Leaping into the Unknown: My Career Change to Web Development

It was the last day of 2021, I took a leap of faith that would forever change the course of my life. I bid farewell to my stable sales job, embraced uncertainty, and embarked on a path I had always yearned to tread — the path of a software engineer.

“The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.” — Franklin D. Roosevelt

Back in 2014, during my university days as a telecommunication engineering student, I was introduced to the world of programming. This initial encounter with C++ wasn’t love at first sight, but it left a lingering curiosity. Spending hours sitting behind the computer, meticulously editing metadata of thousands of songs I downloaded online already sounded like debugging to me. However, with the demands of my coursework, finding the right time to dive in seemed elusive.

Discovering Web Development

Destiny nudged me towards web development in 2017. I had the opportunity to serve in a high school where final year students were introduced to web development. It was during this time that I started learning HTML on the fly, and I found myself captivated by the possibilities of the language. I would learn and teach it in class. The more I delved into it, the stronger my interest grew.

The Sales Job Challenge

But once again. life had other plans, and I found myself taking a sales job at a roofing company. It was a departure from my aspirations, but despite my lack of sales background, I embraced it as another exciting challenge. I’ve always had a growth mindset so, armed with that, and some childhood experience helping at the family stores, I immersed myself in sales books and quickly became a top performer. But a growth mindset can only take you so far. You must love what you do to continue growing. Not to say I hate sales, but I didn’t enjoy it as much after 2 years working at it. As time passed, I couldn’t ignore the lingering question within: Was this truly the path I wanted to pursue long-term?

“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life .” — Confucius

Rediscovering Software Engineering

After two years in sales, my inner voice grew louder and I couldn't ignore it anymore. I conducted extensive research, mapping out a personalized road map. I knew it was time to make a pivotal change in my career. It was going to be hard, I knew that but I had saved enough to be able to make this change. So on the last day of 2021, I bid farewell to my stable sales job.

Taking the Leap

Leaving behind the comfort of a stable sales job was both exhilarating and terrifying. It was a leap of faith into the unknown. It marked the beginning of a new chapter, one filled with challenges and learning opportunities but I knew it was necessary to chase my dreams. With this burning desire to excel, I embarked on this self-taught path, ready to invest my time, energy and savings to acquire the skills needed to become a succesful software engineer.

Fourteen months have passed, and my dedication has yielded remarkable progress. I have immersed myself in the essentials: mastering HTML, CSS and JavaScript in the first year. The first iteration of my plan stated that I should be done in 6 months LOL. But within 4 months, I already knew it was impossible. There’s simply too much to learn. After the first year, in 2023, I was ready to pick up the frameworks. I started working with Bootstrap, TailwindCSS and React. The Odin Project, The Mozilla Developer Network, Free Code Camp, W3Schools, YouTube, and vibrant tech communities on platforms like Discord, Reddit, and Quora have been invaluable resources on this journey.

“Don’t watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going.” — Sam Levenson

Although I haven’t yet landed my dream job in software engineering, I am filled with hope and optimism. I believe that with perseverance and continuous learning, the right opportunity will come knocking at my door. The passion that drives me is unwavering, and I am excited for what lies ahead. In my next blog post, I’ll delve into the challenges I’ve faced as a self-taught developer, aiming to inspire and offer insights to fellow learners on similar paths.

My journey is a tale of embracing change, following my heart, and taking risks. I’m grateful for the opportunities that have shaped me and the resources that have supported my growth. As I continue to learn, grow, and share my experiences, I am confident that I am on the right path, eagerly anticipating the moment when my dream job becomes a reality.