325: Always Put Yourself Out There and Be Consistent with Edidiong Asikpo

In this week's show, Phil talks to Edidiong Asikpo, a developer advocate who writes technical articles about Kubernetes, web development, soft skills and open-source contributions. She has given more than 50 talks at various tech conferences and meetups around the world and also played a significant role in building three of the most impactful developer communities in Africa. Edidiong talks about the importance of embracing new opportunities. She also discusses consistency and why it matters so much when it comes to your career.   KEY TAKEAWAYS:   TOP CAREER TIP Always make sure that you take advantage of the opportunities that come your way. The best way to grow your career is to remain open to new possibilities.   WORST CAREER MOMENT Edidiong needed to set up a workshop, and was supposed to be facilitating the operation of it. When it finally came time to present the project, her internet connection was lost and the event could not be attended.   CAREER HIGHLIGHT After joining a company struggling with certain processes, Edidiong used her talents to turn around the business's fortunes, leading to a reversal of negative opinion.   THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T Careers in IT are very versatile. If you aren't happy in one place you can always pivot and move to a different sector. Technology is a field in which you can easily switch..   THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – Seeing other young people using technology to change lives. What's the best career advice you received? – You gain mastery over a skill by doing it often. What's the worst career advice you received? – That Edidiong was ill suited to the course she had chosen. What would you do if you started your career now? – Edidiong would put herself out there a lot faster. What are your current career objectives? More content creation. What's your number one non-technical skill? – Writing. How do you keep your own career energized? – Taking breaks is very important and make sure that between the hard work you take care of yourself. What do you do away from technology? – Watching movies and travelling.   FINAL CAREER TIP You can't get anywhere unless you start, so get going on your journey, and make sure you are consistent.   BEST MOMENTS (4:15) – Edidiong - "Always put yourself out there" (6:34) – Phil - "By doing "something" you are already ahead of somebody else" (8:30) – Edidiong – "It's important to have a back up plan because you never know what's going to happen" (16:02) – Edidiong – "You only learn how to do something by doing that thing"   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 – EDIDIONG ASIKPO Edidiong Asikpo is a developer advocate who writes technical articles about Kubernetes, web development, soft skills and open-source contributions. She has given more than 50 talks at various tech conferences and meetups around the world and also played a significant role in building three of the most impactful developer communities in Africa. She is also the co-founder of Tech UK as well as a tech mentor and empowerment coach with a specific focus on women and diversity.   CONTACT THE GUEST – EDIDIONG ASIKPO Edidiong Asikpo can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: https://twitter.com/Didicodes LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edidiong-asikpo/ Website: https://edidiongasikpo.com/