Graduate Stories
Marketer to Web Developer
Andy
Software Engineer at Mobica
How did you find your time on the bootcamp?
Whilst at Northcoders I spent pretty much all day, every day, learning about programming. Most of this time was spent getting to grips with JavaScript (Node and Express on the backend, followed by a front-end introduction to React). We covered lots more than this though: databases (SQL and NoSQL); testing our code to make sure it was robust; learning about (and using) loads of different libraries and APIs. It was challenging and stressful at times but enjoyable with it. Friday beers too - nearly forgot that!
Past experiences had made me a little sceptical, but they did a brilliant job and I couldn't have asked for a better outcome
What were you doing before the bootcamp and what made you apply?
I did a variety of jobs before joining Northcoders - from working in law and investment-banking, working on a rail depot, to, more recently, project management at a marketing agency. I had even tried a different bootcamp... I'd wanted to work in the tech industry for years but had never quite managed to build up the critical mass of knowledge and confidence necessary to break through.
What was the support like on the course?
I found the teaching staff at Northcoders to be very helpful and unfailingly patient. We had several different tutors (one of Northcoders' big plus points in my view) so were able to benefit from a range of teaching styles/knowledge bases. Each of us had a mentor who spent time with us during the course to help consolidate any particular concepts we struggled with.
How much support did you receive from Northcoders with your job search after the course?
Another real strength of Northcoders. We were given lots of help with CV writing and Steph and Amul were very proactive in lining up interviews (and giving the occasional pep talk...) Past experience (not with Northcoders) had made me a little sceptical about this but they did a brilliant job for me and I couldn't have asked for a better outcome.
What advice would you give to anyone thinking about applying?
Learning to code is hard, and can be frustrating, but is also fascinating. If it's something you enjoy then go for it, and don't let setbacks get you down.
