Podcast episode 137 Transcription

If you would like to listen to this episode, visit: https://rainforestalberta.podbean.com/e/e0137/
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Al Del Degan Hosts Diego Gomez[00:00:00] Al: Hey everybody. Welcome to the show. today my guest is, Diego Gomez. Diego is, one of the learners who's graduated from the InceptionU evolve program to pivot his career into becoming a full stack developer. Diego thanks for joining me
today.
[00:00:17] DIego: Oh,thanks Al, I appreciate your time and having me on the show that takes a lot of your time as well.
[00:00:24] Al: Thanks.
Thanks very much So Diego, maybe you could give us a little bit of a background because you're a career pivoter right. So maybe you could talk about maybe a bit of your education and what life was like growing up, and then what you did for a living before you decided to pivot your career and how
that happened
[00:00:41] DIego: sure.
Thank you. well, I guess my career has been very,transitional and rocky always, I've never had sort of like,one thing that I wanted to. Until I finally found the coding. yeah, just growing up. I was always very, into maybe traveling entrepreneurship. I did a little bit of a program with the government of Ontario.
I'm originally, landed immigrant in Toronto. And, so, there, I had a program in which, the government helped me, have my own company for a little bit. from there a little bit of, labor, logistics, I was never into having a loan. I didn't have the opportunity to pay for my own studies and I just, me and the government, I didn't really, want to have that pressure on me.
So I pivoted towards logistics and forklifting and things like that. And in my off time, I would, do a little bit of YouTube coding and stuff like that. And just the. the time the, and wanting to travel, I decided to do a little bit of tree planting, experimenting with those sort of jobs where it's more independent and where it can develop skills on my own and gathering knowledge from different people as well.
as I traveled my own country, same time I came back into Calgary at some point. And now I do the coding, which I appreciate the government and your program and the InceptionU program, for, for a hosting, such an opportunity.
[00:02:01] Al: Excellent. Cool. when you were going through the program, what did you, what sort of, experience was it for you where you feeling like.
Super confident and everything was really going well. Or did you jump in and go, oh my God, what am I getting myself into? How was that experience?
The experience is sort of mixed on both of the things that you just mentioned. Because it was very exciting. It was very, I was very confident, sort of applying to it.
it's something that I always was interested in and wanted to do, but there was also that side of, nervousness fear going into it, because obviously there are people who have had a lot more time to look at this stuff. Looking back and never even heard of the, Imposter syndrome that everybody talks about.
[00:02:46] Al: And, but I certainly felt it just doing know there was a name for it. and now the experience through it made me realize that, there's a lot of things that not only I can achieve as somebody that you know, has just my basic high school, but was somebody who's got a lot already going on. Completely pivot into something that seems unreachable at some point, but yeah, just both, feelings, I think made my experience very, like a roller coaster sort of thing.
Let's dig into that a little bit because you know, sometimes there's this debate and I was just on LinkedIn live, yesterday, or, sorry, the day before yesterday with regards to this concept. of university degree in computer science versus, you know, a bootcamp like InceptionU. And one of the things that, that I had mentioned kind of was that.
Difference in not only in timeframe, six months versus four years, but also the difference in cost in your case, there was a government funded program. So there was no cost to you other than your time versus university. You're looking at, you know, $50,000 plus. And so someone in your position, the situation you were in, in life , you wouldn't have been able to do university, even if you really, really wanted to write like.
You know, you might've been able to do something through student loans or something, but you would have been having a huge burden of debt in that timeframe, plus four years of your life where you can't really earn an income. And you're, you're stuck just getting through the degree. So I guess in, you know, further to my discussion on LinkedIn live, there's also these situations like yourself, you must be pretty grateful that the, this program was available for you and the government was able to fund it because now you have.
Basically the same opportunity as somebody who came out of university, you know, within reason I'm not, I'm not going to split hairs there, but you both would be applying for junior level jobs in the same place. what are your thoughts on that?
[00:04:46] DIego: Yeah, I think looking back on all these things and now being involved in these discussions, right.
Because I never. I thought of a career where you could have such discussion, right? Like if you are going to be a doctor, which obviously we can't really compare, but at the same time, most of these careers, you really need to have these, preset, trajectory. I I'd say, or I would call it. And for these, I, I find them really interesting where you can be starting from zero, have no knowledge, have nothing.
