How did you find your time on the bootcamp?

The course is intense and ramps up as you progress culminating in the best 3 weeks at the end, but that's everything I had hoped for. The curriculum accelerated my understanding and ability to code in a friendly and highly motivated environment of staff and a diverse range of peers. The past 12 weeks have flown by and I'd do it all over again if I could!

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

Prior to Northcoders, I was working as a Cost Consultant for construction developments in the North West. Although a great role, I felt I was becoming stagnant at work and it did not feel like the place where my skills would be best utilised. With the knowledge of 40+ years worth of my working life ahead of me, I wanted to challenge myself, to learn something I'd always been interested in. Programming is something I'd been considering for a long time, without making the leap but then I came across Northcoders and the rest is history...

What was the support like on the course?

Staff support has been great throughout whenever I have had any questions. The intensity of the course can affect some more than others, and there are staff in position to help on that front as well. Northcoders is a supportive community where you don't need to feel afraid of voicing issues or concerns.

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

Support whilst job hunting has been helpful, interviews were arranged smoothly and follow-up responses have been informative. It's a weird situation to be in knowing personally who your competition is however!

What advice would you give to anyone thinking about applying?

You need to love learning and problem solving because in a real situation, you will likely be spending 80%+ of your time planning and thinking about how to fix an issue before writing a line of code. Getting through the Northcoders course is just the tip of the iceberg and you should come out of it wanting to learn more, not expecting to have learned enough.

Anything else you'd like to add?

Thank you to all the staff and the amazing people I encountered over the duration of the course that have made it a highly productive and unforgettable experience!