TL;DR
Over the past decade, I’ve grown from a self-taught grade school coder in the Philippines to a Senior Software Engineer II in Vancouver. My journey hasn’t been perfect. It’s been filled with early career missteps, poor communication from leadership, a lack of mentorship, and the personal toll of a pandemic-era layoff. But through it all, I’ve found purpose in mentorship, connection, and continuous growth.
This write-up is my way of reflecting on the highs and lows, and of showing that no two career paths are alike -- and that’s okay. If nothing else, I hope it reminds someone out there that they’re not alone in the messiness of a tech career.
I've been a software engineer for over ten years now -- starting my career in 2013. During this time, I've experienced, the good, the bad, and the ugly of the industry.
Why am I writing this? I've been in the industry for a long time. I want to reflect on what happened during my first decade in the industry. I don't expect you to read the whole thing nor do I expect my experience to necessarily resonate with you; but I just wanted an outlet to show that not all career journeys are perfect.
My Background
Where it all started -- from HTML in grade school to BCIT graduate.
I started coding in grade four. I was fortunate that I went to a private school, Don Bosco Technical College (DBTC), in the Philippines where they also teach technical topics like electronics, drafting, woodwork, and information technology (IT). During this time, I learned HTML -- back when things had to be all caps and you only have tables or floats to handle your layout.
When my family moved to Vancouver five years later, I continued coding in my own time. By the time I graduated high school in 2009, I went to the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT). There, I completed the Diploma of Computer Science Technology in 2011 and Bachelors of Technology in 2013 where I specialized in Network Security and Administration.
One summer, after my first year in BCIT, I got a job as a web developer for a local web studio. I learned a lot in this position but there was something missing. Little did I know that this missing thing would be a hindrance and a strength. We'll come back to that later.
Post Education
The struggle to land that first “real” job and learning what truly matters.
After completing my education, the difficult part of a young adult had come -- find your first real job. I landed a job shortly after for a not-for-profit organization partially funded by the government grants with the focus on hiring new graduates.
Again, I enjoyed this job and I learned a lot; but again, it's missing something.
In 2014, I moved to a startup. This was my first experience working in a corporate setting. This is also where I learned something important that molded me to who I am today.
Harsh Truth
An early wake-up call that reshaped how I view companies and loyalty.
After a year of working at my second job, I finally got a performance review. I wouldn't even say it's a performance review. It was from someone who wasn't technical and worked from an office in another province. As one does during a positive performance review, I asked for a raise. This was a mistake.
I remember this vividly. The founder didn't take it well that I, an underpaid junior, was asking for raises. They said I was lucky to be working. That experience shaped how I see companies going forward.
Gone is my default loyalty to the company. This doesn't mean I don't give one hundred percent, sometimes more. This moment didn’t break me, but it fundamentally changed how I saw my professional relationships. This experience, however, made me appreciate my coworkers more than I already do. I shifted from being loyal to the company by default to the people I work with.
Shortly after that eye opener, I left the company in 2015 and went to another startup? I don't want to say it's a startup but it's more of a passion project. This is where I grew and matured significantly by working independently without much guidance. I learned more of Django, Angular and React. I enjoyed my time here but that inkling of something missing still lingers.
Communication Please
Why direction and transparency matter more than you think.
By 2017 I'm off to my fourth job. I now have more notches on my belt. I was confident and I started to build more opinions for better or worse. In this job, I learned the importance of communication. Communication of plans for the future wasn't really there. When they were, it was few and far between. Tickets were being created and completed but it didn't feel like we had a destination. This made me feel uncertain if there was an end goal.
This lack of clarity and direction made this lingering thought more prevalent than before.
Lingering Thought
Discovering what was missing all along: mentorship and guidance.
This is when I started to realize what that missing thing was. Throughout the first half of my career, I've never had a mentor. I've never had a senior to teach me things, and help me improve -- I was missing guidance.
This lack of guidance early on in my career taught me to learn, and to adapt. It made me able to depend on myself and believe that I am capable of improving. Even so, I always appreciated having supportive colleagues -- I've always welcomed their feedback.
With this realization, I made it a mission that juniors don't have that experience if I can control it. In this fourth job, I helped junior engineers -- gave advice, offered thoughtful code reviews, etc. I started volunteering with Canada Learning Code (formerly Ladies Learning Code) as a mentor and an instructor. In 2019, I started working part-time in a bootcamp as a mentor where I got to help students with their homework and projects.
With this new drive to help people -- mostly juniors -- I gained skills! I learned how to teach. I learned how to inspire. Another side effect of mentoring is I got better at my job. Being able to explain things and walk through things, allowed me to solidify the fundamentals.
The Pandemic
A career uncertainty, a mental challenge, and navigating the unknown.
After staying at my fourth job for a couple years, I wanted something new. I wanted to experience working at a big company. For this, I joined a local Xbox gaming studio as a contractor. I loved the experience. I thoroughly enjoyed working with so many people and receiving merch was a nice perk as well.
Midway through this contract, the pandemic happened. The offices were closed and the new normal started. This was a blessing and a curse for me. I had concerns about how I would be able to find a position after my contract is complete. I couldn't renew the contract, and would need to wait three months to be eligible again.
After my contract, I was able to join a company late in 2020 where I had a difficult time mentally. It wasn't a good experience, and the pandemic, it didn't help. I barely lasted just over half a year. Eventually, they laid off the entire team I was a part of. Luckily, long before that happened, I had already started working at the company I'm with as of the writing of this.
Present Day
Finding purpose, building connections, and paying it forward.
As of 2021, I work as a Senior Software Engineer II for a company I'm happy being a part of. This is where I’ve achieved some of the things I’m proudest of.
Firstly, my loyalty to my coworkers -- new and old -- never waned. I was able to bring on a colleague before the big layoff. I'm happy to say, we're still working together to this day. I was also able to get a student from the bootcamp I part timed in to get a position here.
Another accomplishment I'm proud of is one of my mentees was eventually promoted to a Senior Engineer I. Even though she moved on to a different company, we're still good friends.
The Future
Looking ahead with hope, ambition, and a drive to keep growing.
As of right now, I don't know what the future holds for me. I definitely want to advance my career and meet more interesting people. Let's see what the next decade holds and I might have another retrospective for it.
I don't hold any grudges against companies or people; it's all business after all. I still appreciate having the opportunity to work with them.
Lessons Learned
Loyalty is earned, not automatic. Companies come and go. Invest in the people you work with, not just the logo on your paycheck.
Mentorship matters. Not having one early on left a gap I didn’t fully understand until years later. Now, I try to be the mentor I wish I had.
Communication isn’t optional. Poor direction, vague goals, and silence from leadership are red flags, not just annoyances.
Teaching makes you better. Explaining concepts to others forced me to revisit fundamentals and made me a stronger developer.
Your path won’t look like someone else’s. That’s okay. There’s no single definition of a successful career in tech.
It’s okay to outgrow places. You don’t need to stay somewhere just because you started there. Growth often means moving on.
I hope you enjoyed reading this writeup. If you want to connect or have a chat, feel free to hit me up on LinkedIn or Instagram.
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