Uncertainty as a Newcomer in Tech

After serving almost twelve years in the Royal Canadian Navy, I switched industries and joined the tech industry. It's been three years since I made the switch. Here's one thing I've noticed about the early stages of a tech career: newcomers face lots of uncertainty.

Sources of uncertainty

External

Since I switched careers in 2021, there have been a few significant contributors to uncertainty for newcomers in the tech industry:

• AI
• recession
• massive layoffs.

These are the big topics that take a lot of work to avoid. Lately, this makes the uncertainty around the tech industry seem even more prominent.

Internal

On top of all of the above, there's the regular sources of uncertainty for a beginner in any industry:

• Am I keeping up with changes in the industry?
• Can I compete for the jobs out there?
• Am I still improving the right skills?
• Is this career worth all the effort?

Everybody likely has doubts when switching careers, and questions like these come to mind now and then.

Where do I see the uncertainty?

My perspective might be biased towards uncertainty since other newcomers surround me in the tech industry. On top of that, I do not have experienced people around me who can temper my expectations and suppress my doubts.

Workplace

My first tech job was with a company, WithYouWithMe, helping veterans transition into tech.

I've heard the questions above many times from other veterans new to the tech industry. Some of the self-doubt may stem from imposter syndrome. Many, like myself, got their first tech job without the usual job requirements, like a computer science degree or previous tech experience. There was a fear that the opportunity given by WithYouWithMe would be a one-time thing. The following job would be much more challenging to get.

My current job is a switch from a full-time employee at WithYouWithMe to an independent contractor for the same role. Over the past three years, I'm optimistic I've gained meaningful job experience to leverage for my next opportunity. Still, I have a creeping doubt that it's not enough.

Coding bootcamps

In the last year, I invested part of my veteran education benefit into a part-time coding bootcamp.

My fellow students had good outlooks toward entering the tech industry, but I could feel the undertones of doubt in conversations. During the bootcamp wrap-up, I could tell that many of the questions for the teachers and teaching assistants were to help figure out the following steps:

• What framework should I learn?
• Should I pick up TypeScript?
• Do I dive deeper into React?

The breadth of knowledge that needs to be acquired to succeed in the tech industry seems insurmountable. On top of that, every job posting has slightly different requirements that make it difficult to be confident in your learning plan.

Online communities

I'm constantly looking for content to learn from to build up my knowledge base. Sometimes, I search for videos on YouTube, course or book recommendations on Reddit, and scroll through LinkedIn for this content. While searching, I stumbled on the doubts and debate on whether a tech career is worth pursuing.

Doubt can be contagious. It's easy to self-doubt when negative messaging is everywhere.

What do I do about it?

How do I cope with the uncertainty if I stay on this path?

Have faith

I tell myself that I'm three years into a new industry, and pivoting now would be robbing myself of a big payout that is soon to come. It feels like I'm reaching "critical mass" with my skills. I need to bet on myself and see where this goes.

Currently, I'm still employed, and I'm grateful for every working day I get. Every day, I am getting closer to realizing my goal of becoming an industry expert. The economy and tech industry are creeping out of their slumps daily. When opportunities in the tech industry become more abundant, I will be ready to seize them. I can only do this if I stay persistent.

Focus on where I have control

I focus on things I have control over. More specifically, I focus on self-improvement by learning new skills or diving deeper into existing ones.

My learning plan is well-researched. Even if it isn't, it helps that everything I want to know has some personal benefit. I'm not just acquiring these skills for the sole benefit of an employer. I am building up these skills regardless of whether or not they become my primary source of income.

Another area that I have control over is how much of a buffer I have between jobs. What I mean by buffer is having emergency funds.

There are numerous recent stories about months of unemployment following a layoff. I can't control how long a future job search will take. I can control how much time I have to search for a job by having money set aside.

Branch out

In the past, I've made small sums of money streaming on Twitch, playing in tournaments, gardening for others, and delivering food. Making money using different skill sets was just a fun activity to speed up the growth of my savings.

When I left the military, I stopped doing these things and relied on one income. I declined small money-making opportunities to spend more time learning and becoming more effective in my role. With how things are, ramping up work on a side hustle makes sense. This time, I want to make my extra income by writing, coding, or even tying the two together with technical writing.

I got an entry-level job in the tech industry when the industry was booming. Now, the challenge is to get through the current uncertainty. When this phase ends, opportunity will be waiting.