Why Web Development

Hello again!

The first question I always ask is why? If you know the why, then it's easier to stay on track and motivated. However, my why, as like much things in my life was based on several factors.

Timing

Well, I recently dropped out of business school. I needed something to do with my time. My sponsor would pay for a program where I would end up with a certificate or a diploma. It also had to be finished by a certain date. That date was just under two years. Every month that I waited to sign up, the window of time got smaller. I would have preferred a public college but the two diploma programs were two or three years long. Public colleges also have a lot of additional training geared towards younger students. It was still helpful, but I can condense my time and focus on exactly what I need to at a private school. I discovered that administration and business were not a good fit for me. My real passion is for being outside and around trees. I like being physical and active. There were some condensed diplomas or certificates in arboriculture or forestry. However, I could not see the jobs that lined up with a diploma in forestry tech. As far as arboriculture goes, I could have gotten an apprenticeship. So I started looking for apprenticeships. But then I got really sore hips. I went to the doctor and discovered I have a hip impingement that is creating tearing in my hip socket. I was unsure how much physical labor I could handle, so I wasn't going to go with that as a career choice. I had sent out applications to other trades like plumbing or electrician. I did not receive any call backs. In addition, I did not want to ignore the opportunity for school to be paid for.

Money

As I mentioned before, I have a sponsor through medical insurance and I had a tight timeframe to decide. In addition, it seems that there will be decent money in a technology field; whether I work for the government or a business. I am not looking to become the next Steve Jobs. My first goal is to make $80,000 per year. It may take some time, but I think its doable. My long term goal is $150,000 per year. However, I may adjust this once I get into the industry.

Interest

I have some interest in digital marketing and creating graphics. However I have zero skills in this. I know that web designer would have been a more artistic fit, but I felt safer to go into something where I would learn programming. Programming can be transferable to other types of work; Not just Web Development.

Passion

I am finding through my courses that I am fascinated at how computers and technology work. It's incredible and changes the way that I see the world around me. I like the idea that I can use a career in programming to impact the world, and serve others. I may be a small cog at my level, but the possibility is still there.

Work Environment

I would like to live in the country and potentially work from home. Although I like to be around people, I also really like to live in the country. I want to be in an environment where I can express myself and don't necessarily have to dress very traditionally. After years of being in the military, I would really appreciate colour and expression in my life.

Lifestyle

Work to life balance is very important to me. It is important for my mental health. This doesn't mean that I am not driven to work long hours, but its critical for me to maintain a balance. I may be able to find this in a government job. The flip side of this, I can see myself being very passionate about what I am doing. In the right environment, with some people who are passionate about what they are doing, I may be able to handle a little more work. It is important for me to have a job that I can leave at home at the end of the day, but it's also important to be passionate about what I am doing.

Amends to myself

I mentioned in an earlier post that as a child I had an interest in programming and graphic design. This was with an MS DOS computer. So I had no idea that graphics would be as good as they are today. However, this area of my life wasn't explored and I had a lot of interests. We didn't upgrade computers rapidly at my house and I got into other things. In high school I was heavily into music. I have also been into a lot of different things. I also had a tough time dealing with some personal issues and moved away from from some of my interests, This is one way of making amends to that little boy inside of me who didn't continue on investigating his interests.

Tom

#Webdevlopment #Careertransition #Webdeveloper