Mod2ProfessionalDevelopment.md

Written reflection:

• How you've used agile as a process at Turing and what kind of project management tools you utilized. Address these questions:
• What were you already doing?

My goal on every project has been to reach MVP status ASAP. Its something I say often enough to my pairing partners so that I get the occasional sarcastic misquote in return. Its a great mindset because there isn't a concern for perfection; you simply need to understand the material enought to make the parts fit together, and then refinement can happen.

• What did you put into place in Module Two?

I would say that this mindset and technique really evolved in mod2, especially during the course of the Gametikme project. There was simply too much to do to get hung up on a single item. It was more important for the project to move foward as a whole, and when me and my partner realized this, it allowed us to make significant process and yet look back and improve other areas in a more focused way now that we had constructed a larger picture.

• What was effective?

Again, reaching an MVP status allowed us to look back with a more hollistic view and improve components based off a big picture understanding.

• What do you want to improve on in future projects?

I think the best thing we could do to emulate an agile process is to incoroporate feedback in every step of the way. Its difficult to do when completeing the project is the number one goal, but depending on circumstances, there may be opportunity to get feedback with more regularity.

• Description of the role you played in your pair/group projects this module -- what was your role as a teammate? How did you utilize * your strengths and leadership skills?

In pairs the role really changes depending on the partner. In all but one of my pairings at Turing, I was responsible for moving the project forward in unfamiliar territory (material we were learning). In this mod, I was paried with students on both ends of the spectrum in terms of strength, and so I had to either step up my game or slow down and take a more instructional/patient mentality.

Feedback II reflection:

• Date of feedback conversation:

James and I spoke constantly about gametime and our pairing the whole mod. We gave honest and critical feedback when we needed, so that when the suggestion to set a hard date for a conversation came up, we looked at each other and realized there really wansn't much more to talk about. Based of the positive experience we had, we decided to keep going with the gametime project after it was due. We've made tentative plans to do our mod3 personal project together based on our strengths and how our working relationship has progressed.

• How did you prepare for the conversation?

No preparation, we brought up issues the moment they came up and addressed them then

• How did the conversation go for you? What was easy about the conversation? What was more difficult?

There was a chart on stages a team goes through when working together - I thought that was great because it perfectly described what my partner and I were going through in one of the earlier gear ups. We were going through the 'storming' stage and I suppose this was the difficult conversation we had because we talked about what each of us needed to get the most out of the pairing and the project.

• What principles of feedback did you use in the conversation?

Made sure to consider myself, my partner, and the scenario and separate what was causing issues or making things work. Then we could address the root of each of these problems.

• Any other comments:

• Group Names:

Working draft of professional story (1-2 paragraphs)

The director of Turing said that every student passing throught his program is comparable to a broken toy - somewhere in our lives, some small (or large) thing didn't work out. I'm here because my previous career flying for the Navy wasn't a good fit. That's not to say the time was wasted - some of the most important lessons I've learned come directly from my experiences in the Navy and I'll always appreciate the experience, lessons, and personal growth I've gained.

However, developing is a much better fit for me, and I am grateful to have felt certain of this within my first weeks at Turing. This certainty has only increased as my time at Turing has progressed - my strengths align nicely with what a developer needs, I enjoy the people, and most of all, I enjoy the work.

I'm using my past experiences with other jobs and the Navy in moving foward with this career. I bring an attention to detail and disipline in my work ethic that is neccesary to succeed. I also strive for leadership positions - whether that is representing the class as a student advisor or helping classmates with the subject matter.

Plan for outreach & networking as you go into Module 3

Meetups/Networking Events: Identify 1 meetup and/or other networking event that you'll attend between now and the end of Module 3. Answer these questions:

Jan developer happy hour: https://www.meetup.com/Develop-Happy-Hour/events/236821799/?_cookie-check=4O4fltfUkepdwVmd

• Why will you attend this particular event?

I think this is a good, low-key event thats well-attended and close to Turing. I think for a first meetup developing comfort with the environment and scenario is key. Eventually, I'll ideally have the desire and comfort to go to events alone and reach out outside the group, but I think a first meetup should be about seeing whats out there and observing as much as it is about reaching out.

• Who do you hope to connect with at this event?

I think for a student like me, finding a developer in the industry that I connect to is a win.

• How will you follow-up with the people you connect at this event?

I think this really depends on how well the person and I connect and how willing they are help (I guess these are related). I think for a new and more fragile relationship, email or text (or whatever medium they want me to initiate with) is appropriate.

• Warm Outreach: Identify a mentor, alum, or someone else in the Turing community you will reach out to by the end of Module 3. If * * you have someone you'd like to reach out to outside of the Turing community, go for it! Describe:

• Why you want to connect with this person and what you hope to talk about

Frank Valcarcel is the CEO of Cuttlesoft and on the Turing mentor list. I have several mentors to help me with techinical things right now, so I may as well aim high and see if I can talk to someone with knowledge on how to start and run a company. I think the dream one day for me is to find an idea worth pursuing and possibly start a company.

• When you will contact them by and how you plan to meet

Just a simple slack message introducing myself and explaining the things I'm curious about. If the person is available/interested we can go from there.

• What your follow-up will look like once you've met with them

Reach out over the preferred medium for communication and see if future meetings can be setup.