1. Habits Reflection: How have you seen yourself become more aware of your habits? Have you tried implementing anything new? What have the results been?
My wife recently tested positive for COVID. While neither of us have any symptoms, this does mean we'll have to quarantine for a while which has disrupted my daily routines a little, making it harder to maintain certain habits. I need to improve the resiliency of my habits to account for unforseen circumstances like this.
2. How can beginner’s mind be helpful when it comes to thinking about your career and job search? What are some habits you could put into place to cultivate beginner’s mind regularly?
A beginner's mindset can help overcome imposter syndrome, or the feeling that you're artificially masking your lack of experience. With a beginners mind, you don't view your lack of experience as a negative but rather as a positive - it allows you to be open about your capacity to learn and grow. This is something that many employers value above skills and experience anyway - candidates who demonstrate tenacity and eagreness to learn.
3. Go through the Flower Exercise brainstorming worksheets linked here. Then complete your Flower Exercise final worksheet here and link that finished worksheet here.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pl8WrqbLZU_nlnUa23r8plS0dZ4yTlqN6oM42M0_d10/edit
4. Write out your top 5 strengths that you’ve seen in action this module; then write out the strengths of a software developer. Where do you see these lists overlapping? Where are they different?
- My top strengths: communication, time management, tenacious problem-solver, agreeable team member, insightful
- Top strengths of a software developer: Positive Attitude, good communication skills, time management, fast learner, deep tehcnical experience, team player, bigger picture focus
The communication and time management skills I cultivated as a journalist overlap nicely with the defining strengths of a good software developer. I get along very well with others but that doesn't necessarily mean I'm a good team player, so that's something I can work to improve on. As for deep technical experience, that's something that will come with time and persistent practice.
5. Write a refined vision statement here (what new things have you discovered this week to incorporate into your vision statement?):
I want to move into a higher-paying job with a good work/life balance that will provide a natural stepping stone from being a student of software development to growing my skills as an actual professional.