Breaking into Tech Stories 7: From Construction Work To Software Engineering

Breaking into Tech Stories 7: From Construction Work To Software Engineering

My journey to becoming a software engineer started when I won a laptop as the Best Graduating Student in my high school. Having the laptop allowed me to dabble around with digital tools and play with multiple software applications like Photoshop and CorelDRAW. Then, I got into programming. Before then, I rarely took things seriously. 

After high school, it took me three years to gain admission into the university. During that period, I worked on construction sites as a manual laborer. When I finally gained admission to study Electronic Engineering, I continued working on construction sites during ASUU (Academic Staff Union of Universities) strikes and session breaks.

The paltry sum I made after profusely sweating under the sun, suffering sun stroke multiple times, and sometimes never getting paid, made me swear never to go back to such jobs. This has kept me on my toes.

How I Discovered My Passion For Tech

In my second year at the university, I discovered that programming was actually a tech skill I could be good at. I had become disillusioned with the university’s teaching methods. So, I decided to make the most of my years, as it was either programming or not acquiring any marketable skills in the name of pursuing a First Class.

It wasn’t actually one experience or frustration that made me decide to go for it. It was a combination of factors like ASUU strikes, disdain for school, and excitement at discovering something that excites me. This combination of factors has played a big role in making me stick to my guns to date.

Stumbling on MIT’s Introduction to Computational Thinking was also one of the things that significantly influenced my decision to pursue a tech career. The course seemed exciting, and MIT was my dream school. Still is.

I love how challenging coding is, and it provided me with the right amount of difficulty I needed to make my boring life at school exciting. It was the perfect challenge. The thrill of knowing that the computer is never wrong and finding the flaw in my logic is deeply rewarding.

Finding My Backend Development Path

Due to the long gap years I had while waiting for university admission, I had enough time to play around with so many tech sub-fields (web3, machine learning, backend development, front-end development, data science, etc.). 

It probably wasn’t a good thing to spend so much time tinkering. Still, having those experiences makes me feel very confident about not switching away from backend and system design.

How I Learned Software Engineering Skills

In the beginning, I used edX (for the MIT courses) and MIT OpenCourseWare. Later on, I decided to stick with books rather than videos. They offer more depth.

In contrast to the structured plan of university learning, I had to figure things out as I went along. I suppose that’s probably a disadvantage of not having a mentor, on top of having a mind that’s eager to try out so many things. I was quite unstructured and dabbled a lot (probably a waste of time or not).

Resources That Helped Me Learn Programming

• One course that will always be the most helpful for me is MIT’s Introduction to Computational Thinking with Python
• edX
• MIT OpenCourseWare
• An underrated community I want to shout out is Open Source University (OSSU)
• Books: The Linux Command Line by William Shotts
• The Art of Programming by Donald Knuth

My Google Summer of Code (GSoC) Experience

What is GSoC?

GSoC is an international coding program organised annually by Google. It is a highly coveted and competitive program. Selected applicants go on to intern with open-source organizations, and this is a very big deal on a resume. They also receive a generous stipend.

Getting into GSoC (twice with the same organization) and completing the first beyond expectations has been the highlight of my journey so far.

I had a week to submit a proposal and pull requests, but I ended up being their top selection—a testament to how far I have come and a measure of what I am capable of. 

I am currently working on the second project, and the organization has decided to reassign me to a different project (with greater responsibilities and complexities). It’s challenging, but at this point, I know what I can do.

The most rewarding part of transitioning into tech is the everyday feeling that there’s something to learn. It always amazes me how little I know and how there’s so much more out there. It’s thrilling!

Challenges I Faced As A Self-Taught Developer And How I Got My First Gig

Although I didn’t join any tech community or have mentors, I met some friends in school who were on the same path. 

I met Richard, who was two years ahead of me, at the school’s engineering library. He ended up giving me my first programming gig – to build a wrapper around Heroku.

Additionally, visiting the library with my PC made me more discoverable than I would have been otherwise. I pretty much stayed alone, and the library offered electricity, which helped with one of my biggest challenges aside from poor internet connection.

What A Typical Day At My Job Is Like

I just graduated uni and currently work as a freelancer on Upwork. As a freelancer, I do a wide range of work, from automation to web development, depending on the client’s needs and whether it’s something I can confidently tackle.

I don’t have a routine. Sometimes, I would work late into the night. Other times, I close as early as 2 p.m., depending on what the job needs to get done in time.

Advice for Aspiring Software Engineers

Don’t waste too much time playing with tools. Delve into the wild waters of open-source and see how people code and reason. 

Also, don’t pursue it if you don’t have an interest in it because it can be a frustrating field.

Finally,

I’ll end this with a quote I live by:

Believe in yourself. The universe will align things to work in your favour so long as you keep making the most of the ones it has given you.

PS: Breaking into tech stories are personal journey stories of people who have transitioned into tech, especially from non-technical backgrounds.