career development learning motivation personal-story

December 23, 2025

From Telecommunications Technician to Full Stack Developer: My Story

Today I want to share something more personal: how I went from being a Telecommunications Technician to a Full Stack Developer while studying Computer Engineering. 🚀

It wasn’t a linear or easy path, but every challenge taught me something valuable. If you’re thinking about changing careers or taking the leap into software development, I hope my story inspires you and helps you make that decision.

📡 My Beginnings: Telecommunications

My first approach to the tech world was through telecommunications. As a Telecommunications Technician, I worked with:

📡 Communication networks - Installation and maintenance of equipment
🔧 Infrastructure - Structured cabling, fiber optics
📶 Transmission systems - Radio links, antennas
🔌 Technical equipment - Routers, switches, telephone exchanges

It was a job I liked: technical, practical, and with constant challenges. I learned to solve problems under pressure, read complex diagrams, and understand how information flows through networks.

But over time, I started to feel something was missing. I saw that the digital world was evolving incredibly fast, and I wanted to be part of that evolution in a more creative and direct way.

💡 The Turning Point

The breaking point came when a client asked me for help automating certain reports. I told them “I don’t know how to program,” but the idea kept spinning in my head.

What if I could create tools? What if instead of just installing and configuring equipment, I could build systems from scratch?

I started researching and discovered Python. I did my first “Hello World” and, although it sounds cliché, something clicked. I realized that:

✅ I could create solutions to real problems with code
✅ There were no limits - If I could imagine it, I could program it
✅ The job market in software development was incredible
✅ I was passionate about that process of solving logical problems
✅ It was self-taught - I could learn at my own pace

That same week I made a decision: I was going to become a programmer.

🎓 Studying and Working at the Same Time

The decision was made, but I had a problem: I needed to keep working. I couldn’t afford to leave everything to study full time.

So I did what many do: I enrolled in Computer Engineering and started studying while working.

The reality was tough:

❌ Waking up at 6 AM, working until 6 PM, going to classes until 10 PM
❌ Weekends dedicated to projects and assignments
❌ Little time for social life or rest
❌ Accumulated fatigue
❌ Constant doubts: “Can I do this?”

But there were also victories:

✅ Every new concept I understood motivated me
✅ My first programs working
✅ Grades improving semester after semester
✅ Projects that made me feel proud

How I Made It Work

1. Extreme organization
I used Google Calendar religiously. I blocked time for each activity: work, classes, study, personal projects.

2. Pomodoro Technique
25 minutes of intense study, 5 minutes of rest. When you arrive tired from work, it’s the only way to maintain concentration.

3. Learning by doing
I didn’t just stay with theory. Every new concept I applied in a mini project. That accelerates learning 10x.

4. Community
I joined study groups, programmer Discord servers, followed developers on Twitter. Networking saved me many times when I was stuck.

5. Conscious sacrifices
I had to say “no” to outings, parties, Netflix series. But I knew it was temporary and I had a clear goal.

📚 My Learning Process

I didn’t follow a structured bootcamp. My learning was more organic and project-based. Here’s my real path:

Phase 1: Fundamentals (3-4 months)

Python as first language
I started with Python because it was recommended as “easy for beginners.” And they were right.

Variables, loops, conditionals, functions
Data structures (lists, dictionaries)
OOP (Object-Oriented Programming)
File handling

Resources I used:

Python course on YouTube (free)
Official Python documentation
Exercises on HackerRank
First scripts to automate tasks at my work

Phase 2: Web Development (6 months)

I discovered that what I really liked was creating web applications.

Backend with Django
Django was my introduction to web development. I loved having so much “out of the box”:

ORM for databases
Authentication system
Automatic admin panel

Basic frontend
HTML, CSS, basic JavaScript, Bootstrap. Enough to make functional interfaces.

My first real project: Tuniforme
An online store with Transbank payment gateway. It was my final project for a development course.

Features:

Inventory management
User system with roles
Shopping cart
Real payment integration

🔗 tuniforme.onrender.com

This project taught me MORE than 6 months of theory.

Phase 3: Specialization (ongoing)

With the fundamentals clear, I started to expand:

Modern JavaScript

ES6+
React for interactive interfaces
Node.js for backend in JS

Next.js
When I discovered Next.js, it blew my mind. SSR, SSG, App Router… it was the future.

That’s why I created this blog with Next.js 15 + TypeScript + Tailwind.

