How did you find your time on the bootcamp?

My time at Northcoders can best be described as a turning point in my life. Northcoders is where I took the first steps into a career I'd been dreaming about, and it is also where I met some of my now closest friends. The bootcamp is an intense learning experience, every day felt like you couldn't possibly learn any more, but with coding there is always more! I never really felt challenged enough at University, but the bootcamp was both difficult and rewarding in a way that you only get when you achieve something you at first thought was impossible. The most significant advantage of being in a classroom is that you learn not just from lectures, but from conversations and peers, something you can't get when learning remotely or teaching yourself. I would never have learned half the things I learned at Northcoders while teaching myself to code, I hadn't even scratched the surface in terms of knowledge and best practices. The best thing about Northcoders is that everyone is 100% invested in seeing you succeed, and they won't let you give up on yourself.

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

Before Northcoders I was working in a call centre. I felt under challenged and unmotivated, and there were no career prospects. I studied Politics and International Relations at University, but I knew that I also wanted to be a Software Engineer without having to go back to University. I don't believe you should be limited to just one career in your lifetime. I had been trying to teach myself to code for several months, but was lacking direction and needed guidance. Before Northcoders, I interviewed for many entry level developer roles and kept being turned down due to lack of experience, a portfolio and problem solving skills. I essentially needed to retrain without having to be out of work for too long.

What was the support like on the course?

The support from staff on site was around the clock and I never felt like I couldn't ask for help, even outside of working hours. The tutors were always happy to arrange extra classes for us if necessary. After graduation, the support was just as accessible and helpful.

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

The bootcamp teaches you the skills to be a full-stack developer, and I learned quite early on the type of work I would be interested in doing after graduation. I was thoroughly prepared for interviews and technical tests, and my CV was made market ready. I am now lucky to be working at exactly the kind of firm and doing exactly the type of work that interests me.

What advice would you give to anyone thinking about applying?

My sincerest advice would be, if you are certain you want to be a software developer, apply for a quality education at Northcoders for the best chance in what is a rewarding career. Northcoders teach you to think like the kind of exceptional developers that tech firms are looking for. Imagine having access to a network of other likeminded software engineers for life!

Anything else you would like to add?

I would like to thank Northcoders for believing in me, even when I didn't believe in myself. Mostly, I would like to thank them for inspiring me every day at the bootcamp. The work Chris and James are doing to make the tech industry inclusive and accessible for everyone is phenomenal. I left Northcoders, not only aspiring to be a software engineer, but with a goal to help other women and people like myself who would normally face barriers getting into the tech industry.