How did you find your time on the bootcamp?

I really enjoyed my time in Northcoders! Before starting, I was undecided as to whether I should self-teach, because I already understood the basics of coding. Now I can say with certainty that Northcoders was the way to go. I never ran out of things to learn, and learning environment was super friendly and encouraging. One of the most valuable, underrated skills I took away was an ability to speak with confidence about tricky concepts. I use this all the time in my new career.

What were you doing before the bootcamp and what made you apply?

Before Northcoders I was working in data science, applying predictive models to crime data. This work required a lot of coding, and it was in this way that I came to realised how much I enjoyed programming.

What was the support like on the course?

I think the staff were very good at explaining complicated ideas in a clear way. They were also friendly and encouraging. No question felt too silly. I found it really helpful to be able to call over a tutor whenever I got stuck on a kata, so that I wasn't spending too much time on a problem. I think it really helped that the tutors had been NC students in the past - they were really able to understand the challenges I faced.

How much support did you receive from Northcoders with your job search after the course?

When interviewing for a job with a hiring partner I found it really helpful that I didn't have to wait long to find out how it went. I received a call about an hour after each interview, where Steph gave me feedback from the interviewer. This let me understand the impression I made, so that I could make improvements to my interview skills. With a few interviews lined up in close succession, being able to make these adjustments quickly really helped.

What advice would you give to anyone thinking about applying?

I think there are crucial skills that I learned at NC that can't be picked up while self-learning. It is not always easy to work in a team as a coder, and I feel I got plenty of practice at this while at NC. I feel confident articulating ideas because I had to do this so much throughout the course. I learned how to spike new technologies. This is not a concept I'd even heard of before, when I was thinking of teaching myself. I also think that the support I received helped me to get past that painful part of learning where problems can take a long time to solve.