Graduate Stories

Graduate to Junior Developer

MadalinaPreview: Madalina

How did you find your time on the bootcamp?

It was the most exciting and intense thing I've ever done! The support surpassed all my expectations and it gave me confidence that coding is what I want to keep doing as a career.

We ended up having an in-depth understanding of how things work under the hood. Because of that, I aced my tech interview in Python even though I'd never seen a line of Python before

October 2018

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

Before Northcoders, I had graduated with a double major degree and was left in limbo, not knowing exactly which direction I wanted to take forward. I ended up with a convenient but not quite exciting job and once I accidentally delved into coding, it just clicked with me and I knew I wanted to do that for a living.

What was the support like on the course?

I cannot stress enough how supportive and patient the tutors from Northcoders were. No question was too silly, and I've even had tutors stay overtime just to make sure I understood something I was really struggling with. I particularly loved how tutors kept explaining fundamental CS concepts while teaching us how to write code. We ended up having an in-depth understanding of how things work under the hood. Because of that, I aced my tech interview in Python even though I'd never seen a line of Python before, and in my job I was also able to pick it up from day one alongside JS.

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

I was offered my dream job on the spot 10 days after graduating! Before that, the Northcoders team helped me tailor my CV to the kind of company I aimed for, assisted with interview preparations and also arranged and coordinated my job interviews. Having graduated from a top 10 university with literally no further support, I found this to be such a relief and, quite frankly, almost unbelievable.

What advice would you give to anyone thinking about applying?

I've had a lot of people tell me they weren't smart enough or didn't think they could code. I'd really encourage anyone to at least try it out. It might just end up being the most fascinating thing you've ever encountered, and it's one of the few industries where you can choose exactly what kind of work you want to do.

Anything else you'd like to add?

I actually applied for Northcoders without much planning or research and the entire process just fell into place, and it's the best decision I've ever made! I really appreciate The Developer Pathway, which ensures every single person finishing the course will have all the skills needed for a new job. Personally, it made me feel a lot more confident after graduating since I had more time to understand concepts I struggled with. Many thanks to the Northcoders team!