Navigating Your Career and Embracing the ‘Flow’
Engineers are often perceived as those who simply write code, solve bugs, and handle technical tasks. However, engineers who exclusively focus on technical work are usually at the early stages of their careers. As you progress in your career, the time spent on technical tasks gradually decreases. If you genuinely want to remain technically skilled and advance, you can do so while continually increasing your technical knowledge and productivity. But, of course, to excel from a technical perspective, you need to work hard, acquire knowledge, and be productive.
Lately, I’ve been thinking about where to channel my energy (actually, I’ve been doing so for quite some time). The recent conclusion I reached was with my therapist. When I was young, it was easy; there were only school and exams in front of me, and when I excelled in them, everything was fine. I always excelled in school and exams, and I don’t remember struggling until I reached university. University is where things began to change. It’s a place where the importance of being your own person starts to become significant, and you’re rapidly running towards an uncertain destination (because the education being provided is ending under the guise of being ‘mandatory’). University was actually the first place where I stumbled. Despite my interest in computers and love for technology since childhood, I was one of the people who were coerced into choosing Electrical and Electronics Engineering because I scored very high on the entrance exam. After graduating and even when I was close to graduating, I found myself in a software company, and my career in software engineering began. In the four years I spent in Electrical and Electronics Engineering, I learned a lot, but I wasn’t eager to learn, and I studied just enough to pass the courses because I didn’t know what I wanted to do. Recently, I realized that when I’m given a good goal or when I set a goal for myself, I accomplish it. However, setting and finding a goal is not an easy task. Childhood goals, such as completing school, being the top student, and getting a job, are clear, open, something everyone does, not something separate from society, and even if you do them well, they earn you praise from society. But after university, these goals become unclear, possible goals and diversity increase, and one of the molds imposed on you for years is disappearing. Yes, now you don’t have to do something mandatory, and you can manage at least the work and economic aspect of your life on your own. Of course, there are those who choose the easier route and enter government institutions or become civil servants, giving only their hours and their lifetimes, receiving a monthly salary as a ‘good citizen’, but without the risks of advancement or decline. Personally, I always avoided these jobs and this life. They seemed very boring and tasteless to me. But it’s also true that in life, having something always changing, and living your life (or your work) by accepting and embracing these constant changes is very challenging. But if you can succeed, which I believe I’ve been able to do in some periods, it’s a lot of fun during those times. In fact, the key point and the answer come with embracing life’s flow, something everyone has been saying lately. ‘Flow’ is a beautiful word. But doing this is very difficult. It means opening your arms, closing your eyes, and facing life with a smile, living it. Let life take you somewhere, and focus on understanding and learning your role in those moments and enjoy it. It’s easy to write and read about it, but it’s very challenging to understand and especially to apply it. For me, understanding this has taken years, and I still limp in terms of implementation. But I’ve been able to do it in periodic intervals, and during those times, I’ve truly managed to enjoy life, be grateful for what I’ve experienced, and express gratitude to the Creator for every moment. The topic has shifted from different places to philosophical ones. Actually, what I want to talk about is, no matter what job you do, if you want to do work that reaches more people, has a greater impact, you have to fight the unknown, not be afraid to try, and open your arms and close your eyes with a smile to embrace what life (or your work) brings. If you can focus on personal learning and development at the end of the job, everything falls into place over time, and it really does if you want it to. I haven’t given a title to this article yet; I just opened a blank page and wrote down what came to my mind on a peaceful Saturday.
