A couple of years ago, I stumbled upon the book called Storm and Silence by Rob Thier at Wattpad. I think it's been officially published since (at least on Kindle), but it was definitely one of the best reads I'd ever had. It wasn't just a book, as they say. It was an experience.
Heck, I could still remember -- quite vividly -- a quote from one of the protagonists in the series, Rikkard Ambrose. He said, "Knowledge is power is time is money." To be fair, it's become pretty impossible to forget that philosophy because one, he kept saying it. Two, it's very true.
knowledge is power...
We have all heard this at least once in our lives, maybe even a couple of times. Knowledge is power. Used wisely, it could wield much power worth time and money. Such is Rikkard's philosophy. I was an undergraduate student when I read about his adventures, but his words stuck with me.
Of course, it upset me when I failed a few of my subjects. Did that mean I wasn't knowledgeable enough? Would companies and organizations turn me down because of my failing grades in my undergraduate? I was anxious. Man, was I so scared.
Eventually, I graduated and found work almost immediately. And it wasn't just any job -- it aligned very well with what worked for in college. I became a researcher. I started working on data science research, did a lot of programming, and then shifted to researching high-performance computers.
I worked alongside many men and women, and the learning just wouldn't stop. I loved it! Still, I tried my luck applying for other jobs, and I surprisingly got into a dream one. Now, I work not in research, or data science, or HPC. I still do a lot of coding and develop programs, but I am now also tackling MIS, project management, and IT service management.
They are things I have never once imagined I would do, but here I am now.
on to higher studies
I dreamt of it since graduating college, you know. I hoped to pursue graduate studies when the timing is right. Naturally, I thought it would feel empowering to have and MS degree, but even more knowing that I could expand my knowledge, retain them, and take it formally.
I tried twice. Once in 2018 -- that application never pushed through. Not the time, I think. The next one in 2020, and I got accepted into an MS Physics program. But the pandemic was brewing, and I had no energy to enroll.
Then, the right timing.
Last year, I got into the program I was truly hoping for. It's mad expensive, but I pursued it. (Though I had to take a break this semester because of work commitments. I promised myself to enroll again next semester.)
It didn't end there.
As if all windows of opportunities were opening up to me, just a couple of days before I received my graduate admission email, I received another notification that I got into some sort of fellowship. The project's goal was to fund certifications, trainings, and other professional development goals of different women and members of the LGBTQ+ in the field of networking.
It is through this project that I managed to sign myself up for trainings and certifications worth about USD 4,000. I kid you not. I was supposed to complete them by December of last year, but the project has since been extended, and now, I'm gearing up for my certification exams.
my goals in terms of my career
As a woman in IT, I have never really thought of my goals career-wise before. Last year, it got me really thinking, and now I'm taking it seriously.
I'll do my best to pass my professional certifications. They would be a huge boost to my resume.
I'll try to complete my graduate degree in less than 5 years. I would be attending classes part-time, so I couldn't guarantee finishing the MS program in 3 years, much less 2. Once I got the degree, I'll see what other opportunities open up for me.
Maybe I'll try finding a job abroad? I've been told I could easily make money elsewhere other than where I'm working at now, but I find it hard to leave. :( Research and science is absolutely close to my heart, but I'm sure I'll find a compromise.
For now, I will do my best.
