Next step: after building an app

It is rather difficult to decide what to do next.

Primarily because my brain and heart want to be in two different places except for one(two) places:

• brain — wants predictable reward from a logical move, such as continuing to find a role that’s data related, allows me to make a stable income, keep relevant, until whatever happens in the world strikes me over
• heart — wants to pursue something that prioritises human connections and or system change, such as advocacy and community services.
• Both brain and heart — continue building apps using AI and document my journey on Medium (perhaps share them on the little Red Note too)

While researching jobs in community services, I started feeling insecure about pursuing a certificate in this area. Mainly on the money aspect and whether my natural state of mindsets and skillsets are aligned with the skills and experience wanted by community services jobs.

To ease my mind on these two insecurities, I thought to:

• Speak with community service professionals to get some understanding of the sector and its pay structure, and/or
• Browse community services jobs to get an idea of the role responsibilities and pay grade

I browsed advertised jobs.

There were some jobs that I thought were doable, and there were some that I thought I wouldn’t be suitable for. Then I started overthinking potential issues that come with the doable jobs…..

After discussing them with my closest connections, people’s opinions were unanimous: apply for as many roles in the community sector and stop worrying about the money prospect. As with AI, no one is safe, and no one knows what we will face next. If money isn’t an immediate concern right now, let’s focus on what interests me now (with minimal cost).

Other than browsing for community service jobs and considering enrolling for a diploma in community service certificate, I also thought about taking IDEO’s design thinking course.

The organisation that is known to deliver innovative design for organisations.

I was initially down for taking their AI x Design Thinking course. However, I became less confident in their course when I found out the program consists of many online videos. If they are pre-recorded, the program wouldn’t have consisted of the latest AI development.

A quick search on LinkedIn found only one other person who took this program not long ago. The sample size is too small to draw any useful conclusions.

Perhaps, I should go with a more foundational course that has achieved a long-standing reputation so far: Human-Centred Systems Thinking.

Lastly, Steven Bartlett posted a “We are hiring!!!” announcement on LinkedIn today, and I immediately jumped to answer his culture test questions and hope to be hired.

I would love to be a part of his team and get a glimpse of his podcast production studio!

Wish me good luck!!!

To sum up, my strongest desire is to work for Steven Bartlett, then to continue journaling this special year of my life, while trying out opportunities within the community service, building personalised apps using AI, and lastly, studying (be it for IDEO’s certificate, Github’s FreeCodeCamp, or else).