Becoming a client to grow your career

Becoming a client

Many of us get stuck in our daily routines, limiting our learning and growth. While on-the-job learning is valuable, it can restrict you to specific technologies that benefit the business. By becoming your own client and assigning yourself projects, you can expand your skillset through experiential learning.

Experiential learning

Experiential learning simply means learning through experience. I found it much easier to learn new things by giving myself a project. The project could be big or small, like building and designing a portfolio website or creating an entire ecosystem of backend services and applications. Regardless of what you decide your project to be, just decide to do it.

This could be an opportunity to learn about some new trending tech or even expand into areas outside your comfort zone. The goal is to level up your skillset by gaining experience working towards clear goals by completing the project. Once you’ve completed the project, you’ll be able to document this project in your resume or career growth plan.

If you’re someone entering into a new industry without any prior experience, having some projects under your belt will make you more appealing to prospective employers.

Personal challenges

Let’s pause for a moment to consider a few challenges, or blockers.

Taking on an additional challenge, such as a personal project, requires commitment. We all have other priorities in our daily lives that supersede our careers, so you’ll need to consider those factors and plan for this so that it doesn’t negatively impact your responsibilities or relationships. I am an early riser, so during those few hours when I am awake before anyone else, I seize the opportunity to work on my projects.

Adhering to some sort of schedule and developing a routine, is essential. You create predictable patterns of behaviour which set expectations for those around you.

Forming good habits will go a long way in advancing your personal and career growth.

The Project

So you’ve finally decided on a project. Now is a good time to set some milestones, and break your project down into smaller achievable chunks.

Milestones are essentially your checkpoints, use them as a way to review what was done and plan for the next one. They don’t have to be tied to specific dates, but be realistic about how long you believe this undertaking will take and most importantly understand that it is ok if you do not achieve a specific milestone in the time you specified, however, you need to keep yourself accountable and take stock of why you didn’t.

Clients expect a plan and routine updates and if something is not done when it was supposed to be done, there needs to be a reason for it.

Always keep yourself accountable.

Documenting your progress

Documenting your progress is very important, it becomes difficult to do because a lot of times we get caught up in the task at hand.

Documentation helps you validate why you should be considered for a promotion, for a project or demonstrate your skillset to prospective employers. Additionally, if you are working within a team, your documentation can help foster discussion and provide direction for other team members.

Documenting your project can be accomplished using a wide variety of methods, each with its advantages and disadvantages. Let's delve into some of these options:

• Digital Documentation Tools: Utilize project management software, wikis, or document-sharing platforms to create a centralized repository for all project-related documentation.
• Visual Documentation: Incorporate diagrams, flowcharts, sketches, or photographs to visually represent your project's processes, data, or results. Visual documentation can often convey complex information more effectively than text alone.
• Presentations and Demos: Periodically presenting your progress to stakeholders or colleagues through presentations or live demonstrations can be a valuable way to showcase your work, gather feedback, and ensure alignment with project goals.
• Code Repositories and Version Control: For software development projects, using version control systems like Git and hosting your code on platforms like GitHub or GitLab allows you to track changes, collaborate with others, and maintain a history of your codebase.

The most effective documentation strategy will depend on the specific nature of your project. For a personal project, you can start by simply building a website or app which you can easily showcase to others.

Staying in the know

If for some reason, you are unable to commit to starting a project or are still lost as to what the project should be about, taking inspiration from others is always a good way to find some inspiration.

There are an abundance of websites, podcasts and YouTube channels, where you can follow or subscribe to topics of interest.

Podcasts, YouTube and various tech-focused websites are a great way to stay in touch with the latest technologies and trends. If a specific topic piques my interest, I use this as motivation to learn more about it on my own and in some cases where relevant integrate a new process or technology into my ongoing projects.

Here are a few I regularly tune into:

• Front End Happy Hour
• How I Built This with Guy Raz
• The Backend Engineering Show with Hussein Nasser

In closing

Embarking on a new journey, especially one geared towards career growth, can often feel overwhelming. It's natural to feel a bit apprehensive about the unknown. But remember, the most crucial step is simply to begin.

Don't feel pressured to make drastic changes all at once. Instead, focus on taking manageable, incremental steps forward. Each step, no matter how small, contributes to your overall progress and brings you closer to your goals.

Start by identifying one small action you can take today. It could be as simple as updating your resume, reaching out to a mentor, or researching a new skill you'd like to learn. By breaking down your larger goals into smaller tasks, you'll find it easier to stay motivated and maintain momentum.

Remember, progress isn't always linear. There may be setbacks and challenges along the way, but don't let them discourage you. View them as opportunities for learning and growth. Stay focused on your goals, celebrate your successes, and keep moving forward, one step at a time.