Bootcamp Learning Plan
Long-term Goal and Career Pathway
My long-term goal of founding a fintech startup remains the same. Once established, I still plan on using some of the profits to fund charitable causes, doing my part to help make the world a better place.
To reach this goal I'm going to need some solid industry experience and connections, so after graduating EDA I will actively seek employment in the tech sector. There's a company I interviewed with earlier in the year, Auror, where there seemed to be an amazing culture and fit. I'd be thrilled if I had the opportunity to join their team and contribute to what they're building. But if that's not to be, I'm sure there are countless roles out there where I'd fit in seamlessly and really make a positive impact.
Meanwhile I'll keep learning new things, honing my craft, and building personal projects in my spare time.
Biggest Strengths and Limitations in Bootcamp
I think my ability to work well with others will be my biggest strength at Bootcamp. This comes down to some of my core values and strengths which include kindness, respectfulness, integrity, and a good sense of humour. I also think resilience and my love of learning will help me overcome challenges when things get tough.
My biggest limitation will most likely be self-confidence in terms of presenting and communicating ideas. Even just the thought of public speaking makes me feel mildly anxious.
Biggest Non-Technical Challenge at Bootcamp
The biggest non-technical challenge for me will be how I balance the demands of Bootcamp with my responsibilities as a parent. There will be many days where I need to leave early to pick up my daughter from after-school care, so I'll need to make up for that lost time with early starts and working on the weekends.
Human Skills I'd Like to Develop at EDA
The most important skill I'd like to develop at EDA is my confidence speaking in front of others. It's something I've struggled with for as long as I can remember, but haven't yet made the effort to overcome. If I'm able to see improvements in this area by the time I graduate, then this Bootcamp will be a huge success for me.
My Expectations of the Bootcamp Team
I expect the Bootcamp team to not only help students expand their skills and graduate, but also to show compassion and understanding for students' lives and responsibilities outside EDA.
Expectations of Myself at Bootcamp
I expect nothing short of maximum effort from myself in this endeavour. I will ensure all challenges are completed to the best of my ability, and no-one I'm collaborating with will ever feel let down by my contributions.
I will find at least 10 minutes to meditate every day, and keep up the physical activity to help manage stress levels. If there are any occasions where I'm struggling to manage the workload, I will speak with my Human Skills facilitator as soon as possible.
I hope to make some good connections and graduate with a nice portfolio of work, putting me in an ideal position to find employment at the end of Bootcamp. I'm sure I will look back on my time at EDA with fond memories, even though the workload may seem insurmountable at times.
Foundations Learning Plan
Long-term Goal and Career Pathway
My long term goal in the tech sector is to found a company, possibly in the financial services industry, which helps address some of the key issues the world is facing. These issues include equality, climate change, and poverty, among others.
Although I don't yet have a clear business idea, I'll continue on my learning journey and see where that takes me. This journey starts with Enspiral Dev Academy, where I will learn the key skills to become a web developer. On completion of the course, I plan to seek employment and gain valuable industry experience. In my free time I'll delve into the realm of hardware, figuring out how to build devices that interact with software. By this point I anticipate having at least one or more good business ideas, and will look at realising my long-term goal outlined above.
Strengths and Limitations - How They Relate to My Learning
I believe that my intrinsic motivation and love of learning puts me in a good position to succeed. I'm driven to constantly improve myself and when things get tough I'm pretty resilient. I get along well with a diverse range of people, and I believe that my friendliness, integrity and sense of humour, allow me to thrive in most collaborative environments.
The challenges I'm most likely to face will be due to weaknesses in time management, and lack of confidence in particular situations including speaking in front of a group. At times I can get caught going too deep into some concepts where a more basic understanding would suffice, or spending too long working on a task to the detriment of other tasks.
Attention to detail is definitely a strength that could help me on my learning journey, however it's a double-edged sword when taken into account alongside a level of perfectionism and subpar time-management skills. I have to make sure that I'm using my time wisely, not sweating the minor details when there are other more important things to focus on.
Core Skills I Aim to Develop at EDA
One key skill I'd like to develop is my confidence presenting ideas in front of others. Public speaking has always been a limitation for me, and I believe it holds me back from reaching my full potential.
Something else I need to work on is my communication. Being able to verbalise things in a concise and confident manner, even just to one person. This is something I struggle with at times, and it could stand to be improved on.
Workload Management - My Commitment
I'm fully committed to completing everything that is asked of me, to the best of my ability. I will treat other learners, facilitators, and industry/community representatives with respect and kindness. I'm open to compromise where a situation calls for it. I will stick to my word, and do what I say I'll do. I will not let myself or the team down. I'll manage stress levels by taking some time each day to focus on my physical and mental well-being. I'll break things down into smaller tasks so that they're more manageable.
Commitment to Seeking Help
Should I ever feel that I won't be able to complete a task on time, or to a high standard, I will bring this to the attention of a facilitator at the earliest possible opportunity. I will work with this facilitator, and any collaborators on the task, in order to find the best possible solution for all parties.
What I Expect From the Facilitation Team
I expect the facilitation team to provide fair and honest advice, feedback, and support, through what will be a challenging 15 weeks. I expect them to help me figure out solutions on my own, rather than provide the answers I'm looking for.
Other Commitments to Factor In
As a parent with joint custody of my daughter, there will often be times where I need to leave early to pick her up from school. This is something that's unavoidable and I'll have to work around it. I don't anticipate drop-offs being a problem as I'll try to put her in before-school care.