It’s hard to imagine Jones having trouble standing out. But in the extremely fast paced world of technology, your work has to be as loud as Jones’ work attire. “Passion is key in an industry like technology, where things are constantly changing,” says Jones. “The technology you were so excited about using six months ago will be old news, so you have to make it your job to always keep yourself up to date.”
If you’re thinking about getting into programming, at any age, it’s important to use the plethora of resources available on the web. Jones suggests finding something that interest you and beginning small. “Don’t try to recreate Facebook off-the-bat. Instead, try small things, allow yourself to fail and learn from your mistakes,” he tells BE Modern Man. “Don’t be afraid to ask questions, and always remain humble. Get on YouTube and listen to programming tutorials, try them out, replicate them, and then put your own twist on it so it’s personalized for you.”
Programming is extremely difficult, and Jones warns people against being discouraged at the first signs of failure. “The reality is that the most of the applications you use today fail all the time in the background, but in a controlled manner, and continue to function perfectly fine. Programmers purposefully code their projects with the intent that they might fail. It’s important to realize that when something does fail, it fails early. You’re able to catch it, learn from it, and improve from it.”
While his programs might fail in the background, Jones has no intention of failing in the foreground. “A BE Modern Man is someone who is challenging the status quo of what it means to be a Black man,” he says. “He doesn’t confine himself to places where he’s comfortable.” Leaving his comfort zone, and interacting with others who were different from him, has endowed Jones with the ability to maneuver in and out of any setting. As life throws him unexpected variables and scenarios, he internalizes those experiences and leverages what he’s gained from them to contribute to the larger community.
The BE Modern Man team salutes Malcolm Jones for not settling, and for pursuing his passion in programming. He is a young leader who is breaking down visual barriers and stereotypes, one program at a time.
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