Recruitment and Hiring
'Will I be able to get a job?' and 4 other questions you're asking us
There's so much going on right now, it can be hard to know which question to ask first. A lot of things are uncertain. But we are proud to be in a position to be able to offer hope for whatever comes next.
We're running a purpose-built software development course to help you learn to code and start a new career. We wanted to answer some of your most common questions head on.
Is now really the right time to commit to a new career?
Only you can answer this – but we can help you arrive at that answer.
The majority of our in-person coding bootcamp students quit their jobs in order to do our courses, but we know there are many of you who don't have that choice. Perhaps you've lost your job – we all know someone who has been affected by job uncertainty. Perhaps you've been itching to move on from your previous career anyway.
If that sounds like you, we think it's the perfect time.
If you find something you love, you won't feel like you're working. It's never a bad time to invest in yourself if you need a change. And right now, for those who are not in position to choose whether to stay in an existing job, in many ways there couldn't be a better time
Will I be able to find a job?
The tech industry is one of the most robust in the world. We rely on technology completely. Even in 2019, the "Digital Skills Gap" – or the stark shortage of skilled tech workers in the UK – was costing the country tens of billions of pounds every year.
Tech's not going anywhere. There aren't enough people who can code now, and there won't be in 5 years time. As a skill, it's future-proofed
Before everything changed this year, remote working was already considered a "selling point" of working in tech – many people became developers partly to eventually live the dream of working from anywhere. Sure, you wouldn't usually expect remote working in your first job. But especially in these changing times, this industry is robustly capable of accommodating remote working. We believe that remote training will provide an excellent basis for your career – in fact, we used to require some remote working as part of our coding bootcamp!
Tech is here to stay.
It's good to be aware of the impact of coronavirus. We all know that generally, vacancies are disappearing, and that includes some vacancies in tech. Some companies in industries which are being hit hard right now aren't hiring developers. Of course, in other industries, opportunities are actually being created. The jobs market will change, and any company that tells you they know what is going to happen is lying to you. But one thing is for sure – there will still be opportunities in the tech industry on the other side of the coronavirus outbreak.
Will you support me with my career?
Of course! We've got a team of Career Development Experts in-house, and they are there for you. You'll have the opportunity to take part in CV workshops, interview advice sessions and interview training as well as industry insight sessions.
Perhaps most importantly, along the way, we'll help you build a portfolio showcasing in-demand skills, which you can use to prove what you can do.
What we've found time and time again is that what employers really want these days isn't a qualification or certificate – it's proof you can build things. You can prove that, and that you actually enjoy learning, by building a varied portfolio. These days, there is nothing more valuable.
We are here to provide you with the skills you need to launch your career, and help give you the confidence and resources to go and do just that.
Is the remote course really as good as the in-person course?
We could have just carried on delivering a remote version of our 13-week coding bootcamp. But the reason we didn't is that it's not that simple. Plenty of companies out there will tell you that they've taken their course online. But we took a break to build something from scratch, something genuinely purpose-built for online delivery, without losing any of the community spirit that makes being a Northcoder special.
We've taken the very best of the "in-person" experience and combined it with what we know works fantastically remotely. The syllabus is not dissimilar – we know what works and we know what the industry wants. We're proud to be industry-led.
What was important was that the community remained as strong as ever.
My cohort is remote, but the way Northcoders has built the community online has made us feel like we're still together, checking in every morning to chat about our breakfasts, our dogs or our code.
For me, this is expensive. Can I use finance?
Yes. Finance is available for all of our courses. We never give financial advice, so we strongly recommend checking our options out and making the best decision for you.
Learning to code with us is a big commitment, but it could also be one of the best decisions you ever make (just ask our graduates!). Having trained well over 600 people from all walks of life, we know what we do works and are proud of the community of software developers we have built.
Just ask anyone who has learned to code with us, and we like to they'll tell you there's something special about being a Northcoder.
If you're interested in joining us, find out more about our remote courses here.
Betty Burrell
Marketing Manager
