My Journey to Becoming a Developer

My journey as a software developer started with a simple school project. I was always fascinated by technology, but it wasn't until I put some extra effort into creating a stylish HTML page for a school project that I uncovered my talent for coding and design. Everyone in my class was impressed and this small win only fueled my desire to continue learning and exploring the world of technology.

Introduction

Hi, I'm Sahil Shubham, a 22-year-old full-stack developer with a focus on MERN and UI/UX design. I'm in my final year of computer science engineering. In this blog, I'll recount my experiences as a developer from the beginning to today, including the challenges I've overcome and the lessons I've learned.

The Beginning

My first ever interaction with tech was way early in the summer of 2010. I was visiting my friend's house to check out his brand-new PC. As we fired up the classic game "Road Rash" (this was the first video game I ever played), I was amazed. I remember the excitement I felt as I controlled the motorbike and watched the visuals react to my inputs. That moment was the starting pistol for my love of gaming. I wanted to play all sorts of games. I was hooked.

(Ah! This brings back memories)

Later in 2014, when I was in 8th grade, I had to make a school project using HTML & CSS. I wanted to stand out and make the coolest project ever, so I went the extra mile and hit the internet for some ways to make the website flashy. I ended up creating the fanciest landing page, making use of the <marquee> tag to make the content move left and right. The website was a hit, and everyone was amazed by my creation. I felt so proud and happy that I wanted to go home asap and create something even better.

Fast forward to my early programming days around 7 years ago from now. I had played a lot of indie games and wanted to create one on my own. So, I set out to build a horror game for PC, even though I hadn't started my formal education in computer programming yet. But I was determined to build this game! And somehow I did! I created the silliest and the most goofiest horror game, NightSteals. I uploaded it to an online store and it quickly gained some traction with more than 500 downloads and around 40 total reviews.

(Try out the game maybe? kekekw)

Although the game was wacky, the feedback I received, be it good or bad, made me very happy as people online were playing and reacting to something I had created. The process of building this game taught me a lot about programming and further solidified my interest in tech. I wanted to make more games and better games.

(Good laugh?! this was supposed to be scary T_T)

This experience was the turning point that sparked my interest in programming. I was hooked on the idea of building something that makes people happy. From that day on, I knew that I wanted to work more with tech and get better at it. Looking back, it's funny to think that it all started with a simple game of Road Rash and a school project.

The Middle

The ride that came next was a bit rough, but man, it was a game-changer for me and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Since I hadn't had my formal education in the fields I was interested in, I taught myself the basics of game development and joined a university. While in my first year, I met some amazing people and collaborated to make some seriously cool projects. We even won a couple of hackathons, which was pretty dope. And that's also when I met Ankur, a senior colleague who would eventually become my mentor.

(My first hackathon win >_<)

One day, while I was working on a game project with Ankur which was aimed to help connect autistic kids and their parents through play, utilizing virtual reality. Ankur, being the tech wizard he is, set up a multiplayer server that let them play together on the same level.

I was in awe and couldn't help but ask him how he did it. He suggested I dive into backend development and even recommended an online course for me to take. This course turned out to be a defining moment for me, teaching me everything from vanilla JavaScript to React, Node.js and MongoDB (here's a link to the course). I was even able to discover the wonders of open source and learned to work with Git.

Thanks to Ankur, I was able to make a smooth transition into software engineering and I couldn't be more grateful for the journey.

The End (?)

My experiences in tech have been a mixture of opportunities and challenges. After improving my tech skills through personal projects, I started applying for internships and eventually landed my first internship at a tech startup in Nov 2020. This was a big accomplishment for me, I was excited, satisfied and felt responsible after receiving my first paycheck. After a year, however, I realized the pay was low and the work environment was unhealthy for me. So, I sought a more fulfilling job with better pay.

My search paid off, in October 2021 I got a remote internship offer that not only came with a better salary but also with a bonus - a paid trip to Delhi for two weeks! and it was also my first time flying! I not only got to explore a new city but also got to work at an onsite office and interact with my colleagues. This exposure was a great chance for me to see how tech can bring people together.

(The time I was in Delhi)

During a 4-month break to work on my skill set and learn new things, I learned more about backend development and AWS deployment. This led me to a summer internship at Walmart Global Tech, where I worked on designing, and developing the front-end and the backend applications along with SSO integration. Although I was offered a full-time role, the compensation wasn't quite what I was looking for.

Later on, in Oct 2022, I got to work with a Swedish startup as a UI/UX engineer which turned out to be super beneficial, to say the least. I learned so much about user experience, workflows, and even human interactions. I also started to understand why things are designed the way they are. This opportunity was the equivalent of getting a PhD in UX!

And now, I'm happy where I'm at and can't wait to see where my tech journey takes me next!

Conclusion

In the end, I am super grateful for all the opportunities and experiences that have come my way. I certainly have grown and I still have a long way to go. A big shoutout to all my friends, near and far. I'm grateful for our regular chats even though we haven't seen each other in years and some I haven't even met in person yet :)

I want to keep trying out new things and continue to grow as a person and as a developer. I am excited for the future and all the amazing things that await.

Thank you for reading this and if you made it this far, congratulations! You deserve a virtual pat on the back, or a cookie... or both!

* pats on the back *
* gives cookie *

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