i can write stuff other than source codes too, you know?

2006 - 2007: Systems Development

Right after graduation, the norm for the Filipino youth is to go look for a job. Typically, we wouldn't want to put our bachelor's degree to waste, so a Computer Science graduate would of course be looking for a career in Information Technology. I did the same -- I submitted my resume to a number of big and small companies, hoping that one of them would notice my very meager credentials. Fortunately, it didn't take long until a large local bank found me. 

I was scared. Really scared.

I started off as an IT Consultant. You know, those people who aren't really employees of the company but are assigned on a per project-basis, I started like that. So I got to join a team which handled "Special Projects" in that bank. I couldn't really tell the difference between a Special project and a Non-Special one, but that's how they named the team so, whatever. I handled web-based applications written in, don't laugh, ASP Classic! At that time, ASP Classic was a modern technology so I was really happy to have been exposed there, until rather quickly, .NET became the mainstream Microsoft platform. So, I self-studied the technology so I can handle projects that would either entail creation of a new system or modernization of an old one. Six months after I entered the company, I was regularized as a Senior Programmer - a title which kinda made me iffy a little bit because of well, the word "senior".

My .NET skills landed me in a job with another large local bank as an Analyst Programmer, in which I've stayed in for just three months before hopping into the company where I would be (and am still) spending the most of my career.

2008 - 2012: Systems Design and Development 

I really didn't consider my second job as a real experience, because I've been there for just three months and I didn't really do and accomplish much. So when I transferred to my new work, it's not like I can demand for a higher position right? And rightfully so. I got a job, again as an Analyst Programmer, in a leading multinational Financial Services company. My technology focus was still on .NET but luckily, I had a boss (who is now my mentor) who made sure I get exposed to other technologies and assignments. So apart from .NET, I designed and developed quite a number of applications written in Java, Lotus Script and a little PHP. I'm sure there were more, but I kind of just forgot because they really weren't mainstream technologies in our company.

Under my boss' watch, I transitioned from an Analyst Programmer to a Systems Analyst. Both were really technical posts, but she also made sure that I grow holistically as a professional. So I've had trainings here and there on other technologies and practices. I also did work which involved very little technical stuff and more on the business side. There were also assignments which allowed me to do some management. And I also got to practice and enhance my presentation and inter-personal skills. I was like a human vacuum cleaner during those times, absorbing every bit of learnings and experiences that I can get. But I guess more than the new technologies, it's the skill where I was able to wear multiple and switch hats almost rapidly, which really prepped me for the challenges ahead.

2013 - 2015: Technology Governance and Architecture

There were a lot of adjustments when I assumed the role. My scope was big. I had to say goodbye from hardcore coding and designing of specific systems. Instead, I had to look at projects on a higher-level. After all, architecture was one of my main focuses. It was also the first time that I had to work without a teammate, although it involved a lot of coordination with different IT teams. My inter-personal skills were also put to the test, as the role called for me to interact with various-ranking people across the organization - local, regional & global. Needless to say, I had a new boss. Well, logically speaking, I had two of them!

It was a real stepping out of the comfort zone! The only saving grace was that I was still with IT, so everything still felt familiar, albeit in a really larger scale. It meant a lot of adjustment. And since the role was the first one in the organization, there were a lot of gray areas which made it even more difficult for me to adjust. It wasn't a smooth ride, to be honest. While the sheer excitement was there, it was also borderline exhausting. It's not to say I didn't like it, I did, but wearing different-and-sometimes conflicting hats at the same time kind of made me question whether I was still doing the right things. Thankfully my boss and my peers thought I was, so at the end of the day, it felt really gratifying. 

For better or worse, I really evolved a lot after assuming this role. If I were to look back, even as recently as three years ago, I'd probably find a different person. But it's a good thing, if you think about it. It just proved that there was growth. And there was this constant yearning for more, for something new to challenge me. 

And well THAT led me to today.

Beyond Today

Yesterday marked the end of my ten-year career in Information Technology, and a start of a whole new professional adventure. If being appointed as the Lead Designer called for me to step out of my comfort zone, this one meant moving far away from it! How do I feel? Excited, of course. But I'm scared. Really scared. There's really no way to sugarcoat how I feel. But this is my reality now, and I chose this myself. I don't know what the future has in store for me, and I can't even tell if I will do well. 

I was told to take two days off before I formally get my hands dirty on my new role. Primary purpose: Cleansing. I'm not entirely sure if it's ridding myself of my IT mindset and preparing to wear the business hat, so it probably is in some ways. But I guess cleansing also meant taking the good parts of the past to help prepare for the road ahead. It's surely not going to be an easy ride, and I'm probably bound to make a lot of mistakes along the way. 

But hey if I were to believe history, the past ten years say.. I can do it!