Mountains climbed, lessons learnt, goals achieved
After a wobbly start to my career in software, it is quite a delight to see myself completing 10 years in the same industry.
Switching 5 companies in these 10 years, the experience expands to working in different environments, with different minds.
Here are the 10 basic personal lessons I am sharing which I culitivated through my struggles and my wins. Some of these are applicable in general to life, while the others may be specific to software.
Here it goes:
Lesson 1: Do not sit on your problems
Working as a fresher in the role of Business Analysis, I thought all the problems in the project were mine to be solved. So I tried solving the ones I could, and sat on the others which I couldn't.
I thought asking for help would make me perceived as incompetent.
Gradually the problems grew painful. And eventually they came and bit me in my ass. I was asked to resign. (this deserves a separate blog)
What I learnt
I cannot solve all the problems myself. And that there is no harm in asking for help. In fact getting help at the right time saves a lot of trouble for the business, and yourself. Lesson 2: Empathy
The entire software industry is driven by one basic need: empathy.
Afterall, irrespective of our role - we are always solving some problem for someone irrespective of what software we are building.
What I learnt
There is no better way to solve a problem than understanding the needs of the audience. And this also makes you a better person in general. Lesson 3: Keep it simple
Sounds cliche, but its true.
Time and again I have seen different streams of people making simple things complex. Endlessly talking for the sake of contributing, on things even they have not understood themselves.
Be it a about a feature, be it an email or even a zoom meeting.
Over burdening others with jargons and beating around the bush may make you sound smart (which is debatable), but only for the shorter run.
What I learnt
keeping things simple > desire to sound smart.Lesson 4: Copy, but smartly.
Everything has a template. Stop wasting time by reinventing the wheel.
Trust me. The problem may seem unique to you, but there is quite a chance that someone has faced it already and has worked on it. Be it the code logic, a document template, a process - anything. Even a 20% kickstart helps you to get the ball rolling.
This doesn't at all mean that creating something from scratch sucks. The whole point is if there already is a working template for something, use it. But make sure you are adding your flavour of creativity to it too.
What I learnt
Copy smartly, not blindly. And do not forget to get creative. Lesson 5: Being a generalist
I am a generalist. I like to be good at 2-3 things than being an expert at one.
Learning a bit of design, effective communication (my blogging helped here), and a pinch of creativity helped me to find the sweet spot in my work. You can find yours too!
What I learnt
Building multiple skillsets broadens the scope of quality output. Lesson 6: Soft skills
No matter what your role is, soft skills take you a longer way.
A communication that is efficient and precise helps save us quite some time and energy.
What I learnt
Crips messaging, emailing, and being assertive gets appreciated in a longer runLesson 7: Working with people
Do you dread working with other people? It's annoying to cope up with their BS, right?
But the fact is we cannot do everything ourselves. There are people involved at every stage of your career. The sooner you learn to work with the people, the better personal and professional growth you will see.
Learning to work with different stakeholders helped me to grow into people management roles.
What I learnt
The efficient way to grow is to get better at working with and around people.A Reference that might help:
The Playbook: A docu-series featuring some of the elite coaches in sports and how they coached some of the greats in the sports
Lesson 8: Do not take things personally
In the corporate world, everything is a business transaction for everyone.
People act out as asses most of the times to prove their worth. It is not always about you, but mostly about them.
I struggled with this for a long time, making myself feel agitated and flustered every now and then.
What I learnt
Taking things personally is a waste of time and energy. Be it in office, at home, in traffic or anywhere else. The following video talked sense into me, and thats when I made peace with it.
A Reference that might help:
How not to take things personally?: One of favourite Ted talks which I keep coming back to.
Lesson 9: Grow together
Take note of someone's positive qualities and express appreciation for them. Explore the possibility of gaining insights from these qualities.
Subsequently, share your own positive traits with others and provide guidance when necessary. Pass the baton of your knowledge to others when in need.
What I learnt
Focus on your growth, not on your colleague's promotion. Lesson 10: Keep it light
Humour helps. Memes, funny notes. It does not have to be serious all the time.
During the Joe Rogan podcast featuring Neil deGrasse Tyson, the conversation shifted to the American education system. When Joe inquired about people's reluctance to learn anything new nowadays, Mr. Tyson responded:
"It's not that people are unwilling to learn; rather, they simply don't want to get bored."
What I learnt
The presentations do not have to be boring and they absolutely do not have be 100 slides long!Parting thoughts
I have always wondered IF there could have been someone, or something that I could look upon early in my career, to help me with the struggles I was facing then.
I have had mentors, but maybe I wasn't comfortable sharing my weaknesses with them.
I hope this piece helps the newbies who have just entered or are prepping to enter into this realm, assuring them that it is okay to face challenges & to make mistakes. Do not fall prey to the corporate pressures and templates early in your career.
I hope this piece also helps the experienced ones, just in case they are still having second thoughts about their careers paths and shrinking their confidences with each passing day. Most of us keep faking our confidences anyway.
I am forever grateful for the ones who helped me grow in these years.
And I am super grateful for the ones who did not believe in me and my abilities, because that is why I could believe in myself, work harder and become who I am today.
Lastly:
Do not forget to have FUN!
Fun is an ambigious word and has a personal definition. Find yours and enjoy the journey ❤️
#grateful
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