January 9, 2025

My journey into the tech industry as a beginner.

After several months of learning in the frontend developer career path, I've decided that I will be settling as a Cybersecurity Specialist.

What Influenced My Decision Into Tech

Growing up in a third world country in the 90s, I watched my Dad bought and taught himself how to use a computer, this was not normal at the time as very few people knew what a computer was, but my Dad has always been a geek. Meanwhile, my only interest with computer was video games. I did not own a computer until 2024 (26 years later, after I saw my dad bought one for himself) because I really did not see the use of them when a smartphone can give me everything I needed. However, like we all know, the world is at a stage where virtually everything is going digital, and having reassesd my life, I decided I will be learning a digital skill. At the time of making this decision, I had absolutley no idea of what I will be learning, but I knew that to stay relevant in the modern world, I needed to learn a digital skill.

How I got started

After I made the decision, I got myself a laptop and started telling people whenever the opportuinity presented itself that I am keen to learn a digital skill. I did this with the hopes of meeting someone that will point me to the right direction. My interest at the time were the microsoft office tools, but I really was not sure how this skill was going to lead me into getting a job, so I was not so eager to learn them. One day, a friend of mine uploaded a web development project he built on his status and that became my moment. Immediately, I texted him, asking how I can be able to learn and build exactly what he built. He was so kind and willing to show me,he adivsed that I buy a subscription course called scrimba, he added me into an online group of developers and told me not to be afraid to reach out for help whenever I encounter any difficulty.

Prior to this, I have had no knowledge of any digital skill, so I had to start from zero. Scrimba, the course which I subscribed is an amazing place to learn and I will recommend it to anyone who's thinking of getting into the tech industry. That said, there were days when I wanted to give up, but I kept at it, kept making progress and my wonderful friend was always there whenever I needed support.

Why I have decided to go the Cybersecurity Specialist Route

The past few years has seen the emergence of AI in the tech industry, and with that, comes alot of job at risk of being obsolete. Having consulted some senior developers, there is a risk that I may struggle in the near future to get and retain a position as a developer. Secondly, my personality aligns more with problem solving than a creator, and between a web developer and a Cybersecurity Speacialist, I believe that the former requires more creativity. These two factors are certainly the reason I have decided that I will be taking the Cybersecurity path in tech.