It is now seven months into the year 2023. It really feels like the coronavirus has accelerated the passage of time for me, but maybe I’m just getting older. At seven months in, I think now is a good time for me to look at some of the goals I set at the start and reflect, and maybe adjust them for the rest of the year.
What I wanted to learn in 2023
I came into 2023 wanting to learn Rust and Tauri, improve my JavaScript skills, and learn Flutter/Kotlin for Android Development. I also wanted a job as a front-end or full-stack engineer.
How are these goals going?
Rust and Tauri
Less than a week after writing my goals, I joined the Treasure Hacks hackathon, where I managed to siren song my group into making a Tauri project. I took charge of writing the Rust portion, and I immediately realized that I bit off more than I could chew. Rust was definitely not a language that you could learn within 2 days for a hackathon. Nevertheless, this experience exposed me to Rust and Tauri, providing valuable insights into where I needed to focus my learning efforts.
I continued to use Rust and later used it to architect the API and backend for another project I made with a friend, Web Dev Evaluator.
JavaScript
I would also like to confirm that I am definitely improving in JavaScript. I’ve actually started to write more scripts in Node.js instead of defaulting to Python, especially for text manipulation.
Kotlin, Android
I also was able to get dirty with Kotlin. Going back to Web Dev Evaluator, I actually wrote the initial backend in Kotlin with Spring Boot before migrating it to Rust and Axum. To be honest, the amount of knowledge I absorbed from this phase is quite low.
While I still haven’t delved into Android development as initially planned, I remain open to exploring React Native as an alternative path for mobile app development. This is not a slight towards native or Kotlin development, I feel like time would be better spent since I already know React in learning React Native and using Expo as my framework.
Ultimately, I have decided to drop Kotlin and Android from my learning goals in 2023. While these are two technologies that I would love to know, I’ve chosen to focus on other technologies and projects that align more closely with my interests and career aspirations.
Getting a Job?
After over 120 applications and four inteviews, as of July 2023, I am currently working as an IT Support role at International Wood Products, where I interned in the summer of 2022. While my role is certainly important as I have become the resident scripter and data manipulator as the only full-time employee with programming experience, I did not envision myself working this role. However, I recognize that every step holds value, and each experience, whether large or small, contributes to my overall growth.
To end the year, I still hope to have a definitive direction for becoming a front-end or full-stack engineer. Whether this means continuing to apply and interview, or returning to school for a computer science masters, I hope to make some significant headway towards my dream job.
End Notes
The pursuit of a job as a Front-end or Full-stack engineer remains a significant goal for me. While my journey in 2023 has seen progress and challenges, I am committed to continuing my efforts to achieve this objective.
Reflecting on the past seven months, I can see that my learning journey has been dynamic and diverse. From exploring Rust and Tauri during the Treasure Hacks hackathon to delving into JavaScript and Kotlin for various projects, I’ve gained valuable experiences that have expanded my skill set.
As I continue into the second half of 2023, I recognize that the learning process is a marathon, not a sprint. Adjusting goals, being flexible, and making course corrections are natural parts of the journey. As the year progresses, I look forward to sharing a full list of my 2023 development accomplishments at the end of the year, and I hope this includes the rest of the goals I set in January.