What's your NCAA?

I started watching the Michael Jordan Documentary today on Netflix and it got me thinking of my journey that I have decided to take with my software engineering career.

After my undergrad career with the majority of my electives being in computer science. I went to a coding Bootcamp to really throw myself in the industry. I worked my ass off in the Bootcamp and always aimed for production level in all my assignments. I was there first in the morning, would go to the gym before class started and was the last person to leave at night. I know that may seem cliche, but I didn't do it because I wanted to push on to show I worked the hardest, I just love the process of learning in the field and wanted to go further and further, until I couldn't think anymore and needed the sleep to continue. I thought about sleeping at Devhub (place of the Bootcamp), but they frowned at that.

My effects paid off and I took a risk and had a job working at ATG Pharma as a web developer before I even graduated. I started my first day the Monday after graduation. The job at ATG seemed like a big risk at the time because I would not be joining a team of software developers, I would be on my own leading the charge at a company that had just started exploring the field and applications of modern software practices. My first official job at ATG would be my NCAA.

Let me explain; ATG is and will be my NCAA because I had the opportunity to learn and grow here VERY quickly. The environment fosters my curiosity and I have learned to grow from resources. I found an external mentor in an old friend who now works at Facebook, and quickly learn from the experiences of others. Experiences that allow me to learn and introduce technologies and methodologies at ATG.

In a short time, I have been at ATG; I have become talented at React development, backend API development, AWS, learned how software REALLY works in the manufacturing industry, learned about the future with industry 4.0, build IoT projects to control robotics, gained an understanding of production processes, sales processes, financing, accounting, etc.

ATG is my NCAA learning from the greatest in the field. My pro career will be the company I start; compete with the best to become one of great.