10 Lessons I Learned From Failure

In this talk, Vui shares what she learned by failing to pass a difficult tech certification on her first attempt, and what she did to pass the exam on her second attempt! While this talk is about a tech endeavor, the lessons Vui will share can be applied to overcoming other challenges in your life. Come find out what it takes to get back up after falling down, and how to succeed after failure!

Transcript

1. 10 Lessons I Learned from Failure Vui Nguyen Cloud Architect | Software Engineer | Technical Leader linktr.ee/sunfishgurl
2. We’re Raised to Believe that Failure is BAD linktr.ee/sunfishgurl
3. But Failure Can Be GOOD * • As long as we learn from it ….. • Remember the definition of insanity: 😵 Doing the same thing and expecting a different result! 😵 ie NOT Learning from our failures! linktr.ee/sunfishgurl
4. But First. Let Me Introduce Myself 👋 I’m Vui Nguyen 👩💻 Software Engineer + Technical Leader (20+ years experience) 🌧 Certified Google Cloud Architect 📣 International Speaker (🇨🇳 🇬🇧 🇫🇷 🍁 🇺🇸 ) 🐶 Proud schnoodle mom linktr.ee/sunfishgurl
5. My long and successful career was made possible from years of taking risks, failing, learning, and growing 💪 linktr.ee/sunfishgurl
6. What We’re Covering Today • My experience with taking the Google Professional Cloud Architect Exam • 10 Lessons I Learned, from failing and then finally passing, that exam • Resources for PCA Exam • My hope: 🙏 That you can apply these lessons to your next challenge, and 💪 Succeed from any failure you may encounter linktr.ee/sunfishgurl
7. Lesson 10: Find Your Why Before You Start Something linktr.ee/sunfishgurl
8. In The Beginning, Mobile Dev Was Magical ✨ linktr.ee/sunfishgurl For years, it was a thrill to write software programs that could run on these tiny computers!
9. My company: “How many pixels wide should this button be?” My company: “What colors should this button have?” But Over Time, I Started Having This Dilemma Me: “I don’t care! Let’s make this button do something COOL when I press it!!” THIS SILLY BUTTON linktr.ee/sunfishgurl
10. What Front End (like Mobile) Development Feels Like Sometimes …. linktr.ee/sunfishgurl
11. I was the Leadership Fellow for Women Who Code Mobile linktr.ee/sunfishgurl
12. Then Women Who Code Shut Down linktr.ee/sunfishgurl
13. I Found My Why • I had a chance to pivot into Cloud Computing through a free program offered by Women Techmakers • In the program, I would: • Take hands-on labs to learn Google Cloud • Participate in weekly live instructor led classes • Receive a voucher to take the Google Professional Cloud Architect exam linktr.ee/sunfishgurl
14. For a while, I had a community again linktr.ee/sunfishgurl
15. Then, it was time to take the PCA exam linktr.ee/sunfishgurl
16. And I failed on my first attempt linktr.ee/sunfishgurl
17. Lesson 9: Give Yourself Grace When You Fail linktr.ee/sunfishgurl
18. Give Yourself Grace When You Fail • We make the best decisions with the information we have at the time • I had the following constraints: • Deadline to take exam to qualify for second voucher linktr.ee/sunfishgurl
19. Give Yourself Grace When You Fail • Additional constraints: • I was scheduled to work as an election judge in the November election, and • Would not have time to study for a week linktr.ee/sunfishgurl
20. Give Yourself Grace When You Fail • Additional constraints: • I had no good way to know what the exam was going to be like until I took it • In order to qualify for the second exam voucher and to do my election job, I took the exam before starting my job • But I was PROUD to have served Denver county as an election worker linktr.ee/sunfishgurl
21. Lesson 8: Treat this “Failure” As a Learning Experience linktr.ee/sunfishgurl
22. Treat This “Failure” As A Learning Experience • I didn’t get much feedback on my exam beyond “FAIL” • While the experience was still fresh in my mind, I documented: • what my exam experience was like • what worked in studying for the exam • what didn’t work • I shared this with my cohort through our Google Group and Discord linktr.ee/sunfishgurl
23. Treat This “Failure” As A Learning Experience • Many of my classmates that passed the PCA shared their experiences as well, and I learned from them • I was the only one that gave a detailed breakdown on my failure (which I think helped me and others) • Maybe it was hard for others who’ve failed to put themselves out there like I did? 😢 linktr.ee/sunfishgurl
