Strengths and Storytelling

gistfile1.txt

  Over the course of the last month, I have seen how my strengthsfinder attributes are pronounced in my interactions with classwork and other students
I have found it interesting seeing myself and my actions through that lens, and it has given me a greater appreciation of myself, as well as highlighting
areas in which I need to improve. My top three strengths are learner, command, and analytical. the learner archetype is one that I hope to embody, along
with humility and a great lust for knowledge and an eagerness to accept new challenges. I feel as though Turing has helped bring out these qualities in me
by introducing me to a vast wealth of information and opportunities to gain literacy in the wide world of programming. I strive to be a dutiful learner; tenacious
and enthused. To contrast, I have found that the command archetype has the potential to work against me. Left unchecked, I can have a tendency to exert too much
control over a situation. Command is nothing without communication and the ability to help others successfully delegate their responsibilities and maximize
efficiency. I feel as though a true leader should empower, and continual mindfulness of this fact can do nothing but help. Lastly, I am analytical, which is itself
a blessing and a curse. On one hand, I feel at ease dissecting and reducing problems into logical components and methodizing the solution. However, when I put too
much planning into a project before I start, it is easy for me to end up with unnecessary bells and whistles and lose the prompt. All of my strengths are also
weaknesses, but fortunately the weaknesses are able to be isolated and quashed with a little action in the right direction.
  I have struggled at Turing mostly regarding my punctuality. I have decided that, with this program, I will not allow myself to continue being
flaky and unprofessional. I believe that this endeavor will be my motivation to exert better planning and more control over my life cycle. I intend to
become solid as a rock, reliable and unshakable. Success at Turing so far is a gradual occurrence, and I have yet to have a decisive victory that I can not claim
is a product of any prior learning. The small wins I can claim however; turning in a project completed and on time, understanding and utilizing a concept taught in
class, successfully implementing a mechanic I learned myself; are all a direct result of planning time effectively. With that mechanic comes my ability to succeed
and my ability to fail, and I am allowed to decide which.
  There are numerous ways my Turing story can end. Hopefully, I will land a job in the field with a decent salary at a tech startup or somewhere else. I am humble,
however, to the extent where I would not mind picking up an IT job, computer repair, or server maintenance for a matter of months before transitioning into something
faster paced. I have come to terms with the fact that I will have to work a job in addition to this program: a daunting but necessary ordeal. I have had my eyes on
the Denver Public Library, perhaps if I get the job to pay the bills, I might at some point be able to help them correct nicks and inconsistencies in their computer
system. It is undoubtedly a noble cause to help better our system of public libraries and, in any small way, make learning more accessible to the public. Regardless,
what I am discovering is truly how vast the applications are for computer knowledge and resourcefulness. I have no doubt that, no matter the case, my Turing story will
end with me in a position where I feel like I contribute to the greater good.
  I felt that it was easy to tell my story, especially why I came to Turing and the goals I have for future. This was, however, only after a couple recitations and a
decent amount of time to articulate my thoughts. I believe that, in order to improve my rapport with my listener, I should think about how I would phrase my story
beforehand, and recite it to myself a couple times. As Turing continues, I should also focus more on my strengths rather than my weaknesses (hopefully the former will
become more pronounced as time goes on). After all, I will be trying to sell myself, not letting an employer walk in my shoes. I only have access to the first part
of my story, and I believe mine will be more complete once I have finished the program.