Changing careers can feel like navigating uncharted waters, especially when diving into the tech world. For years, I thrived as a Tech Recruiter, connecting talented individuals with their dream roles. I loved being in the tech industry, fascinated by the innovation and the power of code to create entire digital worlds from scratch. However, a persistent curiosity about the creation process itself began to grow. I wanted to be more than just an observer; I wanted to be a builder. This yearning led me to embark on my own “2019 Career Starter Program,” a journey from recruitment to software engineering.
“Risk something or forever sit with your dreams.” —Herb Brooks
As much as I enjoyed my HR career, I felt a pull towards something more technically challenging and creatively fulfilling. While exploring growth opportunities within HR, nothing resonated as strongly as the desire to understand and participate in the engineering side of tech. The idea of learning to code, something I had always been intrigued by but intimidated to try, became increasingly appealing. It felt like the perfect “career starter program” for a new chapter in my professional life.
Taking the First Steps in My 2019 Career Transition
The beginning was the most daunting part of my 2019 career starter program. Fear and self-doubt were my initial roadblocks. “Am I smart enough?” “Is it too late to switch gears?” These questions swirled in my mind, making the prospect of even opening a coding book feel overwhelming. It’s easy to get trapped in the belief that significant career changes are insurmountable, but I realized these obstacles were self-imposed. The truth is, we possess the capacity for immense change and growth at any stage.
I weighed two primary paths for my 2019 career starter program: a coding bootcamp or self-study followed by an internship. Bootcamps offer intensive, immersive learning, but their full-time commitment wasn’t feasible for me at that moment. I was working full-time and wanted to validate my passion for software development before committing to a drastic, costly career shift. Opting for self-learning allowed me to test the waters while maintaining my current responsibilities.
Setting a firm deadline was crucial for my self-directed “2019 career starter program.” I gave myself a year to acquire coding skills sufficient to secure a software engineering internship. Frontend development, with its rapid industry growth and visual nature, initially attracted me as a starting point. I researched countless online resources, seeking guidance on where to begin and what to learn. However, the most invaluable resource was a conversation with a friend, a seasoned Software Engineer. He acted as my mentor, helping me structure a quarterly learning plan, which proved to be the cornerstone of my successful transition.
Resources That Fueled My 2019 Career Starter Program
My learning journey was a process of experimentation and adaptation. I primarily relied on free online tutorials and YouTube channels, leveraging the wealth of accessible educational content. When approaching a new concept, I would begin by watching video explanations to grasp the general idea. Then, I would delve into written tutorials and articles to solidify my understanding and capture the technical nuances. If a particular resource’s explanation was confusing, I wouldn’t hesitate to switch to another, recognizing that different learning styles respond to different approaches.
Once I had a foundational understanding of HTML and CSS, I started applying my knowledge by building small, discrete UI components like buttons. Gradually, I progressed to constructing larger, single-page components, increasing the complexity of my projects as my skills developed. Later, I integrated JavaScript to add interactivity and dynamic behavior to these components, further enhancing my frontend development capabilities.
Weekly pairing sessions with my engineer friend were instrumental in my “2019 career starter program.” These sessions provided a dedicated space to ask questions directly, receive personalized feedback, and work through coding challenges collaboratively. This direct mentorship accelerated my learning curve significantly and kept me motivated.
Landing My First Engineering Role at Babbel: A 2019 Career Starter Success Story
After a year dedicated to my “2019 career starter program” and honing my coding skills in my free time, I made the leap and resigned from my Tech Recruiter position at Babbel. My goal was to find a software engineering internship and officially launch my new career. Surprisingly, it was my recruitment manager at Babbel who suggested I explore internal opportunities, despite no formal internship or junior roles being advertised at the time. This unexpected encouragement led me to a meeting with Gaetano Contaldi, an Engineering Manager at Babbel. After discussing my self-taught skills and progress, Gaetano, though initially surprised, was intrigued enough to assess my abilities.