Be able to compare yourself to somebody that, as you just said, like you could go through four years of university and at least to be able to compare yourself to it. Maybe, maybe, sure. This person has a little bit more intriguing and detailed knowledge of certain things, but practically we're at a same similar level.
So I can, I really appreciate that. And as I mentioned, I think I've been somebody who has always looked for this sort of support from the government and agencies, because not only they're there for you to, to, to use and. and the advantage of, but at the same time, you're there for a reason. And I feel like they're there for the opportunity.
Right. and we were not using them. Were we them? And since high school, I've always been more of a practical person. I appreciate in Canada, we have a co-op programs and that's how I got out of high school in grade ten. I just went and did my co-op, through my last semester of high school and created great relationships with my employers.
then I did my program with the government of Ontario, where they also funded, my summer company, which was a skateboard company. And I was very grateful for that. I was 18 at the time and I did it all on my own. And then later on my forklift licenses and things like that, I also did it through the government.
[00:06:33] DIego: So, throughout this COVID-19 thing where I have been laid off, even prior to COVID-19, I was already looking into, what am I going to do? I'm already. 26 now, what am I asking you? Going into like, you know, you always compare yourself and your life in in the, InceptionU program was a very big not to compare yourself to others, but it's a very difficult thing to do, right?
Mostly in social media. You just, that we're in right now. So I really thought that the opportunity given here was amazing. This is for people like me. Rednecks in a way towards, and loans and things like that. But at the same time, for people who are really pivoted, people who have been doing something for 30 years and, and really need a new opportunity.
And I really appreciate the government people, it's additions like InceptionU are really take it upon themselves to, to carry on the next generation.
[00:07:26] Al: Cool well-put and, and I think that the funding and that really helps make level the playing field for people who want to get into, you know, a new career field, like this.
I mean, certainly you weren't sitting around on the couch, drinking beer and playing video games, your whole life. Like you actually been out doing stuff. It's just like, you are limited to the stuff that you could do because of the, the financial situation and your immigration and all those sorts of things.
But it's cool because now you're in, you know, like you said, you're, you're somewhere close to equal playing field with other people who are just starting the career as a software developers. And, you know, five years from now, you could be, you know, a senior developer for some company making a whole lot of money.
And, and that's, that's a really great opportunity, I think.
[00:08:14] DIego: Yeah.
It not only humbles me, but it makes me very excited. So, yeah. You made it feel very,
very humbling,
[00:08:21] Al: right on what, what would you say Diego to companies that are looking to hire new developers? Traditionally, they looked for kind of intermediate to senior level developers with the, with the thought that they could, you know, hit the ground running and they wouldn't have to spend too much time babysitting them or whatever with, with yourself, but not only yourself, but with other people that you went to through the program with what do you have to offer to a company who might, who might consider maybe looking at somebody with a little bit newer, greener experience.
[00:08:55] DIego: I feel like,
the biggest thing would be, perspective, a different plan perspective sometimes, comes into a big play in no matter if it's a bigger large or a small company. cause I feel like. the the sort of things that I've been through and the sort of things that I've learned or haven't learned, or didn't pick up also bringing into a lot of things that I can develop or bringing to the table sort of in maybe not just developing but ideas.
because as we've talked throughout the time to. Have different experiences. We all have general and different understandings of things. And when we come together, as soon as these, experiences and talks and discussions is when we actually develop these, innovation and ideas that really bring data problems that we want to solve in society or the problems that we want to, bring upon us.
That really, really developed. So I really appreciate those things. I really appreciate those make series of knowledge and, and perspectives. I'm a chess player and, by since an early age, and the thought is, you know, six hour games, get up, look around. Go up on the opposite side and look at your opponent's view and how can you play as the opposite and kind of play yourself.
[00:10:10] DIego: So, it's always great to have different perspectives. That's how I
would say
[00:10:14] Al: nicely put that's really, really cool. So what is, what's the future for Diego look like in your mind? What, what are you thinking about now doing now?
[00:10:23] DIego: Well, right now, I just feel like I'm getting. we're a hands-on experience on a company.
who would love to have to pportunity to share my experience, gain experience, grow. And at the same time, for me, it's always been, a big thing, the entrepreneurship. So hopefully in the future, I can actually create a business and, opportunities for other people as well.
[00:10:44] Al: That's that's
a good attitude.
