I think my greatest strength is learning from failure. I have never been overly-competitive. I always want to do a good job and always try my hardest in just about all aspects of life, but I don't necessarily need to be the best at something. Being the best version of myself is all I can ask for. I love skateboarding and skateboarding has taught me a lot about persistence and learning from failure. No one gets a trick the first time they try it, but from studying your movements and making minor adjustments you can learn a trick. It literally takes blood, sweat, and tears but all of that is outweighed by the feeling of accomplishing a new trick. This is the same with any other skills. Instead of getting hung up on the losing, I try to focus on what I did right and how to improve the next time around.
This depends on the definition of "work best". I would say I produce the best work when I am comfortable with whatever the job is. Having repetition is key to efficient and quality production. On the other hand, I most enjoy work when I am learning something new. Whether thats how to cook a new dish, frame a wall in a different setting, or using new design strategies is unimportant. I love learning. Period.
Ironically, it would be self-doubt. My previous answers might suggest otherwise but until I get those repetitions under my belt, I am not a very confident person. Making mistakes in my personal life is fine. That's life. But when there's the pressure of failing with someone else's money on the line, I tend to be more afraid of making those errors. I will often ask too many questions to make sure I am doing something correctly. Having more self-confidence in my skill sets is something I would love to improve on.
From what I have heard, learning from failure is a huge part of being in the industry. Other things that may aid in my career would be my ability to work in a team and my love for teaching others. I have always worked in team environments where we are working together rather than competing against each other. I also get great satisfaction from teaching and training others. Teaching and learning from your peers is a great way to strengthen a community overall.
Knowing my strengths and preferences will benefit me because cooperation and experimentation seem to be huge assets in the industry. As a software developer I will get the many repetitions that I need, as well as the ability to constantly learn. Past work experiences tell me that this industry is a good fit for me. Despite the fact that I don't know how to code, I love being a software developer!
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 always ask for clarification (perhaps too much) when learning a new process. Taking time to learn something the right way is far more important to me than learning quickly. Of course it's typically a goal to do both. I find that asking questions often aids me in the learning process, to the point where I can pass on the knowledge to someone else. The main thing that inhibits my ability to follow this process is poor training. If questions are discouraged it can be difficult to feel confident in the work I've done.
I believe that my learning process is similar to both in different ways. I love being able to learn a new skill and that gratification is waht continues to drive me. I also feel like I learn best in an environment where I am working with a highly skilled person in that field. The using up of cognative resources also makes a lot of sense. Throughout school, I often felt drained by the end of the day because typical education systems teach for the test and don't really help you learn the material. I often spent so much of those resources trying to memorize rather than learn the material.
What role does your emotional state of mind play in your learning? How do your successes and failures at learning affect your emotional state?
Sucess and failures don't typically affect my emotional state, but my emotions can definitely affect my learning ability. If I am stressed, sad, or worried about something, it can be difficult to focus on the task at hand. It will be important for me to, as many of my former bosses have said, check my shit at the door and focus on the task at hand. Using this mentality throughout my career has always helped me to produce the highest quality that I am capable of.
With Turing being my most prioritized commitment, I think the learning process will be smoother than if I had to juggle a job, school, and extra curriculars. I will make sure to stay on a routine every day and always come to classes with a clear mind. Taking breaks when necessary will be key in not reaching that point of diminishing returns. Always being well rested, well fed, and well hydrated will help someone like me. Someone whose prone to getting hangry, and whatever the equivalent is for lack of rest and hydration. Sounds basic, but I know myself.