Inspired by a recent post by Yemurai R on Career Disappointment due to following the career path of someone else and quitting when it doesn’t go to plan in the shortest timescale possible, I felt strongly to put my two cents in. Yem told no lies in her post and she was right to address the issue. So many people have unrealistic expectations of a career change into tech based on the recent ‘social media hype’ of the ‘break into tech within X months’ movement, and then feel like a failure when it doesn’t happen as they thought it would and give up quick.

However, I don’t think its the ‘hype’ alone that has led people to set these unrealistic expectations of being able to announce they broke into tech in X short months. I think a lot of it is also to do with people not willing to do the other important work that’s needed to lay strong foundations before you commit to this roller coaster of a journey to transition into tech…

The inner work

Whose goal is it anyway?

Is it YOUR tech career goal to be in X role in Y area in tech, or someone close to you said it was a cool role, or an influencer on said platform hyped up the role so it must fit you too? Taking the time to get clarity on your goals will set you up for a smoother journey from the outset and ensure you will be investing all this time into pursuing a role that actually matched your values and personality, etc, for the RIGHT reasons.

What’s holding you back?

Why haven’t you achieved goal this before? This requires a lot of self reflection and digging into the past, present and the future, that a lot of people are just not willing to go there because it’s uncomfortable. I remember getting cussed once by a client who came to me for coaching help, but initially refused to look into the past, and sure as hell didn’t want to face what was really holding them back. My response was how do you expect to move forward and create a career and life of your dreams, if you’re not willing to explore and identify what causing your limiting beliefs and sabotaging up your progress. The answer is already inside you, you just need to be willing to invest the time to uncover it to move forward with your goals with full intention and freedom from the mental hold.

Have you set a realistic deadline for success?

The keyword here is ‘realistic’. When I ask some people what they tried and how long for before they concluded it hasn’t worked out, i’m sometimes sat scratching my head like who in the world told you that was a realistic target. Don’t get me wrong some people have been successful in a quick period, but not everyone’s journey is the same and not everyone has the same time and resources to throw at this journey so everyone’s results will be different and its not realistic to set your career goal and timeline based on someone else’s journey.

When I reel off a list of things to find out:

– what they’ve actually tried to achieve the goal

– have they asked anyone in that area of tech they want to get into for feedback

– have they networked with people in the area they wanted

– have they used the ‘gold mind’ that is LinkedIn effectively to help them make meaningful connections,

– have they posted about what they want and declared in public what they are looking

– have they regularly been a bit vulnerable and showcased stuff

the answer is usually ‘no’ to some or most of those points… and I’m sat there sometimes scratching my head about how they expected to achieve their goals in the timeframe they put pressure on themselves to because they’ve not achieved it.

I also have to say switching on the ‘open for work’ logo or adding ‘aspiring XXXXX’ to your title alone ain’t going to get you very far very quickly in most cases.

This is a marathon not a short distance sprint, and you got to believe in yourself yes, but also do the work to learn the stuff relevant to the role, but also just as important to do the work to bet on yourself and use that vulnerable uncomfortableness you may feel to put yourself in a position to attract the right opportunities to you.

A lot of people are just not willing to come outside of their comfort zone to achieve that, and hence blocking and sabotaging your own blessings.

Anyway I said what I said, let me rest my head.

More power to you x

P.S. If you need help to do the ‘inner work’ and help putting together a realistic action plan for getting into tech, check out my career coaching programme for women who want to build inner confidence to make a career change into tech

The post The Disappointment Of Unrealistic Expectations When Making A Career Change into Tech first appeared on .

For many women, the prospect of transitioning into a career in tech can be both exciting and daunting.  The tech industry is rapidly growing and has a high demand for skilled professionals. However, making the transition can be challenging, and one of the most significant barriers is the fear of failure.

Fear of failure is a common experience, but it can be especially pronounced for women who are leaving a stable job or have limited experience in the tech industry. It can hold them back from taking risks and pursuing new opportunities, preventing them from realising their full potential.

