Rita Correia2020 was the year of change for all of us. We had to adapt to a new reality, where draconian words like “lockdown” and “pandemic” became the new normal. It was also the year I decided to turned my life around and change careers…
What in Summer 2020 seemed to be a huge mountain to climb, it became a reality in early February 2021 and I still have to pinch myself that I actually pulled this off, and landed my first role and a Frontend Engineer! 🎉
It's true what they say, it ain't easy
I must say that changing careers in your early 30’s with a young child in tow sure is challenging, although having a lot of self-discipline and focus definitely helped keeping me in the right track.
If you’re on the same path and pursuing a career in tech, please don’t give up! Stepping out of our comfort zone and trying something new requires a level of mental strength that we might not be used to anymore, especially as adults.
The uncertainty and self-doubt can be hard to manage at times, and in these moments a new mindset must come into play: the growth mindset.
My mindset had to change
Whether I liked or not, I grew up both being moulded by or fighting against what the people around me thought would be the best for me. Good intentions, of course. But it was always implicit that because I wasn’t getting straight As in Maths, pursuing studies or a career in STEM wouldn’t be the best option for me. Unfortunately, lots of girls and young women go through these exact same feelings of inadequacy, having invisible barriers put up in front of them.
I developed my personality under the assumption I wasn’t good enough or smart enough, and with that came a fixed mindset that lasted throughout my early adulthood. Although I always considered myself hardworking and goal-driven, this mindset eventually led me to follow the path of least resistance. I always tended to dedicate time to things I was comfortable with, where it was easy to see what was on the other side of the tunnel.
Software engineering wasn’t even an option for me while growing up in countryside Portugal, especially as a young female. For some time I wanted to be a journalist while my family tried hard to convince me I should study Law. I wasn't having it. I enjoyed being creative and ended up studying New Communication Technologies in University, which thankfully gave me a good mix of user-centric design, coding and computer science fundamentals. I learnt HTML, CSS, ActionScript
(you know Flash was all the rage in 2005) and some PHP (which I now remember absolutely nothing about), with some 3D modeling and video in the mix.
Perseverance is your most powerful weapon when it comes to learning new skills.
I did finish my Bachelor's Degree but I didn’t even consider pursuing a technical role because again I didn’t think I was smart enough, good enough or that i could possibly succeed in the tech world. My Uni experience definitely felt like a "boys club", where the men were into programming and I once again leaned towards the creative aspects of my degree, finding comfort hanging out with other like-minded females, who highly likely felt a bit lost like me.
A career path doesn't have to be linear
Being professionally stagnated to a point of having no real sense of direction was consuming me. With age and increasing dissatisfaction in regards to my choice of career, I eventually stopped caring about what people expected of me.
I stopped believing in the notion that you are born with only one talent, and that you are expected to stay in what will likely be a fifty-year work-life.
No.
We are multidisciplinary beings with a plethora of interests and capabilities and we can find ways to channel them, if we're audacious enough to step outside our own box.
Being a mother, I also wanted to set a good example for my daughter, hoping to become someone she can look up to as she grows.
Persevere and believe in yourself
You can be anything you want to be, if you work hard enough and keep persevering.
Our talents can be developed through hard work, good strategies and discipline. People with a growth mindset tend to achieve more than those who believe their talents are innate gifts, and because of this they will put more energy into learning.
For the first time, I stuck with something I was inherently both fascinated and scared by.
Countless times I considered giving up and taking a U-turn, but I am glad I persevered and kept at it. If changing careers into tech is something you're currently attempting, DO NOT GIVE UP!
Sharing goals with close family and friends will help massively as they will likely be rooting for you, while making you accountable.
It was also extremely important having some badass role models and an incredible sense of support from the Twitter community, where I could share my journey with other folks like me.
There are great initiatives to help you stick to your goals such as #100DaysOfCode, #Javascript30, #7Days7Projects or even #30Days30Projects.
I have also shared some tips and advice based on my experience in landing my first tech role on this article below:
