Planting My Software Engineering Tree
My decision to quit my job and enroll in Flatiron’s Software Engineering bootcamp was both premeditated and impulsive. On one hand, I had been researching code camps for over a year, frequently talking to friends and acquaintances that graduated from various programs. Although this narrative is true, there’s also the one of me tossing all my planning out of the window. My original plan was actually to wait at least another year. I always had a “reason” to hold off. I have to save up first. I’ll go for it after I move in with my best friend. You name it. The timing never seemed right. So a simple Chinese proverb that my friend shared with me struck a chord during a time of indecision and hesitation:
“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”
I previously worked in web development as a project manager where I was exposed to the world of tech. I utilized the Magento software to create and maintain client websites. It was very fulfilling identifying the overlap between client needs and Magento’s native and custom functionalities to accommodate their business models. When it came down to the nitty gritty, however, I had no idea what lines of code did what, or why the required API seemed to have a bug. All I could do was report and manage. Every time a developer would drop a meme into our Slack channel, I would lightly chuckle at content that I can half relate to, while recognizing that it was “dev humor” I couldn’t fully understand. Yes, I’m going to tell my future employers that the reason why I pursued Software Engineering is because I wanted to understand its meme culture. Ugh, millennials.
Jokes aside, my exposure to tech gave me a sense of longing to be on the “other” side, to be the one actually debugging and creating. My role as a Technical Account Manager planted my desire to become a Software Engineer early into the position. I knew I found my big career pivot, but it was difficult to take the leap. Giving up my stable income during a time when so many were, and still are, unemployed from the pandemic was an enormous decision to make… but the tree wasn’t going to plant itself. There was no condition met, no milestone achieved. Yet I put in my 2 weeks; I realized that now is as good a time as any (except 20 years ago of course).
Two weeks into the Full time Software Engineering Flatiron program, I know that I made the right choice. I’m excited to wake up every day to learn more programming, because I know how powerful code can be. The impact and reach that creating technologies can have is empowering and inspiring. I’m excited to be a part of the tech community and to start a journey of continuous learning even after this program. You already know that this girl is going to be planting way more than a single tree.