The truth is that failure is a natural part of the learning process, and it is often through failure that you grow and learn the most. However, the fear of failure can make it difficult for women to take the risks necessary to succeed in a new career.

Here are 5 strategies to help overcome fear of failure for success in a career in tech:

Reframe Your Thinking:

Instead of seeing failure as a negative experience, try to reframe it as a learning opportunity. Every time you fail, you gain valuable experience and knowledge that can help you succeed in the future.

Set Realistic Goals:

Setting realistic goals can help you manage your expectations and reduce the fear of failure. Start with small, achievable goals and build up from there.

Seek Support:

Building a support system of mentors, coaches, and peers can help you navigate the challenges of a career change and provide you with the encouragement and guidance you need to overcome your fears.

Embrace a Growth Mindset:

Adopting a growth mindset means recognising that your abilities and skills can be developed over time with effort and practice. This mindset can help you see failure as an opportunity for growth and learning.

Take Action:

Finally, the best way to overcome the fear of failure is to take action. Break down your career transition into small, manageable steps, and take consistent action towards your goals.  Reminding myself of the well known quote by Susan Jeffers “Feel the fear and do it anyway” has really helped to spur me on when fear shows its ugly head around something new I want to do or achieve.  We have to get out of our own way.

Remember, the fear of failure is normal, but it doesn’t have to hold you back from pursuing a career in tech. By adopting a growth mindset, setting realistic goals, seeking support, and taking action and doing this consistently, you can overcome this barrier and achieve success in your new career.  Don’t let fear stand in the way of your dreams.

If you’re a woman (or you know of one) who feels frustrated in your current job, and need support to build inner confidence to make a career change into tech, book a complimentary discovery call here to find out how I can help you on your journey to a fulfilling career in tech.

Photo Credit: Magnet[dot]me on Unsplash

The post Fear of Failure: Overcoming The Barrier To A Career in Tech first appeared on .

The power of affirmations for career change success

Enter affirmations. Affirmations are a powerful tool for achieving your career goals. By identifying your goals, crafting effective affirmations, and incorporating them into your daily routine, you can build the confidence and motivation you need to succeed.

So, what exactly are affirmations? Affirmations are positive, forward-thinking statements that you speak aloud as if you have already achieved your desired outcome. For example:

“I am confident and capable of achieving my career goals”

“I am constantly learning and growing in my career”

“I am worthy of success and recognition in my career”

By repeating these statements regularly, you can start to shift your mindset and focus on the positive aspects of your career journey.

The benefits

The benefits of affirmations are numerous. They can help you build self-awareness, clarify your goals, and develop the resilience and determination needed to succeed in your career. They can also help you overcome obstacles and stay motivated, even when things get tough.

Creating effective affirmations requires a little bit of thought and intentionality. Your affirmation should be positive, forward-thinking, and specific to your career goals. It should also be phrased in the present tense, as if you have already achieved your desired outcome.

Incorporating affirmations into your daily routine is key to their effectiveness. Set aside a few minutes each day to speak your affirmations aloud, either in the morning or before bed. You can also write them down and post them in a visible place, such as your desk or bathroom mirror, to remind yourself of your goals throughout the day.

So, if you’re struggling with self-doubt or feeling overwhelmed in your career change journey, consider incorporating affirmations into your daily routine. With a little bit of intentionality and a positive mindset, you can build the confidence and motivation you need to achieve your career goals. So, take some time to reflect on your career aspirations, create some affirmations, and watch as your career begins to flourish.

If you are a woman (or you know of one) who feels frustrated in your current job, and wants to build inner confidence to make a career change into tech, book a complimentary discovery call with me to find out how I can help you on your journey to a fulfilling career in tech https://dionnecondor-farrell.com/career-coaching-programme-for-women-into-tech/

The post Career Change Success: Are you affirming your way to success first appeared on .

After 4 years as a High School teacher she decided to quit because she wasn’t enjoying it anymore, and decided she wanted to be a Software Engineer. 

