Back in 2012, I was taking a college entrance exam and feeling confused about which degree to choose. I ended up picking electronics engineering because I had relatives who were successful in that field. My decision was based on two things: salary and the title. I thought, Oh, I'll earn a lot of money, and Oh, I'll get to put "Engr." before my name.
But I didn't ask myself if I would actually enjoy it.
That turned out to be the biggest thing I missed.
By my second year in college, I was interning at a small ITC business. They even gave me a job, and I worked there for almost a year. I was pretty good at it—configuring firewalls and creating a Wi-Fi network plan for what's now a well-known resort in Laguna.
At first, it was exciting because I was learning a lot, but eventually, it felt too simple. There was no spark. That's when I decided to drop out of college and quit the job.
I thought I'd save money and go back to school for a course I'd actually love. So, I worked in a BPO as a call center agent, then later as a QA. During that time, I started teaching myself programming.
After 2-3 years, though I didn't save enough money to return to school, I gained programming skills. I built sample projects and created a portfolio. In 2018, I landed my first job as a web developer and got introduced to Ruby on Rails.
Now, six years later, I'm here, looking back on where it all started. And guess what? I'm now less than a year away from earning my degree in Information Systems.
This isn't just advice for my younger self but for anyone feeling confused about choosing a path. I still have decisions to make moving forward, and this reminder applies to me too.
When making a big decision, it's normal to think about salary and the future of the field. But the most important factor should always be: Will I be happy doing this?
If you enjoy what you do, learning becomes easier, and you'll naturally get better at it. When you're good at something, the salary and growth will follow.
Always trust what you feel deep down. Don't let other factors drown it out.