Gaetano and I established specific learning objectives and a period for him to observe my development. Impressed by my dedication and progress, he offered me a position on his team! I was thrilled. I initially joined part-time, allowing for a smoother transition. Within three months, my performance and integration into the team led to a full-time offer as a Junior Software Engineer.
I am incredibly grateful for Babbel’s management’s open-mindedness and belief in my potential. Their willingness to support my unconventional “2019 career starter program” journey within the company was pivotal to my success.
Bridging Expectations and Reality in My New Engineering Career
The reality of being a software engineer was quite different from my preconceived notions, neither better nor worse, just distinct. One of the initial challenges was navigating the technical jargon during team meetings. Even though English was the common language, the density of tech-specific vocabulary felt like a foreign language. It required patience and effort from both the team and myself to establish a shared understanding and communication flow.
I quickly learned that software development extends far beyond just writing code, a point Gaetano consistently emphasized, and I now fully appreciate. It involves comprehending the entire project ecosystem: the architecture, the interdependencies between components and modules, and the interactions with external services. Before tackling a new task, the team engages in thorough discussions, outlining approaches, making architectural decisions, and conducting preliminary investigations to ensure a well-informed and strategic execution.
This emphasis on planning and collaborative problem-solving was a significant shift from my learning projects, which were typically smaller, more self-contained, and clearly defined. My “2019 career starter program” had prepared me for the coding aspect, but the broader context of professional software engineering was a new and enriching learning experience.
The Indispensable Role of Team Support
Patience is paramount, and my team embodies it. My colleagues – developers, my manager, and product managers – are exceptional. They are always willing to clarify concepts, starting with simplified explanations using analogies and real-world examples before diving into technical details. This layered approach is incredibly effective for my learning process.
Pair programming remains a valuable tool, mirroring the benefits I experienced during my “2019 career starter program.” These sessions not only help me grasp project structures and new concepts but also demonstrate that even experienced engineers encounter challenges and need to problem-solve collaboratively. Observing their thought processes and approaches to unfamiliar problems is immensely insightful.
Crucially, my team understands the cognitive demands of learning and growth. They recognize that sometimes, the brain needs a break to process information effectively, fostering a supportive and understanding environment for junior engineers like myself.
Key Insights for Working with Junior Engineers
From my experience as a beneficiary of excellent mentorship, here are crucial points for supporting junior engineers:
- Invest time in explaining the “why”: Clearly articulate the problem, the task’s purpose, and the reasoning behind the chosen solution. This contextual understanding empowers junior engineers to apply the learned principles to future, similar situations, fostering independent problem-solving.
- Offer guidance, not immediate solutions: Encourage juniors to think critically by providing hints and nudges in the right direction, rather than directly giving away the answer. This promotes deeper learning and builds confidence.
- Mentor and discuss learning: Provide direction for ongoing learning and engage in regular discussions about their progress and challenges. This personalized mentorship is invaluable for navigating the complexities of software engineering.
“Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you, spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life.” —Amy Poehler
Joining Babbel’s Engineering Team has been an inspiring chapter in my “2019 career starter program” story. I am surrounded by passionate, knowledge-sharing developers who embrace diversity and are dedicated to building a remarkable product. My career change was a challenging but ultimately rewarding journey, and I am excited to continue growing and contributing as a software engineer.
Resources That Were Helpful For My Journey
Tutorials
W3Schools Online Web Tutorials – Excellent for beginners to learn HTML, CSS, and JavaScript basics.
The Modern Javascript Tutorial – A comprehensive and in-depth resource for mastering JavaScript.
Eloquent JavaScript – A more advanced book that delves into the nuances of JavaScript and programming concepts.
YouTube Channels
Fun Fun Function – Engaging and entertaining videos explaining complex programming topics in an accessible way.
The Net Ninja – Practical tutorials and project-based learning for web development technologies.
Techsith Tutorials – Covers a wide range of tech topics and tutorials, useful for expanding your knowledge base.
