Tech enables you to work in virtually any industry
I’ve always had an eclectic mix of interests, with a degree in Liberal Arts & Sciences to back it up. Excelling at only one thing was never something that appealed to me which I think is why I always struggled with choosing a career path. What ultimately led me to choose tech was the idea that I wasn’t really shutting out any opportunities. Tech allows you to work in virtually any industry, in any country and uses a wide range of skills. While a Liberal Arts & Sciences degree might not obviously relate to web development, different aspects of the course have drawn upon a surprising range of skills.
One of the more obscure skills I have found myself drawing upon is acting. While I have not acted for many years, and never wish to again, I took LAMDA exams throughout my school life, attended weekly speech and drama lessons and performed at local festivals. Though my acting career is well and truly behind me, the experience has helped me greatly in giving weekly presentations and, more recently, a ‘TED-like’ talk during our soft skills week.
Effective developers don’t solely focus on code
Another surprisingly relevant experience was taking an Entrepreneurial module at university. Not only did I learn about the wider tech environment, teaming up with IBM to explore Blockchain and Internet of Things technology, but I also learned about pitching, Venture Capital and SEO. While not all of these are directly relevant, they feed into a bigger picture that is important to be aware of as a web developer. The technology will always be changing and there is more than pure coding to be aware of to be an effective developer.
Just because we’re learning to code doesn’t mean we aren’t being creative
My art background has also come in handy many times on this course so far – just because this is a development course, it doesn’t mean that we don’t make any creative decisions – in fact, far from it! It is important to consider how the website looks and functions and my studies in Art and my university role as Head of Marketing for a society have certainly influenced my way of thinking when it comes to building a website.
Training to become a Developer with _nology have helped me find my dream career
Ultimately, I think the core skills that I have used on this course are problem solving and teamwork. I won’t always know the answers, but if I am equipped with the tools to figure it out for myself and to help those around me, then I will be a far better developer for it. However, developing my own skills will only take me so far – I have learned from this course that to be a great developer, you need to not only improve your own skills, but to bring your team up with you too.
With the role of a web developer drawing upon so many different skills and interests, it’s hard not to be excited about starting my career. While all these skills are valuable, I think my enjoyment comes mainly from getting to develop and use my creative and logic skills on a day to day basis. With a background in Mathematics and Art, it really feels like I have found the ideal role for me.