What job role have you secured?

I am a Software Engineer at London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG).

How did you find your time on the bootcamp?

Oh, I loved it! I value continued learning and personal development and there is a tonne of that on the bootcamp. The thirteen weeks whizzed by because there were tonnes of challenges to tackle and new concepts (for me at least) to wrap my head around. Don't get me wrong, it was stressful, but not in a negative way at all - in a very fun and engaging way.

What were you doing before the Bootcamp?

I was a freelance Actor and I worked part-time as an Escape Room Games Master. 

What made you interested in moving into tech?

I always had an interest in computers and interactive technologies like websites and video games, for starters. When I opted to steer my career into something more financially viable, it was important for me to find something fun and engaging, with a healthy amount of challenge. A few friends of mine were already developers and they loved the profession. So, I did a short course on Python before searching for a boot camp, and I very quickly realised "Yup, this is it!". 

What made you choose Northcoders?

Of many boot camps I researched, Northcoders seemed one of the most reputable. I was impressed by the high standard of the onboarding process: everything from the correspondence with the advisors and the brilliant JavaScript basics course I did before completing my entry challenge. I made lots of notes and learned a lot from this free resource before I even got my place! Moreover, I read testimonials on the website just like the one I have written here of people who had positively changed their lives on this boot camp, which was exactly what I was looking for!

What was the support like on the course?

Throughout the boot camp you can easily message many skilled coders who mentor and teach on the course for any sort of technical support. They're friendly and approachable; and excellent at what they do. Moreover, I benefitted from the same standard of career and well-being support on the course. From what I can see, the students are at the very heart of the service Northcoders offers.

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

I was still able to message the careers team for any questions I had in the job searching process (no question was a silly question!). I even had an in-depth mock interview to prepare me for the job I have acquired, which was instrumental. It was daunting to approach the Software Developer job market for the first time, but the Northcoders support was there for me every step of the way post-Bootcamp. 

What advice would you give to anyone thinking about applying?

You might have your doubts and worries about it, but I would say if you want to change your life and it sounds appealing to you, what's the harm in trying? In under a year, I have started a brand new career in coding with no prior experience with support from this course. So really, my advice is to do yourself a favour and begin that application ;)