This plan will outline my goals, commitments and expectations for my time at DevAcademy.
I want to start as a in a junior developer in a growth-focussed environment - I see the people and mentors that I am surrounded by as vital to my learning.
I aspire to develop my skills, pursue my curiosity and move into more senior roles.
I would love to work for a market-leader and a company that is passionate about best-practices.
I would like to work on products that benefit peoples lives and the world that we live in.
Penultimately, I want to pursue the $schmoney - hence trying to learn as much as I can and developing excellence in my skillset and ability to learn. I am tired of being a broke student and I would like to build a comfortable lifestyle for myself, my family and those within my scope of influence.
Overall, I would like to be a part of creating more space for women and other minorities in tech, and empower others that I work with to excel alongside me.
Strengths:
I bring passion, humour, curiosity and an honest work ethic to my learning. I think that it will help me to tap into these strengths when things get more challenging - identifying bigger goals can help bring purpose to tasks that seem frustrating or trivial in the moment.
I strive for excellence and beauty in all that I create. While the downside of this is a blur into unhealthy perfectionism, I think this drives my learning and growth, and is a core part of my identity that I bring to everything I do.
I hold broad perspectives, social intelligence and kindness as core values in my approach to the world. This breaks down barriers between myself and others. I look forward to working on my co-working and team skills to bring these values into practical action.
Limitations:
The flipside of striving for excellence is a huge demand on myself created by perfectionism, which in its turn creates a fear of being wrong and not knowing everything. This is something I am hyper-aware of and am conscious of mediating. While for many "good-enough" is settling, for me it is a reminder that sometimes moving forward is more important than getting stuck in the details.
I love to work by myself and value independence, which can be a challenge when working in a group setting. I often trust myself and my own judgement more than that of others, which can make it hard to take on constructive criticism, and also means that I take on responsibility for other people's work where I shouldn't.
I found it interesting (and slightly amusing) that the last strength on my list in the VIA test was modesty. Although I do struggle with imposter syndrome, I can also be quite self-absorbed and self-confidant (perhaps overly confident). While this confidence can be positive, I can apply my high standards to others as well as myself, which results in me being quite judgemental, eek. I think I can have a large and fragile ego... definitely want to work on building humility in my identity.
Firstly, I'd like to develop my skill in collaborating. The question that will drive this is: "How can I work with others effectively, share responsibility and uplift others around me, while remaining grounded in myself and my values?"
Secondly, I would like to get better at receiving and taking on board feedback. This includes getting better at allowing myself to make mistakes in the first place.
Thirdly, I would like to maintain the routine that I have started, and continue to prioritise my physical, mental and emotional well-being while I learn, both within and outside of the course.
I am committed to maintaining a strong routine with clear boundaries, in order to protect my physical, mental and emotional well-being. This includes daily exercise, mindfulness practice, reflection and continued work with my therapist, aswell as clear on and off times for being engaged with course work.
I am committed to working with my peers in a respectful manner, recognising what I can learn from them and being open and patient in my approach when working collaboratively. I am committed to steering away from comparison with others, as this can be challenging for me.
When things are building up and getting to me I am committed to approaching a facilitator for guidance, talking to a friend, working through things with my therapist or simply taking a break from my desk to refresh and get some perspective.
I am committed to developing the skill of asking questions when I have them! Even if I might, then, find the answer to the question myself.
optional emphasisI expect respect and openness from the Facilitation team in response to the expression of a need for support in technical or core challenges. If unable to provide the help required, I would expect re-direction or guidance toward an appropriate resource.
I will be away for one or two days on Easter weekend for my Poppa's 95th birthday.
I intend to take up Muay Thai classes a few times a week to maintain my physical fitness during bootcamp. This might require me to go train and then return to campus to work on course material, or perhaps get up early to go before the day begins.