Progress Blog

As part of the Dev academy curriculum I'm working on my interpersonal and intrapersonal skills. The first step in this process is to identify my core values along with my strengths and weaknesses. I feel that I've done quite a bit of this type of learning in the past through various experiences. I've had to think about these things in sporting, professinal and hobbiest settings. It's good to reflect on my values every so often because they are likely to change as I get older and my prioreties change. Below are some examples of my identity, values, strengths and weaknesses with accompying examples.

1. Ethical decision

   I initially struggled to think of an ethical decision that I had to make. Upon some research into ethical decisions I realised that my decision to change to a vegetarian diet could be considerd an ethical decision. I've been following a vegetarian diet for over 3 years now (with the exception of when Cyclone Gabrielle hit our region). I decided to become a vegetarian as scientific research suggests that has a lower impact on our environment. Most sources of meat require a vast amount of land and water to produce food compared to plant foods. The case for animal cruelty does have a small impact on my decision making but the environment was the main factor in my decision. It hasn't always been easy following the diet as I am the only one in my household. I still believe in my decision however and do not regret it.

2. Culture

   I grew up in ahouse where hard work was heavily emphasised. The culture around me was to be kind and polite but to work hard for the goals you are trying to achieve. I was encouraged to do well academically and enjoy the sports I participated in. The people around me have always provided me with sound advice on future steps and areas that I'm strong in. I have a laid back personality so I meld well into team environments. Although I'm not outspoken I do think about what I say before I say it. I value friendship and teamwork and believe in comprimises in most situations and that common ground can usually be found to difficult situations.

3. Strengths

   • Logical - I've always done well in logical subject areas such as math. That's how I managed to do well in my university degree as accounting and chemistry are both logical subjects where if you think things through you are able to come to solutions. I believe this will help with coding as being logical means I work my way through problems in a methodical way which will help me learn.
   • Collaborative - I tend to fit into most teams easily. I'm not very outspoken but I like to observe and insert myself where I'm required. I don't mind doing the hard or ifficult jobs that others don't want to do for the benefit of the team. This is one of the reasons I'm looking forward to bootcamp because it will be great to work with others and be able to help each other.
   • Empathy - I believe that I am a compassionate person who can understand and try to relate to others who are having a difficult time. This allows me to build strong relationships with others as we can quickly develop a strong level of trust. I can be relied on to not judge others unfairly for their situations and can help work through the problems facing them when appropriate.
   • Self-motivation - I have the drive to push myself to new heights and achieve my goals. I've been coding mostly on my own for close to 2 years now with the goal of transtitioning to a new career. This has meant investing in myself financially which isn't easy given I have to help support a young family. It also has required me to find time to learn, which has meant early mornings and late nights. All of this to try achieve my goal and live the life I want.

4. Limitations

   I like to follow a very structured learning approach to new concepts. In environments where there is less structure I can get a bit lost. I enjoy structure and routine which give me confidence, if I get taken out of my routine I can get a little uncomfortable but that is important on occasions to change things up. I'm not a creative person and this limits me in some areas of coding. I don't believe I can make a great UI from scratch without using another design or following some mark-up on Figma etc. Bootcamp will push me out of my comfort zone and force me to trink creatively to find solutions and I look forward to try and improve myself in this area.

5. Conflict resolution

   When setting up research trials there are usually different opinions on the best way to set up the trial. This usually includes when to pick and store the produce. The optimal way to do this is sometimes up for discussion both within the team and between external stakeholders in the research. The most common approach I take is to explain my reasoning about the approach we should take and to listen to others and their opinions/concerns. This approach is often effective as stakeholders are able to air their concerns and often they mention details I had failed to think about. Having different voices is great to ensure nothing is left to chance and all bases are covered. When this doesn't work is when two or more people can't agree on the best path forward. Other strategies that could be tried include conflict resolution with those involved. Alternatively clarifying roles and responsibilties can help as those with more experience and knowledge in the topic should have more weight put on their thoughts. The most important thing to me is that the conflict is dealt with in a positive manner. Having a positive team culture ensures that the only issue is the approach to the problem and not dealing with interpersonal conflicts.