No one warned me that growth could feel like going backward.
There were days I opened my laptop and felt stuck before even starting. Not because the work was hard, but because my mind was consumed with self-doubt.
‘What if others find out I’m not that good?’
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‘Why does everyone else look so confident?’
‘What if I’m not meant for this?’
I chased after surface-level learning instead of truly understanding anything deeply.
The strange thing is, everything looked fine on paper. Job. Skills.
But inside, I felt lost.
This phase stuck out like a sore thumb to me. I’m not failing, and at the same time, not succeeding either.
I was floating somewhere in between, and it took me a long while to come out of that.
First and foremost, I stopped comparing my progress with others.
I picked one thing to get better at instead of rushing at everything. Going deeper into one concept at a time, at my own pace gave me clarity I never got from rushing.
I’m still unsure sometimes. But I no longer feel lost.
Finally, I accepted that feeling unsure doesn’t mean I’m incapable. It’s just that I’m growing.
These thoughts changed how I look at my journey.
Did you ever feel this phase in your career?
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