My greatest strength would be my ability to learn and adapt to new concepts. I was previously employed by a long term care company that offered great opportunities for advancement and growth. I started out answering phones as a Claims Customer Service Representative. After a couple of years, I accepted a position as a Licensing Specialist in the Contracts and Licensing department. The following year, I was promoted to Claims Examiner. Another year passed and I advanced to a Claims Eligibility Specialist role. Despite all of these positions having very different processes and procedures, I was able to overcome challenges by learning and adapting to the specific needs of each department.
I work best in an environment that is structured and promotes collaboration. At my previous job I had a mentor, as well several mentees myself. I believe having the ability to discuss scenarios and next steps with my peers was extremely beneficial to my success. I prefer honesty and transparency, as opposed to a “do as I say” mentality. I’m the type of person who wants to know the reasoning behind why things are done in order to perform efficiently and effectively. I’m a bit of a planner because I prefer to know what I’m getting into rather than being caught off guard, but am also able to adjust when things shift.
I’ve always been a generally shy individual. The prospect of interacting with large groups of new people intimidates me. I’m easy going and have never had any major social issues, but I tend to feel anxious at times when it comes to socializing. This isn’t necessarily a consistent occurrence, and it’s something I try to power through. One of my goals while attending Turing is to improve my social skills and get comfortable with being uncomfortable.
I hope to maximize my strengths by continuing to learn and improve my skillset. As I mentioned previously, I believe I have the ability to adapt and learn new concepts fairly well. Through researching software development, I’ve realized that self education and being proactive by keeping up with the latest trends is critical to remain valuable in the field. Although I am nervous by the amount of work it will take, I feel that it will be attainable with enough hard work and dedication. I look forward to meeting knowledgable individuals that share a passion for software development and also hope to be one myself some day.
In the ever changing world of software development, having the ability to adapt and conquer challenges is vital for success. My experience in overcoming obstacles will tie into this career well, as software developers are constantly solving problems as they arise. I am able to work in both a team setting and individually with little oversight, which seem to be good characteristics for this job. Although working solo is my preference and roots back to my weakness, I aim to be flexible, which is ideal when working within a team.
What efforts do you make to manage your learning process? Are these efforts successful? What challenges have inhibited your ability to manage your learning process effectively?
I manage my learning process by exposing myself to material frequently, while reminding myself that struggle is part of the process that can be overcome with persistence. I learn best by repetitive, hands-on practice, and my efforts are often successful in solidifying concepts and processes. A challenge I’m facing currently is that I find myself asking “what’s next?” and wonder if I will be able to grasp what will be covered in the upcoming lesson. This creates stress and leaves me feeling cognitively drained. I need to condition myself to live in the now and let go of the unknown. I have made an effort to manage my mental and emotional health through meditation and exercise.
Their material relates with my current process of repetitive exposure. I may not repeat processes as much as Sierra suggests, but it’s something I intend to do. Like Coate, I feel I am getting better at stumbling. Although I haven’t had an “ah ha” moment with some of the material I’ve been exposed to, some concepts have definitely gotten easier to comprehend.
What role does your emotional state of mind play in your learning? How do your successes and failures at learning affect your emotional state?
My emotional state of mind plays a significant role in my learning. I feel energized and motivated when I’m able to fully understand new tactics. However, when I’m having a difficult time I start to question if I’m pursuing the right field. I realize I’m not alone in feeling this way, but it’s still something I have a hard time with. I agree with Coate in that I must take action in managing my emotional health. I have to accept that I will not fully understand something new and need to work through the emotions and struggles associated with the learning process.
I plan to be consistent with my processes by sticking with what works for me and modifying what doesn’t. I’ve already taken several proactive steps to help set myself up for success, like stepping away from my job, setting a budget and creating a schedule. I also plan to utilize the resources provided to me by Turing’s staff and alumni. I took a Try Coding class shortly after being accepted into Turing, and found the Q&A lunch session with staff, students, and alumni to be very helpful. They shared some great tips and strategies for managing emotional health, which I’ve begun to implement already.
