Mims Just Do IT

After some deliberation on the pros and cons of staying in your current position, you have made it. You have talked to your boss and you have both agreed you are leaving. So far so good. You have decided to make a change - go for it. Now, if you are super smart, you have started job hunting months in advance and you have something lined up. If you haven't - that is fine too. Sometimes we need to make the leap of faith and believe we will do it, and things will be just fine in the end. There are two things I found extra helpful: support network and LinkedIn. I have been lucky - I somehow managed to build a network of people who believed I can be successful and totally believed in my capabilities to achieve that break in the IT industry (even when I was filled with self-doubt). Having your own cheerleading team is great on the days when the 'no'-s in my inbox were one too many. There was a simple lesson to be learned there - job hunting is a numbers game and t

Who likes to be told 'no'? Nobody. Hearing 'no', going through a mass of rejection letters, can feel horrible. What is more, it can be demotivating and (oh, no!) affecting the way you see yourself. After I've handled over 100 of 'no'-s in the past weeks, if I am honest with myself, I have to say I was grateful for them. From all those companies and people I have met, there was only one that I thought would be a good fit. Would I take an offer if it was on the table? Maybe, the pay would be a massive factor to take into consideration for a bad fit. Would I be happy? Who knows, I'd do my best to fit. I still have a positive attitude and look forward to meeting new companies and new people. One of them will be mine, one of all those interviews will really 'click'. Finding your tribe in work isn't easy. It is probably more important than the social tribe, as you'd spend over 40 hours with those people. I was blessed to work for a

Panta rhei. Nothing is static. People change, jobs change, dynamics change. As active agents, we affect the environment around us, and in turn, it affects us. Sometimes the environment becomes toxic. It is not a single factor that affects it, it's multiple small changes with a ripple effect. Ideally, one would pick those little changes early on, and try to act upon them, either by neutralising them or by removing herself from the situation. I was late. Again. (No surprises there.) I didn't pay attention to the small changes around me, limiting my concentration on the tasks at hand and ignoring the bigger picture. In this case, the bigger picture was a textbook definition of a misfit. I was changing at a rapid pace, learning and doing various things on the side. Elated by hitting small milestones such as writing my first script, spinning up my first server, and meeting cool people at IT events, I  missed the resentment building around me. I ignored the fact th

A few months ago a colleague went on holiday. Considering the scorching heat in London at the time, it is fair to say I was jealous he was getting away from the city. I didn't expect a ping from my colleague at all for a week. Not on the work chat anyway. But there we were, busy mid-morning Monday and my holidaying colleague was bright and green online. For hours. Until the end of the working day. One of the qualities I really admire about this person is his ability to do the work-life balance right. Him doing work on his holiday wasn't typical, nor right. I had questions. My naive self asked him: "Why do you work when you're on holiday?". His answer: "Because there is work to be done - something that only I can do, and it can't wait". Me in good humour: "So we are lucky that you're somewhere with your laptop and strong internet connection". He said: "Mims, you don't want to do that. You don't want to be the ONLY p

I had a busy week. I really did. I had no less than 10 interviews: 2 face to face, 2 video calls, 3 technical tests, and 3 HR interviews. I don't count the initial HR screenings. If we have to be totally honest, the experience is exhausting. I feel emotionally depleted, at a point where "show enthusiasm for the job" seems like climbing a mountain before every conversation. Then, voila, the time arrives, and magically I manage to channel all the love I have for what I do. And I really do! I really love talking about my job and what I have been doing recently. I also realise sitting 8 hours in front of the computer with no breaks and physical activity is not sustainable. What is more, it is actually damaging and in the long run, it is the equivalent of putting a stick in my progress. My body and mental health are not happy from the neglect they had to suffer the last couple of weeks. What can I do? "I want to go and hide in a dark room, under a duvet, with

Everyone is talking about the ability to zoom in the details and zoom out at the bird's eye level to look at the big picture. Let's be honest, it's difficult. The task per se isn't complicated, but achieving it with so many distractions around sure is. We get caught up in the daily tasks, and sometimes lose focus on the important bits. In my case, the big picture is a career in the IT industry. How I get there - not so much. Jumping between tasks: talking to recruiters, talking to companies, preparing for interviews, and increasing knowledge is daunting. I tend to get caught in the moment - I worry about the little things and miss on the really important. It is hard, I get derailed. I also remember I am only human. I will fail sometimes. I also make sure I get back on track. Keep the big picture in front of you!