Meet JiaXuan Hong, a creative turned coder. JiaXuan was running her own creative agency supporting modern dance projects that incorporated technology. Fascinated by the future of tech, she turned to Flatiron School to study software engineering. Now, she's a developer at ThoughtWorks, a global technology consultancy.
As part of our Future Focus series, we caught up with JiaXuan to hear about her plans for 2020, and why she's excited about the next decade of tech. Read on to hear more and watch her video below.
How did you first become interested in tech? What brought you to Flatiron School? Where are you today?
I have been observing how technology is changing our cultures and societies in unprecedented speed. Keen to be part of the scene, I managed and produced dance projects that incorporated new technologies. I joined Flatiron School when I decided I want to be a maker myself and am now a developer at a global technology consultancy, ThoughtWorks.
How has your life changed since graduation from Flatiron School ?
My previous career was great for developing a range of skills that couldn't necessarily be quantified. Nowadays, I am able to focus on one thing only (software engineering) and hone it as a craft sure is an enjoyable and welcoming change. Also, my interests and professional work have aligned once again, which is what makes me wake up everyday.
What excites you most about the next decade in tech?
It is a very vibrant and exciting time to be part of tech globally. Tech is changing lives, for good and otherwise— the ingenious innovations by the global South communities, the boundary-pushing developments e.g. Artificial Intelligence in the global North, and the combating of tech's unintended consequences from social and cultural perspectives. We are in the fourth industrial revolution and it certainly feels like it – everything is in flux yet we are full of hope!
What do you hope to accomplish in your career in the next 10 years? What does 2030 look like for you?
One thing that I hope to accomplish that I haven't done yet is to develop a practice for knowledge sharing, either through public speaking, writing, teaching, or contribution to open source. This means I'd need to be pretty good at what I do as a software developer. That aside, I hope that my career will continue to be driven by curiosity and agility. What does 2030 look like for me? I guess there are two main possibilities: either I would have been involved in a diverse bunch of things, or I would have been paving a path towards deep expertise in a single subject matter – it's really hard to tell.
What are you focused on in the year ahead?
I am working towards solidifying my skills as a developer of enterprise software within an Agile environment in the year ahead.
