How did I get here?
Updated: Oct 9
After graduating in Horticulture (MSc) in Germany, then moving to the UK and working as a Horticulturist for the past 20 years, I knew all along my body would not withstand the substantial demand forever. The physicality of my job was always part of why I loved my work. Plus I’ve always been pushing myself harder. Initially it was a fun game and competitive challenge to keep up with men. It would make me proud that I worked just as fast or could lift just as heavy as my male co-workers. But of course, the price means more wear and tear on my body, which genetically is not build for such demands. Something I didn't think about when I was young and feeling invincible.
All these years I have also always been an avid gamer. The computer world has had a very consistent pull on me over the years. And during my early Uni times, I also started to teach myself html-coding, creating my own website, then found a webhost and bought my first domain (botaniquarium.eu). Back then, the idea was to create a comprehensive plant encyclopaedia, since I wanted to know everything there was to know about each plant, yet getting frustrated that I had to scramble through numerous books to gather more knowledge nuggets. Why wasn’t there a book, which had all there is to know about the plant? Additionally digital images were of better quality than printed versions. It would make sense to have everything in one place, rather than breadcrumbs across the whole University library.
I had immense fun creating the website and then adding plant profiles to it. Quickly followed by the realisation how much work it would involve for a comprehensive collection of profiles and how little I knew about collecting and curating digital data. A year later my time at Uni came to a conclusion, with me going abroad to write my dissertation. Lack of expertise and partnership ended my Botaniquarium project.
Today this memory makes me smile. Not only has somebody else succeeded with a digital plant encyclopaedia, but also my path took me to the UK to gather practical plant knowledge in my head instead. Years of experience working with plants in different environments meant knowledge that no encyclopaedia could ever give.
But like I said, the digital world was always by my side. After I was done pruning trees and digging shrubs, turfing lawns or cutting hedges for the day, I would go home and turn my PC on. It gave me peace and a welcome escape. I guess other people would turn the TV on. My daily gaming meant, I was in constant connection with technology. I witnessed many developments in hardware and software, how digital data is handled or stored and of course the growth of the internet from the early stages to what it is today.
My natural curiosity and hunger for knowledge gave me a keen interest for the inner workings of a PC and different programs. Now and then I would still peek into some web code to see how an element was implemented.
Thinking back, I am pretty sure if my environment hadn’t been so negative about the lure of computers and video games, I might well have delved into an IT career much sooner. The general opinion back then was, that any teenager with a computer “addiction” is a loser and will die a lonely death in their dark and dingy basement, where they spent all waking (night time) hours. No decent or successful person could come of that.
Now we know, those kids spending hours in the basement, laid the foundation of many positive (and negative) software developments. They were the ones breaking the rules, testing how far they could push the program. Followed by investigating what it would take to fix those weaknesses. They then were part of inventing another programming language to achieve such a fix.
Anyway, so here we are in the present day. My passion for plants will always be a steady companion, but my heart now draws me to go deeper into the digital world. I feel free from judgement to do so, as the world nowadays has understood: being an IT nerd isn’t at all a bad thing. In fact, quite the opposite.
In 2024 I met a new friend, who was working as a software developer, self taught and then got an IT job some years ago after realising that his degree in Geography wasn’t the right career for him.
“It’s not that hard.” he said. “If you are passionate and can dedicate time to learning via online tutorials, you can do it too.”
“Ok.” I say. “Where do I start?”
“Start with Python. It’s still very much used, even so it’s one of the first programming languages.”
“Cool, I can do that.”
Of course, YouTube is full of tutorials nowadays. It got me started pretty quick. Each session I could dedicate was utter joy! A few weeks later I was gifted a Python learning book, something to read off screen. Wonderful!
Soon enough though came the painful realisation: whilst working full-time and managing an otherwise busy life wasn’t allowing much time for studying. A clear case of different priorities you say? I agree. My priorities are to pay my bills. And having a healthy relationship. And at least one or two friends... Ok, so how can we solve that? Correct! Finding an employer, who happily teaches and provides an income at the same time.
So I applied for IT apprenticeships. Many offered a degree at the end of it. Only then it struck me: I could get another degree, of course! Why not? As part of the searches reading all those job descriptions it consolidated quickly: Cyber Security sounded the most interesting. Apprenticeships with Thales, Leonardo, BAE, QinetiQ etc all drew me in like a moth to the light. I was also looking at senior jobs to find out what qualifications were expected on that level. All very interesting. And whilst I had nothing on paper to show for right now, I knew that’s my goal in times ahead.
Not surprisingly I didn’t get very far. A solid career in Horticulture isn’t going to woo the IT crowd. And however much I am telling them that I am the most keen and eager candidate, I have no evidence to support that claim. Do green fingers type code better than others or click faster on some UI (user interface)? As well as with hundreds of youngsters applying for these jobs, who likely have already had a foundation in tech or IT and logically pose the better potential. I get it.
Naturally my conclusion was: If no company is willing to take the risk and pay my Uni fees, then I will prove it to them by paying my own tuition. So the decision was made, to quit half my job, to remain part-time earning and therefore being able to part-time study. And see how that goes.
I am hoping, after 12 months of studying (and passing the modules with flying colours), I would not look quite so boring on paper anymore. And of course in the meantime, I get to network via the OU. Plus doing other certified online courses. Anything to fill my empty IT CV and build new career knowledge. Exciting!
I am feeling very lucky to be able to do this and have this experience.
Comments