📓 Journal #11
You were asked to keep a journal while going through the program. Each weekend you'll receive a brief journaling assignment in addition to your coding homework. (Review the Journaling at Epicodus lesson for a refresher.)
Journal #11 Prompt
Think critically about the following questions, and record brief yet honest responses. Include a date or timestamp and quick summary of the prompt to refer to later.
This section we'll explore our strengths and weaknesses, and how they apply to the career trajectories discussed in the past few sections.
We recognize it can be difficult to objectively evaluate your own strengths and weaknesses. If you find this challenging, try considering it from a third-party perspective. Put yourself in the shoes of a previous supervisor, co-worker, professor, teacher, or other such person in your life. What do you think they would report as your strengths? What about areas for improvement?
What are your top three strengths you think will apply to your future career? These don't have to be coding-related, but certainly can be.
What are your current areas of weakness? List at least three. Remain gentle, yet reasonable and honest with yourself. This isn't a time for negative self-talk, but a time to objectively identify areas for growth.
For each strength you listed, jot down at least one example of this strength 'in action' at previous jobs, or in the classroom. These are the types of stories you can refer back to in a job interview.
For weaknesses, list specific steps you can take to begin improving in these areas. For instance, if you identified "clear verbal communication" as a weakness, don't list that you'll simply "learn to talk better". Instead, detail the steps you'll take. Will you seek out a free public speaking course online? Attend a meetup and aim to speak to at least 5 new people? Try a lightening talk?
Discussion
We'll discuss our responses at our next class session. Make sure your responses are recorded before then!