Month: June 2019

One week out

…I have seven days to get my **** together.

This evening, I’ve been watching TV while furtively going over JavaScript, and other pre-work I’m going to need to review before class begins next week. HTML and CSS were fairly easy for me to grasp, although I do confess that I bookmarked RGB Colorcode, as honestly if you held a loaded gun to my head I couldn’t tell you which codes constitute which colors.

The thing that’s so confusing to me about JavaScript is the fact that the equations are different from what one would expect. I ask you:

x == y, rather than x = y

Heh???

I do understand the explanation about why this is so (one is populating a variable), but after a whole lifetime of understanding x = y, it’s this sort of thing that’s making my head explode–and this is only one arithmetic equation that’s just plan WEIRD. If you don’t code and I tell you about the rest of the oddball arithmetic, you’ll run screaming into the night, so I’ll spare you…

Thank heavens for W3 Schools! If you don’t know about this site, it’s THE go-to site for learning all things coding. They have an awesome reference section, and a few ways to test your knowledge. The pre-work our instructors assigned consisted of several Pluralsight courses cobbled together. I’ve been using W3 Schools to supplement my learning. When I mentioned this in my interview for the program, they were impressed that I’d sought out additional resources. I didn’t have the heart to tell them that it was dumb luck and Bing, coupled with desperation, that led me to W3 Schools. I also found a cool app called SoloLearn which has also helped out greatly. One of best ways I learn is to quiz myself over and over again, and these two tools allow me to do that.

Now, if I can only figure out a way to fit in more review time before next week. There are, shall we say, DISTRACTIONS…

KT-ing to the new guy, or…do I REALLY know this little?

…and if so, why do I have so much documentation???

In preparation for my great move to Code Academy on July 8 I am in the process of doing KT with the BA who will be taking my place. I always assume people know what I mean by acronyms–KT stands for “knowledge transfer.” I have four days to impart my great wisdom (stop laughing) to my heir-apparent before the 4th of July weekend.

When my boss and I found out that I’d been accepted into Code Academy, after congratulating me on a job well-done, he informed me that he’d already found a replacement business analyst. I can’t decide if I’m relieved or insulted that I was this easy to replace.

In time-honored corporate tradition, the new BA is going to be doing his work and mine. We are in the wonderful world of Agile/Scrum now, so BAs don’t have as much to do as they used to. I know…BLASPHEMY! I’m probably breaking some sacred BA code by even mentioning it, but honestly our product owners now do a lot of the heavy lifting in getting our requirements. From what I’ve heard from BAs in other organizations, their BAs ARE the product owners–it’s not a separate role at all. Couple that with the fact that our product owner is a NINJA businessperson who also is very familiar with many systems…this is one of the reasons I decided that now would be a good time to pursue development work again. It’s only a matter of time before someone upstairs figures out that our BA roles can be just as easily performed by product owners trained to also document (remember: Agile…there isn’t as much anymore) and understand how the systems and the data flow. As it is, our product owner is also adept at designing test scenarios and use cases. Honestly, what’s left? When I first began being a business analyst back in 2008, we were still doing QA testing. This, of course, is now done offshore.

Despite all this, I still have quite a bit to impart to the new guy. He has some understanding of our system, but I’m filling in the blanks for him. I’m not too worried about him being lost because…well, see above. Our product owner, who used to work on the system as an adjustor ages ago, probably knows more than the developers.

And, in answer to the inevitable question…no, I have no desire to segue into product owner work. I really feel that this is all happening for a reason. Ever since my mainframe system work was shipped offshore back in 2008, I’ve missed developing. I’m excited about coding again!

“I hope you don’t have any…PLANS for the next three months…”

I am at less than two weeks away from the biggest career shift I’ve probably ever taken.

Back in March, my company posted an incredible opportunity. I know…I hate that word, too. Corporate America uses the word “opportunity” every time they really want to say “big honking, ghastly, insurmountable problem.” However, this was a genuine opportunity. To back this up, last year, the company launched something called a “Code Academy” where people with little technological experience could learn to code, and segue into front end development roles. At the time, I assumed this was something for people decades younger than myself. Also, I am an IT business analyst, and–back in the dark ages–I was a mainframe developer, so that probably would disqualify me right there. I wasn’t what an old coworker of mine used to call “fresh bread.” I was more like stale bread that needs to be tossed in the swill soon.

This year, I saw the post for the Code Academy again. On a whim, I sent off an email to the contact address and asked, “Is there an age limit for this?” The reply was swift…NO. As long as the candidate can pass all the hurdles to acceptance, then there is no age bias.

Thus started this crazy journey. I’ve decided to blog about this, as really, why WOULDN’T I? If nothing else, a 55-year-old woman going through “boot camp” should be highly entertaining. There’s a good chance I may flame out and not make it, but I’ve never been one to turn down a good challenge.

I’m happy to report that, so far, most of my family, friends, and coworkers are surprised, but very happy for me. I have an in, so to speak, in that one of my coworkers–a young single mother–graduated from the program last year. She has been very helpful in explaining what to expect from the whole experience. She’s ECSTATIC for me. After congratulating me for getting accepted into the program, she did have one question. “I hope you don’t have any PLANS for the next three months…” She is right. Currently, I’m in the process of reviewing all my pre-work for the upcoming course, and rearranging my very busy schedule down to the bare bones of what’s going to need to continue. So far, this is proving to be the most challenging part of the process.

I’m not done yet

“How much longer are you going to be here?”

My coworker’s question startled me out of my typing during our Skype call. We were in the middle of documenting requirements, planning meetings, and discussing our ever-mysterious system.

“Excuse me?” I wasn’t sure if she was referring to when I was leaving work, or when I planned to take my next vacation. She and I are both in our fifties, and have been with our unnamed insurance company for eons apiece, so we collectively have enough vacation time for a 6-month sabbatical.

“When are you retiring?”

This subject has come up frequently lately. Some of my friends have already retired and are dividing their time between here in frigid New England and balmy Florida. Other coworkers have waited until a particularly inane corporate initiative was announced to stand up and declare, “Okay, I’m done! I’m retiring!” Seriously–I witnessed someone do this. Still others are out of the workforce, but still living here and continuously texting me, while I text back, “What part of WildKnitter works for a living do you not GET??? (frowny-face emoji)”

Still another time, I was having dinner with friends one night, where the entire conversation concerned which state or foreign country each one wanted to call home in retirement. I remember saying goodbye to them, watching all their cars drive off, while one resounding thought crowded out all else:

I’M NOT DONE YET.