To be a successful programmer, I have been told, one needs to have the three "Ps": Passion, projects, and presence.
Passion or Determination?
I know that alliteration makes the set mnemonic, but a better word to my mind is determination. Passion can wane in the face of difficulty, but determination, or resolve, or just plain grit (or vasbyt in Afrikaans) will see one through the steepest of climbs. Yes, I am passionate about the things I do, but unless I am determined to see something through, I can't rely on passion alone.
Projects: AKA What Do You Have To Show For It?
When I was 16 I decided that I wanted to speak Afrikaans -- a strange goal, admittedly, but bear with me. I had no resources but a novel (Die Koperkan by Mikro) and a school dictionary. Over six months I diligently translated entire chapters word for word, until I had built up enough of a vocabulary, and could understand pronunciation, grammar, and syntax to communicate in Afrikaans.
I put in six months of solitary study and came out of it with a meaningful grasp of the language: that's what I had to show for my efforts.
There are loads of
resources for learning to code out there, but unless I apply my newly acquired knowledge by way of a program that is useful at least to me, I can't very well convince someone else to pay me do the same.
What attracts me greatly to this line of work is that there is minimal paperwork involved: if you're good enough and are a good fit for the team, you stand a good chance of getting hired. I like that, I respect that, and I want to be part of that.
In light of that, I treat my
Github profile and my
Gist as my résumé, and invite you to see what I've got so far. (At the time of writing, most of what I have to show for my efforts is in Gist, but I hope to change that over December and January)
Presence: Networking, Schmoozing, Putting Yourself Out There
For the most part I enjoy being left alone to my own devices. Fortunately, socialising, especially one-to-one and in small groups is not difficult for me, but heading out to the city for events can be tiring. It is easy to assume that programming is solitary in nature, because an outsider sees individuals absorbed in their work, but working in a team and getting on with one's team mates are equally important.
Those who know me trust my abilities and my work ethic, but as a new-comer to the profession, especially in my position of looking for my first job (presumably entry-level or junior), I have to distinguish myself from the hordes of would-be and aspiring programmers.
People in the industry have to know who I am, what I do, how I'm progressing, and they have to see that I mean business.
See you at the next meet-up.