24. Treat This “Failure” As A Learning Experience • What I Learned: • I needed better and more practice exam questions • Good practice exam questions helped me: • identify my areas of weakness so I could study up on them • learn how to select the best option that answered the question completely • My classmates helped me identify resources for practice exams and other study guides linktr.ee/sunfishgurl
25. Lesson 7: Revisit Your Why Before Trying Again linktr.ee/sunfishgurl
26. Revisit Your Why Before Trying Again • In the past for my mobile development career, I’ve landed opportunities by: • Working on side projects and/or • Getting certifications • These are app icons from actual apps that I built and released to the market linktr.ee/sunfishgurl
27. Revisit Your Why Before Trying Again • My Udacity iOS Developer Nanodegree • I didn’t want the lack of certifications to hold me back from starting my Cloud career! linktr.ee/sunfishgurl
28. Lesson 6: Update Your Plan with Learnings Relevant to You linktr.ee/sunfishgurl
29. Update Your Plan With Learnings Relevant to You • Armed with new learnings, I updated my study plan for Round 2 of the PCA Exam • Even as you learn from others’ experiences, remember to make your plan work for your: • learning style • background • experiences • schedule • priorities linktr.ee/sunfishgurl
30. Update Your Plan With New Learnings Relevant to You • Some of my classmates passed the PCA by studying ALL the Google Cloud material related to the exam guide • I needed more relevant practice test questions to guide my study • BOTH are valid ways to study linktr.ee/sunfishgurl
31. Lesson 5: Include Time for Self-Care to Prevent Burnout linktr.ee/sunfishgurl
32. I Scheduled My Study Days and My Off Days linktr.ee/sunfishgurl
33. Lesson 4: Develop a Readiness Indicator linktr.ee/sunfishgurl
34. Develop A Readiness Indicator • I focused on: • reviewing questions I got wrong on the practice exams • understanding the WHY and not just memorizing questions and answers linktr.ee/sunfishgurl
35. Develop A Readiness Indicator • I knew I was ready when: • consistently getting high 80’s-90’s on practice exams • started being able to reason through unfamiliar questions and getting the answers right! linktr.ee/sunfishgurl
36. Develop A Readiness Indicator • Had to reschedule my exam once when: • I initially wasn’t getting the scores I wanted on the practice exams • If you’re not ready, it’s OKAY to push things back or reduce scope on your endeavor. • Do what works for you! linktr.ee/sunfishgurl
37. Lesson 3: Go For It! linktr.ee/sunfishgurl
38. I PASSED THIS TIME!! linktr.ee/sunfishgurl
39. Go For It! • I was so NERVOUS while taking the exam that • After I saw the word PASS on the screen • I went and told my husband and then • I fell down from exhaustion linktr.ee/sunfishgurl
40. Lesson 2: Celebrate Success! 🥳 linktr.ee/sunfishgurl
41. I Celebrated by Watching the Movie Wicked …. TWICE linktr.ee/sunfishgurl
42. Lesson 1: Share What You Learned to Help Others linktr.ee/sunfishgurl
43. I Posted My Learnings Through My Class and on LinkedIn linktr.ee/sunfishgurl
44. Resources linktr.ee/sunfishgurl
45. Resources: Programs • Women Techmakers: • Offers Google Cloud training classes off / on, sign up for email • Google Cloud Innovators program • Get 35 free credits / month for Cloud Skills Boost classes and labs • Google Cloud Professional Cloud Architect Certification Page: • https://cloud.google.com/learn/certification/cloud-architect/ linktr.ee/sunfishgurl
46. Resources: Books • Google Cloud Certified Professional Cloud Architect Study Guide by Dan Sullivan • Good foundational book • Practice exam questions are too easy • Visualizing Google Cloud: 101 Illustrated References for Cloud Engineers and Architects by Priyanka Vergadia • Breaks down complex Cloud concepts visually • Perfect for visual learners linktr.ee/sunfishgurl
47. Resources: Practice Exams • Whizlabs Practice Exams for the Google Cloud Professional Cloud Architect exam • Slightly easier than real exam questions, but content highly relevant • Can take the exams timed, so you get practice taking tests under pressure • Aldovelio Castremonte’s 1000 Practice Questions to Master the GCP Google Cloud Certified Associate Cloud Engineer Exam • For the Associate Cloud Engineer exam but many questions are similar to the PCA exam questions linktr.ee/sunfishgurl
48. Now It’s YOUR Turn to SUCCEED! 👋 I’m Vui Nguyen 🌧 Certified Google Cloud Architect 🥳 Can’t wait to see what YOU can accomplish! 🔗 Connect with me: linktr.ee/sunfishgurl linktr.ee/sunfishgurl