I don’t think I’ve ever improved as rapidly as I did in the last six months of my career.
It all started with the idea of changing jobs.
I wasn’t obsessively searching, but I was in a moment of life where I had to be honest with myself. I needed to understand who I wanted to become, what my next step looked like, and what would actually be better for my family. That process forced me to assess everything. Professionally and personally.
And it wasn’t comfortable.
When you truly assess yourself, weaknesses surface. Fears surface. Excuses surface. I saw clearly where I could improve if I just put in the effort. I realised I wasn’t stuck because of circumstances. I was stuck because I was afraid to find out I wasn’t good enough. I was paralysed by the idea of stepping outside my comfort zone.
Technically, I had improved over the years. But deep down, I expected more from myself. I thought I should be further ahead.
That realisation hurt.
What followed wasn’t just studying more. It was logging patterns. Observing my reactions. Noticing where I defaulted to comfort instead of growth. I started questioning the person I thought I was versus the person I actually behaved like.
Some days it felt brutal. It felt like I had wasted years.
But there was also something else: fire.
Instead of collapsing into self-deprecation, I slowly started connecting the dots. Every decision I had made (good or bad) had shaped me. Nothing was wasted. Some things I would handle differently today, sure. But they were all necessary steps.
So I stopped attacking my past and started building a bridge toward the future.
The interview process for my current job gave me a massive boost. It was intense, selective, tiring. I moved from one stage to the next with growing confidence. I saw clearly where I was lacking technically, and instead of hiding it, I was honest about it. I admitted my shortcomings, but I also brought concrete examples of how I had faced similar challenges before.
That honesty came from months of reflection. Without that work, I wouldn’t have been able to show up like that.
Then came the real accelerator: the job itself.
I’m surrounded by brilliant people from different backgrounds and disciplines. At first, I was intimidated. I felt behind. But I realised something simple:
Once you start dancing, the only option is to keep dancing.
So I did.
I asked questions. I admitted when I didn’t understand. I treated every colleague as an opportunity to grow. A chat with an experienced SDET. A meeting with a Senior Product Designer. A deep dive with backend engineers. PR reviews. Slack threads. Every interaction became a lesson.
I’m still in what I call my “sponge phase.” And honestly, I hope it never ends.
Every week I notice the gap between who I was six months ago and who I am today. The shift isn’t just technical. It’s mindset. Confidence. Ownership. Curiosity.
And the most exciting part?
I’ve barely scratched the surface.
There’s still so much to learn. So much growth ahead. And for the first time, I truly understand that the main variable isn’t luck, timing, or environment.
It’s willingness.
I just need to want it.