“Why did you decide to study Software Engineering?”
In my previous life, as a GM of a restaurant, I would deal with the worst forms of human interaction; at times of meat and cheese consumption and through online Yelp reviews. Part of my job was to refine procedures in response to various data reports. In between the chaotic lunch and dinner rushes, I used data from our Point of Sales system to accurately predict product usages and deploy labor accordingly.
I thoroughly enjoyed the process of refinement, but functioning on a restaurant’s schedule was no longer sustainable with my family. My wife had ascended the corporate ladder while working remote in her PJs and my kids had grown up enough to dread my weekend shifts. I realized that I needed to refine myself to enjoy more time with my family.
In the years leading up to my resignation, I tried to satisfy various aspirations. I began posting artwork as content, I worked towards drafting and arts degrees, I actually went to gym, I meal prepped, and my family became Vegan. When searching for remote jobs and career alternatives, coding surfaced as an option. I quickly spent $12 for a discounted Python course on Udemy and several bootcamps found their way onto my radar.
I initially enrolled (with my wife) into the Part Time SE online program. We challenged each other and enjoyed friendly lab competitions and cooperations until our jobs demands intensified simultaneously. It would be half a year before I would return on a part time basis. I worked my way up to the first portfolio project and felt uncomfortable with the gaps in my knowledge from sporadic commitment and service industry life drainage.
Now enrolled in the Full Time program and working minimal hours, I can finally Immerse myself in something. Instead of working weekends satisfying intoxicated carnivores, I am able to learn with a group of people and develop my skills. I have conceptualized several ideas for programs and applications that utilize my artwork, Vegan interests, and silly games that make my kids laugh. I aim to see some of these ideas through as I work my way towards becoming a remote full stack developer.
If I had to respond to the blog question in one sentence, I would type: I’m on a mission to systematically convert others to veganism through computer programing.