What job role are you in?

Senior Software Developer at a consultancy

What year did you graduate Northcoders?

2018

How have you found your experience progressing in the industry?

I've found it quite straightforward focusing on an engineering route, going from Junior -> Mid Level -> Senior. Most places I've worked at have been supportive in case I did want to branch out but I enjoy the IC route personally.

I think the first 2-3 years were difficult in terms of feeling confident in my abilities, imposter syndrome and generally finding a work-life balance. It's very easy to fall into the trap of thinking "I need to do all this training outside of work and learn all the tech stacks". 

How did you find your time on the bootcamp?

It was a great experience for me, our class wasn't too big - maybe 20 people I think. I loved the challenges in the morning and pair programming on problems really sped up the learning process, learning how other people looked at problems etc.

The last project where we demoed to hiring partners was quite nerve wracking though.

What were you doing before the Bootcamp?

I had just finished university and was struggling to find something I really wanted to do

What made you interested in moving into tech?

I've always been interested in tech, games and solving problems. I think tech is the best avenue allowing me to enjoy solving new problems each day.

What made you choose Northcoders?

I had seen advertisements online, it was close to where I lived and seeing how successful some of the graduates had been really sold it for me.

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

I had a good amount of help looking for jobs for a month or so after the course and was fortunate to have an offer relatively early.

What advice would you give to anyone thinking about applying?

Make sure you really want a job in tech and you're prepared to work hard and struggle through problems.