Starting my second job in a consulting organization Part 1
On September 1st, I started a brand-new job, my second one ever. My first gig out of varsity started back in January 2022, where I joined one of the biggest and honestly one of the most successful banks in South Africa as a software developer.
I spent about three-plus years there, and it was well, a ride. Coming straight out of varsity and landing in a massive, global organization was both intimidating and exciting. Take the win if you know who you are.
Those 3+ years were honestly wonderful. I grew a lot, learned how big systems really run, and even became one of the “go-to people” in my team. You know that sweet spot where you know the codebase, people trust you, and you lowkey feel like yeah, I’m kinda the shit.
Then one day, I realized maybe I was a little too comfortable.
I spoke to my mentor, okay self-proclaimed mentor, about my frustrations and the fact that I was starting to feel stuck. He hit me with something that stuck: “Maybe it’s time you try consulting.”
So, I did what any software engineer would do, I Googled the hell out of “What does a software engineer consultant actually do?”
And the more I read, the more I liked it. Then suddenly, like the universe or maybe my ancestors were eavesdropping, I started seeing more consultants popping up in my organization. Coincidence? I think not. My ancestors were working overtime that week.
Fast forward a few weeks, I saw a company I really liked. Reputable, exciting, challenging. I applied, went through the interviews, and got an offer.
Naturally, I called my adopted mentor because once someone gives you one solid piece of advice, they’re stuck with that title forever. We spoke, and after some thought, I signed the offer. Then I resigned.
Now shit was getting real.
No more comfort. No more familiar codebase. No more being the guy who knows stuff. I was about to start from scratch.
I served my notice peacefully, except for the occasional stress fart when overthinking my decision. It’s a thing. Don’t judge. It’s therapeutic. Okay, maybe a little.
Then came September 1st, 2025, day one at my new job. Induction, intros, all the usual stuff.
Day two, they handed me a ticket. Like, “Here’s your task, good luck.”
I was stunned. At my old job, we had a two- to three-week warm-up period to get access, read docs, and watch a few training videos. But consulting? Nah. It’s more like, “You said you wanted a challenge? Here you go.”
Growth isn’t optional, see what I did there? Some of you will get it.
One thing about consulting, it’s fast-paced. I had never done timesheets before, now every minute counts. Literally.
Technically, the work is fine. You can always Google tools, check documentation, or ask ChatGPT to explain something (guilty). That’s not the hard part.
The real challenge is emotional, being surrounded by insanely smart people who seem to know everything. Everyone’s kind, helpful, and more than willing to bring you up to speed, but still, that self-doubt creeps in. The little voice whispering, “Do you even belong here?”
My coping strategy so far is to be 1% better every day.
Every new task teaches me something, even if it’s just one small thing, and that 1% compounds. That’s how you grow, even when your brain’s screaming, “You’re not good enough.”
So yeah, this is me venting, sharing what it’s been like transitioning from a big comfy corporate setup to the wild world of consulting.
I’ll post part 2 in about six months to let you know how it’s going, assuming I’m not fully bald from stress by then.
Cheers. Love you. ✌️
Stay tuned - I'll be uploading YouTube content soon where I share more terrible advice that somehow works! đź“ş