At 18 years old, like many others, I wasn’t sure what career path I wanted to pursue. I entered the University of Michigan pre-med and ended up switching to Philosophy. Needless to say, I wasn’t sure of a practical career path at that point.
Then, I found myself in a symbolic logic class that also happened to be a requirement for software engineering students. This was by far my favorite class at the time, and as I got to know my fellow classmates, I realized that their field could offer a practical outlet for my love of learning and logical thinking.
The start of a new chapter
After graduation, I moved abroad. While studying a new spoken language, I started taking more online coding courses as well. I started with Python, as it’s a versatile programming language with relatively simple syntax. I scoured online resources, devoured tutorials, and tackled coding exercises, all while fueling my passion for programming.
Then, I figured connections are the best way to get a real job. This was my main motivation for enrolling in Israel Tech Challenge (ITC), an intensive five-month Full Stack Development bootcamp. Knowing that this journey would require long hours, I made the decision to relocate closer to the bootcamp.
Enter COVID-19
Just three weeks into the bootcamp, the world was shaken by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to a widespread lockdown. This unforeseen turn of events caused the entire tech industry to rethink how to work. I adapted to the new circumstances, leveraging online resources, virtual collaboration tools, and the support of my bootcamp peers and mentors, who were now all in their own homes communicating with me mainly via Zoom.
Despite the challenges, I emerged from the bootcamp as one of the top-performing students in my class. The pinnacle of our journey was the program’s hackathon. I joined forces with one other full stack developer and three data scientists to create a domestic abuse prevention app. Our team was entirely women, and we were proud when we won the hackathon.
The power of connections
Upon completing the bootcamp, we were all eager to secure internships. However, the COVID crisis had taken its toll on the job market, causing several companies, including the one that I was set to interview at, to suspend their internship programs. Thankfully, the support and personal recommendation of the CEO at ITC brought about a promising opportunity.
Due to countless advocates at ITC, I got an interview at a govtech start up. They decided to bring me on as a developer for their data science team. After a year, I moved to be a developer for a new survey product offering. I loved my time there. I view my time there as invaluable experience that allowed me to further refine my skills, work alongside industry professionals, and contribute to exciting projects.
Career pivots… again
After all of that hard work, I decided to dial back after having a baby and step into a world that involves less on-call shifts and debugging: technical writing. It combines the actual skills that I developed during university, where I read and wrote extensively for my B.A. with the new technical skills I developed in the few years following through self-study, ITC, and hands-on development work.
Conclusion
Reflecting on my journey, it’s clear that persistence, a positive attitude, and the power of networking were crucial to breaking into the tech industry. However, one valuable lesson stood out above all: the value of flexibility.
While it’s essential to set goals and pursue them with determination, it’s equally vital to recognize that goals evolve and change based on the stage of your personal life. Embracing flexibility allows you to adapt, explore new possibilities, and seize unexpected opportunities. Your path may take unexpected turns, but with persistence, a positive attitude, and a willingness to adapt, you can achieve remarkable accomplishments in any stage of life.
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