What was the year like for you ?
I'm not going to lie, 2022 has been a bittersweet year for me. I had some victories and some defeats. Most days, I wept and grinned. I'm an introvert, therefore I try not to see the gates of my complex and avoid neighbors as much as possible. This year, I had my heart shattered several times—LOL. You'd think I'd learn from my blunders, but nope. I've heard the "it's not you, it's me" statement more times than I can count this year, and to be honest, I should give up on love. "Breakfast is new every morning," as one of my friends puts it.
In April, I started my first paid internship with Harmonics technologies. I am now employed as a junior front-end developer, which is a demanding position. A recruiter connected me to another front-end developer position in August, and as luck would have it, I got it. I finally felt like I belonged somewhere. Or so I thought. Lol. Some days I wake up feeling like I have no idea what I'm doing, and other days I feel like I'm on the right road and on my way to being world-class, which is unquestionably the aim. Thus far, so good. And I truly enjoy the experience. I also went into the ADA software engineering training and all I can say is, "Hot Damn". I've been learning, unlearning, and certainly relearning. My facilitators are fantastic, and they take the time to educate and clarify everything. There is no man left behind.
My losses were mostly rejection mails from companies I hoped to work with. I couldn't afford a new laptop this year, either, but we'll go again next year.
What plans do you have for next year?
For me, next year needs to be loud. Growth, self-development, and bold actions in tech space. I'm talking about getting out of the home, meeting new people, traveling, and attending events. I'm not sure how, but I need to figure it out. I hope to contribute more to open source in the coming year. I keep seeing articles about folks who just began in IT and pushed themselves hard enough to earn fantastic jobs. Ikegah Ruth and company, for example. These women motivate me, and I really want to challenge myself and venture outside of my comfort zone next year. I know I was born to be a star, and I'm going to kill this tech thing.
What goals would you like to crush next year ?
My main aims for next year are to be accepted into the outreachy program, to acquire a placement from the ADA training, and to make my first million in tech. I'd want to take part in the She Codes Africa Contributhon as well. Next year, I want to participate in hackathons, work on my Spanish, and learn more about data structures and algorithms. Become a mentor if possible. Enhance my technical writing skill as well as my writing in general. I want to be able to express my emotions, tell my tales, write about work, and write about work tools.
I am quite optimistic and excited about the new year, and I am confident that it will be my finest year yet.
Feliz Navidad and a Happy New Year.