Switching careers is always a challenging prospect for anyone. Switching between two careers that are so different presents other aspects to that challenge.

I have worked for six years straight in a professional kitchen environment. You are on your feet constantly, your hours are inconsistent, and you normally know exactly what you are expected to produce and to produce it the same exact way each time. Sometimes you get to improvise and problem solve, but in general the work is regimented to produce acurately and quickly.

Web development is almost the exact opposite. Developement is a mental career where you are expected to be creative and offer solutions to problems, hours are mainly traditional nine to five, and a developer is on a computer and/or meeting with their team.

Some ways I have been mitigating the stresses of these challenges is working with my current employer to have a more regular schedule and having a regular schedule for working on my course work at the same time. Weekly meetings with my mentor has helped to give me a practical example of developer team work and how it differs from food service teamwork.

I am working to get better at implementing solutions and improvising using my new coding tools and coming up with solutions. I have found I can sometimes spot better ways to do things so I am hopeful I can build on that and it will come more naturally as I improve. Switching careers can be tough and takes a lot of work, but in the end I feel it will be worth it!