IT'S NEVER GOING TO BE YOUR EXPECTATIONS

It has been a while since I wrote an article, especially here on LinkedIn, so let's make a change. Hello everyone, I have been absolutely swamped in my head that at this point the best thing I can do is to let it all out.

Last time I wrote an article, I was still in University and I was in the middle of completing my Bachelors. So good news, I'm now a software Engineer, bad news I am not planning to get hired anytime.

That brings me to why am writing this article. I made a big decision and the repercussions seems to be dire for me. For anyone out there planning to do what I'm doing, here is my letter to you as my younger self

THE JOURNEY

The first time I got hired, it was the best day of my life. I got to sell my skills for money and above all it was an opportunity to learn everything everyone told me about a job.

Of course, I loved the money and I bet you will too. It came with excitement and it was the first experience like never before. I miss those days when I was naive and everything seemed okay.

Fortunately, it did not last long for me and sooner than I expected, I got my university admissions. I was called to do the course of my choice, Software Engineering.

As expected, I quit my job and I got to school. Never the less, I got to apply for an internship position as a Frontend Web developer. I immersed myself in exemplary look and feel of a website and it was amazing.

At that point, I was sure my specialization would be web development. To this day, I have never understood why I keep running back to web development. Then enter crisis, the Covid season. One of the things that made me love that period was a chance at self discovery.

Then I met the amazing Edureka channel, it covered so much in tech that it made me think a lot about who I wanted to be known as. What will I make of my career specialization.

Data Analytics then tickled my fancy and I started researching all I could on it. It was a great discovery and I was sure I wanted to build something out of it. But on the sides, I started creating content and that was the time I felt the most freedom.

I could be the one telling everyone how I wanted everyone to see me as. Back to software engineering, I decided I want in on Machine learning. I started. I applied to scholarships, I got some, others I got a rejection. Then I got another job, this time as a social media manager.

It was fun and I learnt a lot on content creation while giving my all on data analytics. Then came the following year. I loved that I had a chance to try out both Marketing and Development. Now it was time to learn strategy.

Luckily, I got a job as a Business Strategist intern. They were impressed by my resume and the ability to juggle both school and work. So planning became next. I learnt project planning like never before and for once in my life I became the most organized I could ever imagine myself becoming.

I was super happy and I added strategic thinking to my list of skills. Classes went on super well and I'm that I am a performer. It was a struggle but I believe I make an exceptional student.

Fast forward, I became a Leader. I took on leadership roles in the school tech communities and I managed to rise the ranks. Then I got another interesting job, to become a Content Writer. That job shook the entirety of my being.

The agreement was not at all what I hoped for. The job itself was demanding and the compensation was peanuts. This job offer came from someone I considered to be close but I guess I was wrong.

The owner saw an opportunity to take advantage and I saw an opportunity to make a difference. It's hard to reject an offer that might help you but at the same time, it feels like the individual offering it does not perceive your equity in value.

That was when I made the decision that I'm still working on right now.

THE ALTIME REALIZATION

What can I say?

Am I meant to be undervalued?

Does the proficiency level I offer not match the level of compensation?

Or is it that the corporate market is a sea of advantage takers?

All of the above is true because everyone is unique in their own way. So I did not take the job and I decided to start a business myself. One business became 2, 2 businesses finally became 3.

Is it hard? Yes, extremely. Some people may not consider starting a YouTube channel as a business but in reality it actually is.

To this day, I am overwhelmed by my zeal and the level of stress I get to handle daily. The realization is You can do anything you set your mind to.

But we all know that, so next month, I will be taking you through all of it and tell you how to actually implement that mindset in real life. Everything is possible.

Just make sure you believe it and embody it.

so tell me, what do you think of it?