Fantastic. Okay. Well, is there anything else you'd like to, Talk about before we wrap this up. It's you know, obviously the, the concepts that we talked about here, where we're talking about, you know, an opportunity for anybody to get into the field of computers and become programmers. We talked about your journey.
We talked about companies taking a look at people who are fresh out of these programs is, is a good idea. Is there anything else you think we should
[00:11:13] DIego: mention? I feel we should mention that. distress and pressure that people now carry on everyday. We kept career pivoting or staying, or, you know, all these pressures that we have today are, I think software development are brings along the entrepreneurship and the freedom feeling to it.
in a sense, obviously we have different perspectives of all these things, but I would like to say. We need to slow down a little bit on my own, our stress under pressure and just loop back and see and see what really is important to us. What's really important to come forward in. Really make them worth, what's going to happen, whether it is, you know, working where he's having a business, where he is traveling, just make the best of it.
[00:12:00] DIego: And, and yeah, that's, that's all I got to say.
[00:12:03] Al: Right. That's that's actually a really good point. I think a lot of people they're focused so much on getting through work so that they can have freedom when they retire. And I know people in my own life who their focus for their entire life was make money, put it away, pay everything off and then be free when I retire and now they're retired and they're having problems with their health and they're not able to do all the things that they wish they could do.
There's probably a really good. Middle ground where you're focusing on today and enjoying today, but also keeping an eye out and putting something aside and focusing a bit on what the future is going to look like without being all, all one or all of the other. That's a really, really valid point. And I think you have a real euphemistic approach to, to life.
I think I can, I can see you traveling and really enjoying yourself and being out there in the world and just absorbing it all in and then bearing down and getting the, getting the job done because it needs to get done. You got, you got a nice little mix in the middle there.
[00:13:14] DIego: Yeah. Well, on a side note, since we're there, I did a biking trip, across Ontario, on the Trans-Canada trail from Toronto to Calgary.
And that was just a trek and it was just amazing to get to know my backyard and get to know other people that are out there and these communities. And it was just amazing how, what you're saying is amazing because a lot of these people. older people, right? Didn't really have the opportunity to do these things.
Or they did do this back in the day. And we were just pulling people behind this, like how I want to come with you. I want to do this thing. I just don't have the time or, you know, whatever it is that tie us to whatever it is. And, and just having that opportunity to, to have that time where a lot of people don't have these opportunities, you really makes a difference in how you can look at things once you were back in society, I guess.
[00:14:04] Al: Right, right, right. How long did that trip take you?
[00:14:07] DIego: It was a whole summer three months.
[00:14:08] Al: Oh, wow. Three months.
[00:14:11] DIego: Yeah. It's just, it's actual backpacking and it was pretty, pretty cool.
[00:14:15] Al: Nice. That's exciting. And would you do it again?
[00:14:19] DIego: I would, I would just plan it a little bit better.
That was a week's worth of planning and me and my friends just kind of. took ourselves to MEC, bought a couple of things and it just hit the road,
[00:14:33] Al: living life on the edge.
[00:14:35] DIego: It's young. And it's like, actually at that time I had enter, I kind of betrayed myself when I went into a program there for game development, did it for a month.
And I just, I had to go back on my own, but I can't take this money. I can't take this pressure and ended up traveling the world. And now I'm here. So. It's kind of funny how to, how the world ends up bringing you to those things that interests you. And at the end of the day, you can't force it.
[00:15:02] Al: Yeah. A hundred percent.
And I'm sure you'll remember at the beginning of the InceptionU program, there was a lot of focus on who you are and what you actually want to be when you grow up. And, that. Probably a pretty eyeopening for, for yourself and the rest of the people who took the program. I think there's a lot of programs out there that, that, that you can learn new skills, but sometimes taking a bit of a step back and figuring out you know who you are and where you want to go is, is really a valuable, valuable for sure.
[00:15:34] DIego: I agree. 100%.
[00:15:37] Al: Well, Diego, thank you so much for being on the, on the show. I really appreciate it. And, you know, best of luck to you and we're going to have Diego's LinkedIn link in the show notes. So if you're looking for a new developer, who's got some mad skills and a lot of passion for software.
you definitely want to talk to Diego. He's a smart kid. I can only say kid cause I'm an old fart, but
[00:16:05] Al: thanks so much. anyway, have a, have a wonderful rest of your day Diego and listeners tune in next week for another episode of the leaders, innovators, and big ideas podcast. Thanks so much, ciao for now.