Reflection On My Growth Throughout 2023

Introduction

At the start of this year, I took a self-assessment on my abilities in the below categories. Today I'm taking a moment to reflect on each category and how I've grown throughout the year.

Use of Tools and Technology

Learning any new coding technology always comes with its set of configurations and challenges, and I certainly encountered that when beginning my machine learning project. However, my experience in configuring other tools set me up well, as there are a lot of similarities.

I feel like I've gained an even deeper grasp of the latest trends and developments being used in the industry today; I try to stay up to date with multiple news sources, including Hacker News and Youtube, where individuals are sharing their experiences in the workplace.

Planning and Organisation

I rated my ability to manage timelines and prioritising as Developing, and although I have improved to some degree, I still wouldn't classify myself as a component. I still have a habit of leaving tasks to the last minute, and I need to develop better structures to make sure I'm completing my tasks without adding additional stress to my workload.

I also still find it difficult to delegate tasks to others, although it's something I've done fairly well in the past in my previous jobs; when it comes to coding, I have a high bar for quality, and I find it difficult to rely on others to reach that quality level. Sometimes I also feel like explaining the issue would take longer than tackling it myself, which is not true in reality. I hope I can improve upon these skills further next year.

Initiative and Enterprise

Joining the ICP Internship program really tested these skills, and I feel like I really excelled; I was able to join a project midway through the year and able to break down the client's end goal into manageable steps for the team to action. When faced with hurdles, I kicked them down and found a solution that was manageable to action and suitable for the client. Overall I'd say my skills here did improve to a Professional level.

Problem Identification and Solution

Problem identification and solution generation is an area I've grown a lot this year; at the start of the year, I rated myself as developing my skills in researching and sequentially critiquing and synthesising information. However, I definitely feel like that's improved. I'm not sure if I'm confident enough to say I'm ready for the workforce just yet, but I now have a personal system to make these tasks less daunting and to feel more confident when I'm given an assignment. For analysing issues for underlying causes and proposing solutions, I may have marked myself too critically at the start of the year as starting. In an academic sense, this may be true, but I do this every day in my work as a software engineer, and as that is the career I want to continue to pursue, I believe my skills are ready for the workforce.

Teamwork

I believe I'm a great team player; having had a lot of leadership experience and many years working professionally in teams, I've had a lot of chances to learn and grow in this category. I did identify the potential to improve my ability to respond constructively to the opinions of others. Unfortunately, I feel like my coursework hasn't presented many opportunities for me to develop these skills further, but I will try to do more peer reflections and attempt to give and receive more feedback from the team activities I undertake next year.

Communication

In communication, I believe I have grown a lot this year, especially in talking to large groups of people and communicating my ideas more clearly. This is something I've worked hard on in any conversation I have, to try to channel my thoughts into a more concise and clear output. I've spent more time reading research papers which has helped me understand the development of arguments from multiple perspectives and justifying these arguments with evidence. Reading more, in general, has also helped me with expressing my thoughts in a clear way. I believe spending less time on online forums has also helped significantly in this area.

Conclusion

2023 has been a challenging but very rewarding year for me. Building on the foundations of my schooling from last year as well as pushing myself out of my comfort zone more frequently, has really helped me feel more prepared for my final year and getting into the workforce. I still have the opportunity to grow further, and I look forward to really pushing myself when it comes to teamwork and problem-solving next year to feel like a well-rounded individual ready for the workplace.