02. Debrief: Self-Reflection Exercise Part 1
Let's dive deeper into what asking these questions help you understand.
Why did you choose to pursue a new career?
At first glance, this may seem like an obvious question. Take a moment to look beyond that and truly reflect on what in your personal life is the driving force behind your desire. Why this career path? Why right now? Here are some of the common reasons Udacity Alumni give for pursuing a new career field.
"I realized that I’m not feeling fulfilled in my current career path and want to transition to a job that will challenge and excite me."
"I never thought of myself as someone who could successfully code and develop a mobile app, and I want to give myself that opportunity."
"I have a family that depends on me and I need a better job to continue to provide for them."
See if you can distill your personal reasons for pursuing this career path into one single, assertive sentence. Let this sentence stand as your mission statement. This mission statement will guide you as you learn, as well as remind you of what you’re striving towards when you face challenges in your learning and job search later on.
What questions do you currently have about the tech industry?
It’s critical to articulate and maintain an active interest in the technologies and communities that influence the world you want to establish yourself in. Here are a few examples of questions you might have:
What does [industry term] mean?
Why is this technology used in this way?
Who invented a particular practice and how long has it been in use?
How can I make [this particular technology] better?
Asking thoughtful questions is a valuable skill to employers; it shows them that you understand the concepts and materials well enough to question them. Additionally, as you gain expertise, you may need to answer some of these same questions for those who are where you are now!
What skills do you want improve or develop?
How can you continue to retain and improve upon relevant skills? Furthermore, which skills do you still need to develop in order to meet the qualifications for your next job? These are questions that you should think about, whether you are pursuing a new opportunity or taking the next step in your career.
The benefit of constantly working on existing and new skills is that you will be accumulating a body of work which can be included in your portfolio to showcase to employers.
In order to know which new skills you should focus on developing, you must become familiar with the common skills that the role you're interested in typically requires.
Use your research of the role to guide your decisions on which skills to focus on sharpening next. Explore these potential job roles by conducting a simple Google search - you'll find blog posts, articles and other guides explaining more about the job.