Transiting from any career into the tech world can be quite daunting. However, knowing that whoever would love to remain relevant in the nearest future needs not to shy away from this makes it imperative to pay the necessary sacrifices needed at this moment. Besides, who says tech can't be applicable to the career you're coming from? I personally think that having a background from another career should be a plus when you come into the tech field as you would not just be solving several problems but you will be particular about bringing solutions to the already-discovered problems in your previous field.

Backend engineering, one of the various fields in the tech industry, is a very vital part as I also see it as the "backbone." It is like the kitchen where the "dirty" work to ensure safety and good taste goes on while the Frontend is like the dining where aesthetics and ease are quite important. At the beginning of learning may look all "gibberish" (this increases/decreases with the kind of language you are learning) but further and consistent learning will bring you to a place of better understanding.

Here are 4 essential steps to comfort and confidence as you progress in the field of Backend engineering:

1. Familiarize Yourself with Backend Technologies

It is important to familiarize yourself with the most common backend technologies in use today. This includes databases such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, and MongoDB, as well as server-side programming languages such as Node.js, PHP, Ruby on Rails, and Python. Understanding the basics of these technologies will help you hit the ground running and make a smooth transition into whatever role you get. I should let you know that you can't learn all these at once, you need to take it one step at a time, hence the use of the word "familiarize." More importantly, master one before moving to another.

2. Get Comfortable with Command Line Interface (CLI)

CLI is an essential tool for any backend engineer. Oh my! CLI can get quite confusing whether within or without your IDE. However, you can always check Google or others to be sure of what to do until you get a good grasp of it. It’s important to feel comfortable using the command line to manage servers, run scripts, and perform other backend engineering tasks. Take some time to practice using the CLI and become familiar with common commands.

3. Learn Git

Git is a version control system that is widely used in software development. As a backend engineer, it’s important to understand how Git works and how to use it to manage code and collaborate with others. You get to understand Git more and more by frequently using it (preferably daily).

4. Get Familiar with RESTful API Design

REST is an acronym for REpresentational State Transfer and an architectural style for distributed hypermedia systems (https://restfulapi.net/). RESTful API design is a standard way of designing APIs that are easy to consume and understand. As a backend engineer, it’s important to understand and be able to design and implement RESTful APIs that are efficient and scalable.

In all, you should know that the building of a skyscraper starts with a single block. Don't panic and don't yield under pressure. Don't hold back and yet be consistent with your efforts. Time will surely reveal and reward them!