I wanted to take some time to write down thoughts about transitioning from college to the industry. Some people would call it “real world”. it can definitely be scary and create this hollow feeling inside. Question like “Am I ready?” , “Do I know enough?”, and “What if I cannot do it?” are bouncing in my mind. Are these questions fair? Perhaps not, but they are there. I know that I have been preparing for years and I know that I am going to be just fine. However, they are still looming over me.
After my internship I realized that the things I have been learning, whilst important, are not exactly what the industry is like. They are needed for being hired, but they are not really things you will be doing. In the process of applying, I have avoided job postings that require one or two certain languages to code in because that should not be the goal. I want to work in a company where they care for how well I can adapt and learn instead of how skillful I am in one coding language. Languages change, syntax adapts, but mindset is the key element that perseveres. So, I’m looking for a company that will value that and is ready to invest in my career.
Next semester is my last one. I am taking this time to learn about industry from the professors and building my own miniature architectures to break. I feel like only then I will truly understand how the elements connect together and what messages they are sending with each other. I want to make as many mistakes in my last semester as I possibly can because the pressure is not on yet and I have almost nothing to lose. I want to being my full-time job having done mistakes that can save the company a lot of time and money.
I believe this is one way to make yourself stand out from the crowd. Keep failing and learning, especially when stakes are low. We all have these thoughts that we are not enough. What separates people who succeed from people who don’t is perseverance. Take a breath, sit down, have a cup of tea, and keep going. You got this!