From A Student’s Perspective – Week 7
Professional development week, nice to meet you!
Week 7 was honestly the most unsuspecting of all lessons this far. My Monday thoughts were something to the tune of “I already have my stuff together, I don’t need a whole week to do this,” and were preceded by the assumption that this week would bring free time to just brush up on the previously-covered material and call it a day. Boy was I wrong. By the time Friday came around, I still had so much more to do and I never even had the chance to open back up the lessons we already went over.
This week’s focus was both front- and back-end projects. I had to make sure my e-portfolio was not only working but also aesthetically pleasing. Unintentionally, the week allowed me to delve further into the different languages we have learned this far, bringing them together to build one whole well-oiled machine. Although this week wasn’t overly brain busting, it was super impactful. We worked on our LinkedIn profiles, e-portfolios, GitHub accounts, interview prep, and all things related to becoming a fully functioning Jr. Dev. in the real world.
My Friday reflections unveiled the milestone I have been working towards since day one – I officially am able to begin taking the next steps and applying for jobs in this new field. Will I be applying for senior level roles? Of course not. But is my figurative toolbox beginning to fill up? Absolutely. I have actual projects I created from start to finish, I have games I built, websites I can share, and an understanding of the different processes. My tools may not be the sharpest, but they exist! At this point in the experience that is all I could ask for.
Just when I thought this revelation was all the validity needed to keep going, a second through crept up. I still have two more months to sharpen my tools, my skills, my portfolio. And just like that, a second weight was lifted. It was in this moment I realized that I will be okay, I will find a job, I will be prepared and I WILL survive! Queue Gloria Gaynor…