Woah, I’m halfway there. Thankfully though, unlike Bon Jovi, I don’t feel like I’m livin’ on a prayer. It is hard to believe how much has changed in the past 11 weeks. It was stated at the beginning of this program that it’s like drinking from a firehose, and I remember thinking (and writing) about how it was more like a thousand garden hoses. I had a hard time finding the right balance between work and life, and I remember staying up late some nights trying to figure out or troubleshoot various assignments. But over time, some of those garden hoses started to get turned off.
Don’t get me wrong; many are still gushing. However, I feel I have now reached a point where I can control them better. I have become more comfortable with not always knowing how to handle a specific ticket and recognizing that there are many resources I can call upon to help tackle problems. More importantly, though, I have improved at recognizing my self-confidence and progress.
In my previous position, I had (what I consider) the luxury of joining a start-up and building a solution from scratch. I worked with a small team, and I was able to become really knowledgeable about that codebase—how it worked and was pieced together. But that isn’t always the case in programming. Currently, the team I’m working with sometimes finds that our next sprint involves a completely different language that we need to learn to use and set up. Or we may inherit an existing codebase and figure out what needs to be adjusted when we create new features. I had to jump into multiple tickets that I initially didn’t know how to start, and then figure out how to solve those tickets and contribute code.
At first, this was very jarring for me. I was used to thoroughly understanding how something works—its ins and outs—before adding new features. So in the beginning of this program, I felt I had a lot of spinning plates, trying to keep up because I wanted to know how everything worked on a deep level. However, as I’ve learned, it’s nearly impossible for one person to know everything. And after cycling through multiple tickets and different stories, the unknown of not knowing how to do something isn’t as daunting. Because I know that if I don’t know something, it just means there’s something new to learn or a question to ask my team.
And I’m pleased—dare I say even a bit proud—of this recognition. Of being comfortable with the unknown. As I reflect on this journey, I realize that adaptability is key in tech. Embracing uncertainty has not only made me a better problem solver but has also opened the door to new learning opportunities. Each challenge I face now feels less like an obstacle and more like a stepping stone toward growth. I’m excited to continue this journey, equipped with newfound confidence and a willingness to dive into the unknown. Here’s to the rest of the program and all the garden hoses yet to be tamed!
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