When getting started with learning how to code, most probably your goal is to land a software developer job.
However, the first challenge you face as a beginner is choosing the right road map that you need to follow to get a job.
After finding the right road map, the second challenge you will face is landing a job as a beginner with no prior experience.
Another challenge you will face after landing a job is not feeling good enough to do what is expected of you.
I faced all these challenges but I am happy that I was able to overcome them.
In this article, you will learn how I landed a software developer job and how I was able to overcome the challenges I faced.
My Background
After completing my high school studies, I got the results that qualified me to join a university.
However, I didn't have good guidance on what courses to choose from during my university application process.
The only thing I was sure about was that I didn’t want to enroll in a course that involved chemistry and biology😊.
I got a placement to study ICT at one of the universities in Kenya, where during my studies, I didn’t take the program seriously. My main intention was to pass exams and graduate.
After graduation I ended up taking a different path, putting my software development journey on hold.
In 2021, a year after graduation, As I was working as a retail manager, I started feeling lost and empty without a sense of purpose in my life😒😒.
That is when I decided to pursue a career as a software developer. I started looking for boot camps to join, tech communities, and mentors to increase my knowledge and skills.
I joined communities such as Andela, Zindua Africa Koding, and kahawa. During these boot camps, I connected with amazing mentors and friends.
One of my biggest challenges during these boot camps was abandoning projects once they started getting complex which was a huge setback on my side.
One of my biggest goals this year was to venture into a career in the tech industry as a software developer.
I started applying for jobs as an intern or entry-level openings via LinkedIn with the few skills I had learned in the boot camps.
I was successful in one of my applications, I got a chance to sit on my first interview.
The experience of the interview was nerve-wracking and challenging.
However, as a beginner with no prior experience, the interview was based on confidence and my communication skills and I qualified for the job 😃😃.
My First Job.
After getting my first job, I experienced a few challenges in the first few months.
First I started doubting my ability to learn and understand concepts.
Due to this, I spent long hours in the office, getting to a point where I started working on non working days to make sure the projects were perfect.
The pressure I had put on myself took a toll on my mind and body, resulting in anxiety, procrastination, and lack of sleep especially if I was stuck on a project.
This challenges affected my productivity in the job and my well-being.
However, I was able to overcome the challenges by doing the following;
I started taking breaks as well as getting enough rest and sleep which helped me cope with my anxiety.
Asking for help from my team members helped me learn and make a progress in my projects.
I stopped comparing my self with other developers and decided to focus on building my confidence by learning and practicing more in programming.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Right now I am happy that I got to reach my goal of getting a job as a software developer.
I am still working on being better each day, what matters is being consistent and never giving up.
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