If you’ve never come across the term “JJC,” which in local Nigerian slang means a novice or inexperienced person, consider yourself fortunate. Before I wrap up this story, let me emphasize this: learning or knowledge without practice won’t lead to significant growth. So, I’ll share some ways to learn and grow through practice.
My transition journey opened my eyes to various encounters with people, online resources, seminars, communities, and more, which were sometimes frustrating and fulfilling.
Let me recount a memorable story from my early days as a web designer, involving a friend turned acquaintance. I strongly believed in the value of practice while learning, so I attempted to educate friends and family on the benefits of having their own websites. A few took the plunge, and I challenged myself to put my learning into practice, tailoring websites to their needs and preferences.
The first project was to design a food and catering landing page with a Q&A section, popup videos, and lessons on making parfait, along with a payment gateway. In my country, the prevailing belief is that you have to spend a lot to get a good website, so the payment for this intricate project was laughably small.
My friend Ebenezer is a true professional, and during the Microsoft hackathon, he taught me about JavaScript, not for free, of course. “Nothing comes for free,” he reminded me. Money is important, but to me, i felt that there are things you can do for a friend. Nevertheless,I understood and offered a small sum for data or petrol.
Back to the website project, I sought Ebenezer’s help to guide me while I learned. We paid for hosting and a domain, selected a theme, and began building. Surprisingly, the website lasted for six months, far longer than it should have for a WordPress site. During that time, I started paying for plugins, from popup video plugins to payment gateways and themes. My friend felt scammed and regretted getting involved in the first place. I had to plead for more time.
Finally, the day came, and despite all the challenges, Ebenezer did not complete the website. I had to seek someone else’s assistance, paying them to teach me animation. I decided to use the money set aside for my animation class to fix any issues with the website. At last, the website was completed.
Years later, as I continued to learn and understand WordPress design, thanks to my mentor at “hollajosh.com,” it all became simpler and clearer. When I created my own website and wanted to implement a video popup, I simply turned to Google, and every detail I needed to create a popup video was freely available, with no need for a plugin.
It dawned on me that I had been a “JJC” all along, learning through trial and error. It was a lesson learned after years of misinformation.
Ways to grow in knowledge while upskilling
So, to all beginners embarking on your journey, let’s look at how you can grow in knowledge.
- Make Google, Coursera, edx, linkedin learning, Udemy, YouTube, and similar platforms your best friends. You can gain invaluable knowledge from these sources.
- Take your time to learn; don’t rush to avoid mistakes. Follow through, one step at a time.
- Practice makes perfect. Before you showcase your skills to the world, ensure you’ve done your homework to avoid negative reviews from clients.
- Maintain a mini portfolio of your accomplishments.
- Pursue industry-recognized certifications that can enhance your skillset and boost your resume.
- Participate in workshops, seminars, and conferences, either in person or virtually.
- Seek a mentor or coach who can guide you and share their knowledge and experience.
- Join online forums and communities related to your area of interest.
- Networking can lead to knowledge sharing and future opportunities.
You can check my post to read on my beginning steps into the world of tech
Don’t be a “JJC.” Best of luck on your journey!
