311: Develop Your Learning Mind-Set and Consider Your Employer's Needs with Anna McDougall

In this week's show, Phil talks to Anna McDougall, a former opera singer and now a full-stack developer with a passion for JavaScript. She is also a tech blogger, a YouTube creator and a public speaker. Anna discusses impostor syndrome and why it's always wise to receive feedback with the right mind-set in place. She also talks about the importance of altering your perspective when looking for a job in the IT sector.   KEY TAKEAWAYS: TOP CAREER TIP When you are faced with insecurity and constructive feedback, remember that you are never there to prove yourself to someone. Remember to keep a learning mind-set active whenever feedback of any kind is offered.   WORST CAREER MOMENT Anna gave up when she was young, which is a constant source of regret. With the passage of time, she has come to realise how skilled she was, but was held back by societal expectations.   CAREER HIGHLIGHT Anna made a career change and took on a new role, pivoting completely in terms of a career path, working hard to build her technical skills, and also applied much effort into understanding the back-end of tech while building an online presence and community.   THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T Anna is most excited about the potential of tech – how it can achieve lasting change, benefit humanity, and reinvent itself constantly.   THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – The potential of technology and how it can change the world. What's the best career advice you received? – Don't be afraid to say no! What's the worst career advice you received? – To not ask for a very big salary upon moving to Leipzig. What would you do if you started your career now? – Anna would focus on back-end technologies and Java. What are your current career objectives? – Anna's main objective is to raise her technical skills as much as possible. What's your number one non-technical skill? – Public speaking. How do you keep your own career energized? – Anna always looks for challenges to keep her knowledge fresh and her instincts keen. What do you do away from technology? – Gym work and training.   FINAL CAREER TIP When looking for a job or career path, we must think less about our own needs and wants and more about the wants and needs of our potential employers or recruiters.   BEST MOMENTS (6:43) – Anna - "It's not about an improving-yourself mind-set. It's about a learning mind-set" (7:21) – Anna - "Finding those gaps in your knowledge is a good thing" (17:31) – Anna – "If something isn't right for you, or if you don't have time, it's better to say no" (20:42) – Anna – "Think less from your perspective, and think more from a recruiter's perspective"   ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations to design, develop, and implement software solutions.  Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers.  And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey.   CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: https://twitter.com/_PhilBurgess LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/philburgess Instagram: https://instagram.com/_philburgess Website: https://itcareerenergizer.com/contact Phil is also reachable by email at [email protected] and via the podcast's website, https://itcareerenergizer.com Join the I.T. Career Energizer Community on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/ITCareerEnergizer   ABOUT THE GUEST – ANNA MCDOUGALL Anna McDougal is a former opera singer and now a full-stack developer with a passion for Javascript. She is also a tech blogger, a YouTube creator and a public speaker.   CONTACT THE GUEST – ANNA MCDOUGALL Anna McDougall can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AnnaJMcDougall LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annajmcdougall/ Website: https://www.annamcdougall.com/