Hello. How are you all? I hope everything is well. I'm currently on a train heading back to Turin from Milan, where I work as a bioinformatician. I recently celebrated two years of working in this field, and today I would like to share my experiences and what I have learned and achieved during this time. It’s important to note that what you will read is my personal experience, which can be different for others, so please consider this as my personal and humble opinion.

Before I list the 8 things I've learned in these two years, it’s necessary to give you a bit of context and briefly talk about my professional journey.

"I was born on April 9, 1993…" just kidding, not that far back 😂. But yes, I am 30 years old. I graduated in Pisa in agricultural sciences and completed my master's degree in plant biotechnologies in Turin. During my master's degree, I took a bioinformatics course (6 credits), which sparked my passion for programming and data analysis. Even when I was younger, I had a keen interest in technology, although it was more focused on hardware than software. However, at 15 years old, I already knew what Linux was and about various distributions available, but I hadn't yet used a terminal. That bioinformatics course definitely instilled in me the enjoyment of using Linux, using basic bash commands, and so on, but what was truly decisive was the internship and master's thesis in the field of bioinformatics, where I dealt with dating transposable elements of DNA and conducting GWAS on plants. Thanks to these projects, I definitively realized that I loved being in front of a computer analyzing biological data, but I also recognized how much I had yet to learn. I began a self learning journey in order to educate myself and soon realized that to become a bioinformatician, there was a lot, really a lot to study. But I didn't get discouraged; instead, I found studying and learning new things to be the most fun part, so about three years ago I began a personal study journey in statistics, bioinformatics, machine learning, and AI, which has not yet ended and I think will never end 😂. This led me to create a blog (bioinformaticamente.com) where I gradually share what I learn. Right from the start, I began offering to conduct bioinformatics analyses for various research centers for free, as I wanted to learn without worrying about earnings. After about a year, I found my first job as a bioinformatician and today I'm here to tell you about my experience over these two years.

The 8 Things I've Learned in Two Years as a Bioinformatician:

  1. To become a bioinformatician, you must study. Bioinformatics is a multidisciplinary field. It's essential to know about statistics, programming, machine learning, and if you want to keep up with technological evolution, AI as well. Each of these subjects is "huge," so you can't think of delving deeply into each one. A single lifetime wouldn't be enough. The only alternative is to try to learn a bit of everything. Building a general knowledge of all these areas while always balancing how deep to go into a subject is a bit like floating and trying to stay on the surface.
  2. Don't get discouraged if you constantly forget the concepts you've studied. It’s normal. The problem isn't you but the complexity of the topics. Statistics, machine learning, AI, math, and sometimes even biology can be very abstract and hard to remember. So, be patient, don’t get discouraged if you forget; just go back and review.
  3. Don't rush to learn. I often remind myself, "Omar, don’t rush to climb the mountain." Even if you work with people who know more than you because perhaps they have more experience, try to be patient. Give yourself time. If you rush to learn and study anxiously to know as much or more than a colleague who has been working in the field for more years than you, it won’t lead to any good result; rather, it will only lead to frustration. Remember, learning takes time, and everyone has their own time.
  4. Try to learn from everyone. As a bioinformatician, I am often surrounded by various professionals. Biologists, molecular biologists, engineers, physicists, and doctors. Observe them and try to learn something from them, even trivial things. For example, I like to participate in lab meetings at the institute where I work and learn from others' communication methods and technicalities.
  5. Always try to push your limits, but not obsessively. This is quite a part of my character. I discovered from a young age that if someone told me I couldn’t do something, then I would try, try, and try again until I proved I could do it. I believe we should view our limits with sheer curiosity and not fear. For instance, I know I’m not very confident in math, but I don’t decide to avoid it; on the contrary. I challenge myself and try to complicate my life by putting myself in situations where I must face complex math problems, often without success, but at least I try. Whenever there’s a complex analysis to be done, I always volunteer because I want to try to overcome that obstacle. Yes, set obstacles for yourself, always. And by trying, you will always learn a lesson, regardless of whether you succeed in overcoming that obstacle or not. Limits should not be an obsession but an incentive to improve.
  6. Stay away from toxic mentors and surround yourself with people who want to help you grow. In these two years, I have worked with different people, but not all are good people. In the workplace, it’s not hard to encounter people with questionable ethical and moral values. Stay away from these people and surround yourself with those who, when you make a mistake, are ready to correct you and help you grow.
  7. Taking breaks from work is not a waste of time. Nowadays, life is hectic, and time flies. Unfortunately, we tend to be judged more for how much we produce rather than what we produce. Working to the point of exhaustion with the anxiety of deadlines will drain your energy and enthusiasm in the long run. It doesn’t matter how long it takes to perform an analysis; it's the quality of the analysis that counts. Never forget to take breaks from work. Disconnect and spend time in nature; this will not be a waste of time but will make you feel more energized when you return to work.
  8. Work not for money but to learn. At least at the beginning of your career, don’t go to whoever offers you the most money but prefer those who are willing and able to help you grow. Knowledge is the true gain.

Well, these are the 8 concepts I've learned during my two years of working as a bioinformatician. Feel free to add some tips in the comments; I'm sure it will be useful for everyone.

Bye and see you soon 👋🏼🫡"