Other tools

Git and GitHub (fundamental)
Docker for containers
Power Automate and Power BI (from my previous job)
REST APIs and service consumption

Constant practice

LeetCode for algorithms (see my article about LeetCode)
Personal projects
Open source contributions

🚀 My First Projects

Projects were my real teacher. Here are the ones that taught me the most:

Project 1: Tuniforme - E-commerce with Django

The challenge: Create a complete online store with real payment system.

What I learned:

Integration of third-party APIs (Transbank)
Order status management
Inventory system with alerts
Authentication and authorization by roles
Production deployment

Stack: Python, Django, Bootstrap, PostgreSQL, Transbank API

Status: ✅ In production - View demo

Project 2: Medalblog - Blog with Next.js

The challenge: Create a modern, fast blog with excellent SEO.

What I learned:

Next.js 15 App Router
Server Components vs Client Components
MDX for enriched content
Contentlayer for content management
Sitemap and RSS feed generation
Search system with Kbar
Comments with Giscus
Analytics with Umami

Stack: Next.js 15, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, MDX

Status: ✅ This blog you’re reading

Other Projects

Automation scripts for my previous job
REST APIs for practice
Dashboards with Power BI
Discord bots for communities

Each project taught me something new and made me a better programmer.

💼 Getting a Job as a Developer

The transition to the work world as a developer was… interesting.

The Challenges

1. Impostor Syndrome
”Am I really a programmer? There’s so much I don’t know…”

This feeling is REAL and COMMON. All developers feel it.

How I overcame it: I focused on what I DID know and kept learning. Nobody knows everything.

2. Competition
The market has many developers. How to stand out being junior?

My strategy:

Solid portfolio with real projects
Active blog (demonstrates knowledge)
GitHub with clean and documented code
Constant networking

3. Salary Expectations
I came from telecommunications with a certain salary. Would I have to start from scratch?

The reality: The tech market pays well, even juniors with solid projects.

4. Knowledge vs Experience
”We need 3 years of experience” - But if I’m just starting…

My solution: My personal projects WERE my experience. Tuniforme was equivalent to 6 months of real work.

How I Did It

1. Portfolio that speaks for itself
I didn’t wait to have the perfect job. I built projects that demonstrated my skills.

2. Networking
LinkedIn, Twitter, Discord, virtual meetups. Meeting people in the industry opens doors.

3. Apply strategically
I didn’t apply to everything. I looked for companies where my profile fit: startups, companies that valued self-taught people.

4. Interview preparation

LeetCode for algorithms
Practice explaining projects
Have prepared stories about challenges and solutions

5. Learning mindset
In interviews, when I didn’t know something, I said “I haven’t used it, but I can learn it quickly. For example, with Django…”

🎯 Advice for Those Who Want to Make the Change

If you’re thinking about changing careers to software development, here’s my advice based on my real experience:

1. You Don’t Need a Degree (But It Helps)

The reality: Many successful developers are self-taught.

My experience: I’m studying Computer Engineering, but I got work and projects because of my portfolio, not the degree.

My advice: If you can study, do it. It gives you structure and networking. If you can’t, bootcamps and self-learning also work.

2. Build Real Projects, Not Tutorials

Common mistake: Doing 50 tutorials but no own projects.

What works: Do 3-5 tutorials and then build YOUR project from scratch.

Why: In interviews they ask about YOUR projects. “I did the Netflix clone tutorial” doesn’t impress. “I built a store with real payments” does.

3. Learn in Public

What it means: Sharing your learning process.

Blog with what you learn (like this)
Twitter with your progress
GitHub with your code
LinkedIn with your projects

Benefits:

Helps you consolidate knowledge
Build audience
Recruiters find you
Help others who are starting

4. Networking is Key

My experience: Many opportunities came from meeting the right person.

How to network:

Join Discord communities
Participate in meetups (virtual or in-person)
Comment on posts from developers you admire
Help other beginners
Share your knowledge

5. Specialize, But Not Too Soon

At first: Learn fundamentals in various areas (frontend, backend, databases).

Later: Deepen in what you like most.

My case: I started as a generalist (full stack), and over time I’m specializing more in backend and automation.

6. Clean Code Matters

From the beginning: Learn good practices.

Descriptive variable names
Comments when necessary
Organized structure
Git with clear commits

Why: In interviews they review your code on GitHub.

7. Be Patient With Yourself

The truth: You won’t learn everything in 3 months.

Realistic timeline:

3-6 months: Fundamentals
6-12 months: First serious project
12-18 months: Job-ready
2+ years: Comfortable

My experience: It took me almost 2 years to feel “confident” as a developer.