The teaching job was seriously limiting the amount of time she could spend with her young family.  She needed more flexibility.

She initially signed up for a 12-week coding bootcamp that focused on Python development with a well established bootcamp provider and it came with a guaranteed job placement at the end.

She successfully completed the bootcamp and got her certificate.

The job replacement never materialised… she was pi**ed.

She waited around for another opportunity that was to be organised by her bootcamp provider.

She quickly realised they were messing her about.

This really knocked her confidence and she started to doubt herself.  

When she came to me she was lacking confidence in herself so badly that she wasn’t putting herself out there to apply for jobs, and some serious limiting beliefs were holding her back.

She was hiding from recruiters who had been reaching out to her on LinkedIn.  She was playing small.

She was adamant she wanted to be a Software Engineer,  but had started doubting whether that would materialise.

She was self sabotaging.

So how did she turn things around:

She decided to invest in the Confidence Coaching programme, that helped her to build inner confidence to make a career change into tech, through a soulful exploration of mindset, skillsets and next steps.

She committed to attending every coaching session, doing the homework and a lot of self reflection.

After each coaching session she sensed a shift in her mindset.

By week 2 she was ready to let go of the expectations of others to get her a job, and was ready to accept responsibility for her own job search.  

By week 3 she was feeling more confident and had more clarity.  She realised she had more transferable skills than she first thought that would be valuable to a tech company, and that opened her up to a larger range of roles in tech to consider that she’d never even dreamed of before.

By week 4 she was ready to accept the confidence boost interview challenge.  It helped to boost her confidence even more, and she learned so much from going through the process with each one.  

Over the next few weeks she was taking on more challenges out of her comfort zone but with a positive attitude, and learning from each outcome.

She took the advice and tips on how to raise her profile, and she eventually got approached to interview at a large tech company that she found interesting and felt really aligned with her values.  

She went through the stage 1 interview with ease, then flourished during the stage 2 interview and was allowed to focus on a topic that was close to her heart.  Then stage 3 with a bit of additional coaching support along the way she was able to smash the final interview.  

SHE GOT THE JOB! 

With a bit more advice and guidance given on negotiating her worth, she managed to secure a bigger bag than was initially expected, increasing her previous base salary by 50k (135%), with the total compensation package at a whopping 264% increase on her previous salary if you take into account all the stocks and benefits.  Woo Hoo!

She’s gone from 4 years as a High School teacher to becoming an Associate Solutions Architect.  A role that is more aligned to her purpose and passion and that allows her to mix her teaching background with interest in the software delivery process.

The investment in the programme and in herself seriously paid off. 

She achieved this job offer within 4 months of completing the formal part of the Confidence Coaching Programme.  And to top it off, the role is fully remote.

You can imagine how happy I was to receive her confirmation message (see photo below)…

The comment she sent on her first day of the new job had me fighting back the tears… 

“Thanks for making me believe in my potential. It’s a very happy day for my family today”

Are you a woman who is frustrated in your job?

Do you lack confidence in yourself to make the career change you desire?

Has a career change into tech been on your wish list for the longest, but you don’t know where to start?

Do you want to increase your salary, and believe a career change into tech is the way for you?

Have you been sabotaging your own career change dreams?

The Confidence Coaching programme could be just what you needed all along.

Click and book a discovery call now to discuss how the Confidence Coaching programme could help you kickstart your tech career journey. 

#coaching #careercoaching #careercoachingforwomen #careerdevelopmentcoaching #womenintech #diversityintech #careerchanger #careerintech

The post Confidence Coaching For Career Change Into Tech: She Got The Job! first appeared on .

“It’s actually possible for me to pursue a career in tech” is what I hear a lot at the end of our discovery, with a beaming smile.

“The discovery call gave me vision of what is possible”

A lot of people think that “it’s coding or nothing” when thinking about the possibility of making a career change into tech, which can sometimes be daunting and off putting for some people.But this is far from the truth. 

