The future is bright.

It's been kind of a rough ride, but then, also pretty smooth, given the circumstances. I am sitting here, typing away and counting down the very last days until I start off a new carreer. Like, very officially.

Various circumstances started to turn my life upside-down. Looking back, only few things have been truly consistent, if anything, to be honest. Everything feels so different.

One of the major things is a carreer change.

Where am I coming from?

I have a degree in International Business. That is pretty broad and I basically could have become anything. I chose a path that lead me to market research. Yep, that includes asking tons of questions. Nope, I'm not the one calling you or standing on the streets. (However, I was introduced to the call center and had the honour to try it myself. It's tough work!)

Market research is fun. I mean, I was watching ads for a living. Not solely, of course, but it was quite essential to what I did on a daily basis: drafting surveys, analysing data, creating a story, understanding consumers and their behaviour and perception, and explaining it to the client. It was great to deep-dive into survey results, looking at the material, connecting the dots and come to conclusions and actionable insights. In my last job, I went a step further, diving deeper into the emotional part of the story - ever heard of System 1 and 2? Well, it is quite important to have it mind when it comes to product development and marketing efforts. Don't you ever think you're a rational being!

Fast forward, as much as I liked the job, the era ended. And there I was, wondering if I want to pursue that path or go a different way.

Guess what. I chose a different path.

I started off with this cute little coding challenge by the Institute of Code. By that time, it was offered for free and it was a no-brainer: Nothing to lose, but new skills to gain.

While it was all HTML and CSS only, I was hooked. Like, if just within these few hours, I am able to create a nice looking website by myself... how much more is out there?

Still, decision was not yet made on what to do next. I did a coaching, because I couldn't see the wood for the trees. Market research, project management, train the trainer, coach, dog trainer,... I had quite a few ideas. But I needed some help to find what felt good. I needed help to be able to take a decision, a neutral sparring partner to discuss my thoughts. Someone who was able to guide with some distance. And I'm so glad I did this.

Eventually, I decided to go after a training in web development. The luck of a draw, a former colleague mentioned bootcamps. Me, knowing nothing about anything, went for it. 3 months at neuefische. I learnt so much. Like, a freaking lot. The learning curve, how steep can it go? Well, that steep! It was a challenge, but so, so helpful as I now feel confident that I can conquer the world of web development.

And that's what I decided to do now. Conquer the world.

Because I am a strong woman. A developer. And my own boss.

Because, even if I don't know the outcome, have no idea if how successful I'll be, I've learnt a freaking lot. About all the new stuff that goes with 1) development and 2) starting a business. Oh, and obviously, all the things I learnt about myself. So much about myself (Spoiler: I'm so much more strong-willed than I've ever thought).

I'm a fast learner, patient, and code triggers an intrinsic motivation I didn't know exists. I know about the soft skills (like self-discipline and client service) and the hard skills (and this sector is set up to never stop learning, how awesome is that?!). I'm perfectly equipped. Digital is more important than ever. I'm up for this challenge. I couldn't be happier.

The future is bright, people.

NB: I kinda do unpaid advertising here. I don't get anything for it. It's just part of my story.