📈 Where I Am Now

Today, after this journey, I can say I am:

✅ Full Stack Developer with projects in production
✅ Computer Engineering student (final year)
✅ Content creator through this blog
✅ Active member of tech communities

My Current Stack

Frontend:

React, Next.js
TypeScript
Tailwind CSS
HTML5, CSS3

Backend:

Python (Django, Flask)
Basic Node.js
REST APIs

Databases:

PostgreSQL
MySQL
SQLite

Tools & DevOps:

Git & GitHub
Docker (learning)
Vercel, Render
VS Code

Other Tools:

Power Automate
Power BI
Postman
Figma (basic)

Achievements I’m Proud Of

🏆 Tuniforme in production with real users
🏆 This blog with original content
🏆 Automation projects that save hours of work
🏆 Being able to help others who are starting
🏆 Feeling excited every day to learn something new

🚀 My Future Plans

I’m not stopping here. Tech evolves fast and I want to keep growing.

Short Term (6 months)

✅ Finish Computer Engineering
✅ Deepen in Docker and Kubernetes
✅ Contribute more to open source projects
✅ Create more content on this blog
✅ Complete 100 problems on LeetCode
✅ Learn more about software architecture

Medium Term (1-2 years)

✅ Specialize in scalable backend
✅ Learn a second language (Go or Rust)
✅ Create a SaaS from scratch
✅ Speak at some meetup or conference
✅ Mentor junior developers
✅ Get a position in a company that challenges me

Long Term (3-5 years)

✅ Be a reference in some specific area
✅ Have my own successful digital product
✅ Create quality educational content
✅ Maybe start my own tech company
✅ Keep learning (this never ends)

🎓 Lessons Learned

After this journey, these are the most valuable lessons:

1. Learning Never Ends

Technology constantly evolves. Next.js has a new version every 6 months. There’s always something new to learn.

Lesson: Get used to being an eternal student. It’s part of the job.

2. Mistakes Are Your Best Teachers

Every bug I solved taught me something. Every project that failed made me wiser.

Lesson: Don’t fear making mistakes. Embrace errors as learning opportunities.

3. Community Matters

You’re not alone. There are thousands of developers willing to help.

Lesson: Participate in communities. Share your knowledge. Help others. Everything comes back.

4. Projects > Theory

You can read 10 books about React, but until you build a complete app, you don’t really understand it.

Lesson: Learn by doing. Always.

5. Consistency Beats Talent

I’m not the most talented programmer. But I’m consistent. I code almost every day, even if it’s just 30 minutes.

Lesson: Small daily improvements > Big sporadic efforts.

6. Your Background is an Advantage

My experience in telecommunications gave me:

Network knowledge (useful for backend)
Problem-solving ability
Working under pressure
Attention to detail

Lesson: Your previous experience is NOT an obstacle. It’s your differentiator.

7. Impostor Syndrome Doesn’t Go Away

Even now, sometimes I think “What if I’m not that good?”

Lesson: We all feel it. It’s a sign you’re still growing. Learn to live with it.

💬 Final Message

If you made it this far, you’re probably considering making the change to software development. My message is simple: DO IT.

It won’t be easy. There will be days of frustration, impossible bugs, impostor syndrome, fatigue.

But it will be worth it. The satisfaction of seeing your code working, creating something from scratch, solving a complex problem… is priceless.

Remember:

✅ Every senior programmer was a beginner at some point
✅ Mistakes are part of the process, not failures
✅ The tech community is incredible, ask for help
✅ Your background is your advantage, not your disadvantage
✅ Consistency beats natural talent
✅ It’s never too late to start

Your Next Step

If you’re starting:

Choose a language (Python or JavaScript are good starts)
Take a basic course (there are thousands free)
Build something simple (calculator, to-do list)
Share what you learn (blog, Twitter, whatever)
Join communities of developers

If you’re already on the path:

Keep building projects
Don’t stop learning
Connect with other developers
Apply to jobs even if you think you’re not ready
Trust your process

📞 Let’s Connect

My story continues, and I’d love for you to be part of it. If my story resonated with you, if you’re in a similar process, or if you just want to talk about tech:

Find me at:

🐙 GitHub: @Medalcode
💼 LinkedIn: medalcode
🐦 Twitter: @medalcode
📧 Email: jonatthan.medalla@gmail.com

More content like this:

📝 Why Every Programmer Should Have a Blog?
💪 Tips for New Programmers Part 1
🛠️ Tools I Use: LeetCode

💬 Your Turn

Are you in the process of career transition? What’s the hardest part for you? Do you have questions about how I made the change?

Leave me a comment below. I read all and respond personally. 👇

And if this article helped you, share it with someone who’s thinking about making the change. Together we build a more inclusive and supportive tech community.

See you in the code! 🚀

Last update: December 23, 2025