Now I will admit that I am slightly biased when it comes to hands on tech roles because I would be so over the moon if every woman I meet who is interested in making a career change into tech wanted to be a Software Developer.

However there are so many other in demand roles within the tech industry that don’t require you to code and are just as impactful.

So here are 5 things to keep in mind, when you are considering a career change into tech:

• Don’t think it’s impossible to learn to code and become a software developer, especially if you’ve never tried it. If you have a desire to learn new things and like a challenge, there are plenty of resources out there to give you a taster of what it’s like to code before you commit to investing time and money into pursuing this as a career.

• Don’t count yourself out before you’ve even explored what is possible.  Remember you don’t have to become a coder if you don’t want to in order to get into tech.  There are many different roles in tech that don’t involve writing code.

• Don’t underestimate yourself.  You might not have any tech skills or knowledge right now, but it doesn’t mean you can’t learn what you need with a point in the right direction.

• Don’t ignore the previous skills and experiences you have built up over the years that may be valuable to a tech company. Identifying your transferable skills may well make the transition into tech a lot quicker.

• Don’t think non-technical roles in tech are less important.  I know my dev teams wouldn’t function properly without Scrum Masters, Designers, Product Owners, Product Managers, etc.  Despite being non tech roles, these roles bring a lot to the table.

• BONUS: Believe in yourself

Put a realistic plan together for career change success, and invest in help where it’s needed from someone who has already achieved what you desire to do. There’s no shame in getting help to kick start your career change, and it may help you achieve your goals faster than you would do on your own. If you need help from an experienced tech career coach click here and book a discovery call.

#coaching
#careerchange
#careerdevelopmentcoaching
#careercoachingforwomen
#careercoach
#softwaredeveloper
#scrummaster
#productowner
#productmanager
#uxuidesigner
#womenintech

The post Career Change into Tech: Getting A Vision Of What’s Possible first appeared on .

This one is an additional resources to compliment the Business Mentoring programme that I am currently participating in. Check out Self Made book by Bianca Miller-Cole and Byron Cole here https://amzn.to/3QKedQr

This one I bought years ago in Paperback and ready through most of it then apart from the one section I didn’t think was relevant at the time – Selling. Year later I realise its a chapter I probably should have taken seriously so I’ve making up for it now and listening to the audiobook version. Check out Brian Tracy’s book No Excuses here https://amzn.to/3HzMwFu

This book is the second book by Bianca Miller-Cole and Byron Cole, followup after more experiences and feedback from readers and mentees after the first book. This second book is definitely speaking to the things I have been experiencing recently. Check out The Business Survival Kit book here: https://amzn.to/3Na45Nv

This book I bought after attending a training course Financial Freedom and Passion and Profits from Property, hosted by the lovely George and Sarah Choy. It’s definitely helped me make a few changes and take up some new habits in regards to budgeting and money management. Check out Retire Now by George Choy and Sarah Choy here: https://amzn.to/3y6cAFq

I bought this book years ago and never got around to using it until 12 months ago. I haven’t read it cover to cover yet, but used it more like a reference book and jumped into relevant chapters I needed to help me prep for specific interview. I love Gayle’s style of writing as its easy to read and really engaging so far. Check out Cracking the Coding Interview book by Gayle Laakmann McDowell here: https://amzn.to/39zH20W

Bought this Leading Quality book by Ronald Cummings-John and Owais Peer on kindle ages ago so I could read it while commuting. Covid had other ideas and I’ve avoided the commute as have been working at home since 2020. Only just rediscovered this one so only just started reading it. Since I’m in a leadership role now I thought it would be wise to invest some time in developing myself in this area. It’s pretty good so far. I’m hoping I’ll be able to implement some of the things it suggests to improve the quality of the product I’m involved with delivering to the public. Check out the Leading Quality book here https://amzn.to/3zKOEZ9

So these are some of the books I’m currently reading or listening to for career development and personal development. What are your favourite books that you are reading at the moment? And have any of them impacted your career/work/business/life?

The post Great books I’ve read/listened to recently for career development or personal development first appeared on .