A few days ago, I stepped away from the world and had a quiet moment to myself. No smartphone, laptop, or electronic gadget – it was just me, a notebook, and a pen.
The purpose of this time off was to have an uncomfortable but healthy conversation with myself about my professional future. One question that stood out was, “Where do I want to be professionally in the next five years?”
To answer this question, I needed to reflect on how my five years as a Software Developer led me into my current role as an Implementation Specialist.
To begin with, I looked back on my last five years as a software developer, and they were extremely exciting and impactful. My team and I created some of the best government and corporate web applications.
Our work was mostly visible in the security sector. We worked with high-ranking police, LDEA, and LIS officers. One thing I can say here is that the experiences from these different work sessions are something I will always cherish.
After this reflection, I took a deep look at my 20+ months as an Implementation Specialist in the global public health space. It has been nothing short of amazing. I’ve worked with people from different levels – international operations, senior management, software users, etc.
I’ve collaborated with team members to carry out data cleaning initiatives and data management that led to meaningful savings and improved data across our organization. We successfully launched and implemented our new project, bringing over 70 new users on board from different departments.
My success in my current implementation role is mainly attributed to our team’s collaboration, my software development expertise, and my ability to adapt quickly to teams at all levels.
One thing that has stood out in both my journey as a Software Developer and as an Implementation Specialist is working with and training USERS!
Now, where do I want to see myself in the next five years? In a one-line sentence, I want to bridge people and systems through technology.
Building on everything I’ve achieved professionally, I foresee myself at a stage where I’m analyzing or interpreting large datasets to help senior/executive leadership make informed decisions. I want to build/implement systems that will smooth processes in the supply chain and global health space.
To achieve this, I know I have to keep learning and refining my skills and knowledge, particularly in DATA and SOFTWARE as tools, while expanding domain knowledge in supply chain operations within the global health space.
What I didn’t focus on during this projection was a specific job title, and I may not have every step of my next five years figured out yet, but what’s clear is the direction I want to take. I want to bridge systems and people through technology, i.e I want to help people and the systems they work with understand and communicate better together.