How did you find your time on the bootcamp?

My time at Northcoders was excellent! The course was brilliantly sequenced and there were some excellent sprints and challenges to consolidate the skills/concepts we were taught in the lectures. It was great having other people to work/socialise with, and by the end of the course, it felt sad to leave the group I'd got to know so well. My skills and coding knowledge improve dramatically and I was amazed to see how far I'd come in such a short space of time. By the end, I felt I was well prepared to apply for professional roles and tackle any tech challenges that may come my way.

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

Before the course, I had been teaching for 5 years and was the head of music in a secondary school. I wanted a change because I wanted the freedom to work from home, doing something I enjoyed. I was coding in my spare time anyway, so it made sense to pursue a career in it.

What was the support like on the course?

The support from the mentoring team was excellent. There was always someone on hand if I was stuck on a challenge or struggling to understand a concept. They were always friendly and happy to help. They were attentive to not just my coding progress, but personal wellbeing as well, which I thought was great!

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

The careers teams provided great support in finding work. They were responsive in helping me to polish my CV and cover letters, and were excellent in organising hiring partner presentations, to enable me to get more information on the jobs advertised, and really get a feel for the work places needing developers.

What advice would you give to anyone thinking about applying?

My best advice would be to set yourself small goals and small projects to build. You'll know if you enjoy it or not if you find you keep coming back for more, or keep thinking about that small problem you're trying to solve. If this sounds like you, get applying! Take advantage of how much the course will improve your skills, as well as the career support afterwards.

Anything else you would like to add?

I recommended the course to my best friend. They're joining in May to start with their developer journey too!