I’ve been applying for jobs recently, and that has brought up some things that I’ve been working through.
I don’t know which career path I want to take. I have a strong drive within me to learn everything and become the best I could be in any position I get, and I know that if I get a job in anything relating to programming or IT I’ll do well as long as I have some training.
My interest in IT started when I watched my dad build a computer. Now I’ve built a couple myself. Working security in a Data Center, I’ve wanted to get hands on with the racks and understand them inside and out. Doing that as a job would be so cool!
I’ve had a longer relationship with the software side of things. I failed to understand programming concepts as a child, my dad had a hard time teaching me Ruby. It took some self-mustered motivation for the spark to light. Ever since then, I’ve been hacking out small projects for personal joy, but I haven’t really grown as much as I’d liked. Recently I’ve been taking on projects outside my comfort zone and finally showcasing the results (on this website). In school I’ve been faced with many projects, from implementing syscalls to architecting an application. Collaboration has been the biggest change and the most rewarding experience I’ve had so far, and I would be excited to have the opportunity to code as a career!
I’m painfully close to completing college, only 2 classes away from claiming the coveted bachelor's degree. I’ve taken all the primary coursework, and I’m teeing up the last two electives for the fall. I don’t have actual professional experience in the programming field, which makes me feel like I could be unqualified for even the entry-level stuff. Every job posting requires 1+ years of professional experience, or a bachelor’s degree, or both. But I know that all I need to do is get an interview and talk to someone. I hope they’ll see the passion I feel towards my work.
I’m worried about the overflow of AI now. I can’t bring myself to use AI to apply to jobs, because I see the application as a first chance to show my qualities to the potential employer. It’s a personal thing, and I don’t think starting off the relationship like that would be a good call. Then again, with so many other people applying for hundreds of jobs a day with AI, it might become the only way to have a fighting chance in the job market. Many companies use AI to sort through the applicants now, and it’s becoming more important with the increase in volume. I’m afraid of being drowned out in an invisible wave. Every time I submit my application on a job site, I may be unknowingly throwing my genuine application onto a pile of AI generated ones, making my application practically invisible. This is the sort of thinking I spiral into after a while, and it’s best not to think about it. I’m not going to compromise my integrity that easily.
These were just some thoughts that have been coming up lately, a mind dump of interest and anxiety.