What’s your role and which company do you work for?

I currently work at two places (and am in the process of moving to a new job!). I work on bespoke legal case management software at Winn Group, which has been a mixture of a Visual Basic-like software called Proclaim, and a low-code no-code platform called UiPath. In addition to this, I also do contract work building Python APIs, in Flask and FastAPI!

Are you enjoying your role?

I’ve enjoyed my roles a lot - It’s required a lot of self-learning and falling over along the way, but comparing myself as a developer from when I left Northcoders to now - it’s a night and day difference.

How did you find your time on the bootcamp?

The bootcamp was excellent! The mentors are friendly and explain each new concept very well, which is a lifesaver for a total beginner. Having the opportunity to build on what you’ve learnt each step of the way really cements your understanding of a topic.

What were you doing before the bootcamp?

Before the bootcamp, I was a double university dropout and a cocktail bartender. I wasn’t really finding learning fun anymore, and the late nights were definitely not helping.

Northcoders definitely helped me find a new spark and passion in tech, and it’s paid off in a lot of aspects in my life.

What made you interested in moving into tech?

I had dabbled a little bit in programming before - mainly a bit of Python in University, and some GameMaker when I was a lot younger.

What made you choose Northcoders?

I came across Northcoders out of chance through an advert, and after doing a bit of digging and looking at the kind of material and support you get access to, I decided it was the right choice for me.

What was the support like on the course?

The support was phenomenal on the course - not just from the cohort leaders, but also from fellow students. You’ll run into people from all walks of life, with varying degrees of experience - many who have been programming for years but in a different kind of area, and some people who’ve barely ever touched a keyboard. By the end of it, I’d like to think everyone comes out of the program equal.

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

Northcoders definitely provided a lot of opportunity for jobs right out of the gate at graduation - I was fortunate enough to find an opportunity elsewhere close to the time anyways, but the list of jobs available on the portal was large and always growing.

Do you think that Northcoders prepared you well for your role?

Seeing as how I mainly work in REST integrations now, Northcoders definitely prepared me well. I learned concepts I had never even heard about beforehand, and the coverage of frontend and backend development allowed me room to decide what I enjoyed most (shockingly, backend development!)

What advice would you give to anyone thinking about applying?

For anyone thinking about enrolling, I would simply say that the program helped me out of a rut that I was pretty stuck in. It allowed me to get into a routine I enjoyed, allowed me to learn a whole range of new skills, and even opened the door for me to learn so much more (AI tools, graphics rendering, game programming) that I’d have never even thought I could understand. The first step is always the hardest, but Northcoders makes sure you land it.