Think back to last module compared to this module. How have you changed? How have your strengths helped you with your progress? Where are you stronger now than on day 1 of last module? Think about your progress both in terms of your technical and professional strengths.
I am stronger because I have done the following things:
- Been willing to admit defeat
- Been willing to admit my own ignorance
- Been willing to stop and spend more time on subjects I am feeling weak on even if my "friends" move ahead without me.
- I have shared my weaknesses and victories with others who are having similar experiences to the ones I had when I was experiencing struggle, and grown becasue of the willingness to revisit "uncomfortable subject matter".
- I have changed from "I don't think I can ever do this" to "I can accomplish anything, given enough time".Problems no longer seem impossible, but instead seem like exciting and challenging opportunities to grow stronger and help others grow as well.
Even though your Turing story isn't finished yet, what do you envision for your development in future mods? How will this story end?
I hope to find myself entering Mod 2 with an ability to latch onto new content matter and apply it to my foundation in a meaningful way. I hope that the story ends with me leaving Turing feeling like I have learned enough to express my ideas through software and team-based development. Given my work history, my personal values and my personality type I would imagine myself coding for a few years but ultimately seeking out a project management position. I've worked as a project manager in different fields in the past and this coding knowledge will allow me to take those experiences to the next level in a way that would be very meaningful for myself and the teams I will work with.
Look at your initial StrengthsFinder reflection that you completed in week 1 -- how have your perceptions of the top 5 themes changed?
I don't feel my perception has changed. However, I have become more comfortable accepting these qualities of mysef.
Considering how you describe these themes, how do you want others to see you as you continue to progress through Turing?
I want others to see me as:
- A developer. A person who CARES about each individual, their emotional stability, their self confidence and their desire to grow.
- Strategic. Someone who can take comfort in knowing "some things just don't matter", which leaves more time for the things that are currently important.
- Input: Someone who always wants to "know more".
- Restorative: Someone who wants to take broken and imprefect things and find ways to make them better or allow them to become the best possible version of itself/themself that it/they can become. Someone who wants to see everyone and everything as their "best possible version".
- Ideation: Someone who wants to discuss ideas, share ideas, merge ideas and become energized off of the exciting opportunities those ideas create.
As I said, first time through this exercise, I think a lot of it speaks to where I'll end up after Turing. A high paying job has never been my goal. I'm hoping to do what I've done with skills I've learned in the past. To be able to create opportunity for others by using my new skills to open doors. That's been my goal at Turing, even though it costs me personal comfort and work time... it's important to me. To find people that might have had no other options and present them with new options. To help small companies and startups gain the power they need to be come "market relevant". This is just an extension of who I already am.
Finally, write a draft of your story here. This is a short paragraph, 4-6 sentences, describing who you are, why you came to Turing, and what you hope to accomplish while you're here:
I am Joel. I'm a human being with a strong desire to see other human beings living a life of great value. I grow by using what I have to help others grow. I learn to move forward and take others along with me. I came to turing to learn something new and complex in hopes of entering a new career and finding ways into the system for others looking for a similar change. I am a person of compassion, empathy, conviction and endless resource. I refuse to give up on others, and strive to not give up on myself. I hope to achieve a bright future for my sons and daughters and model mature and dynamic adulthood in any situation they might see me involved in. I am a world changer and I will not be stopped by hate, negativity, bullies, extremists or predators. I choose my path and I bring life to anything that path may intersect with. I am Joel. I'm 1 small speck of dust on this vast mountain of dirt... but the movement of 1 small speck can cause a chain reaction that moves mountains. I will, indeed, move mountains.