How did you find your time on the bootcamp?

I used to be a solicitor, so I was used to hard work and putting the hours in, which is certainly what you do on the course! I found it very challenging, but really rewarding. If you'd have told me a year ago that I would finish the course by building a speaking Spelling Bee app for my daughter I would not have believed you! It has given me confidence that I can carry on learning and developing my skills. I am deeply grateful to the tutors who were very knowledgeable and supportive.

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

I had been a solicitor for many years and was basically in a rut, wondering if I really wanted to carry on in the same role for the rest of my career. I think deep down I was craving some creativity in my work and I knew I wanted to update my skills.

What was the support like on the course?

The tutors are, without exception, all lovely people. They know their stuff and they know how to explain it to someone like me who didn't have a background in computing. Each week I had a list of questions from the study materials and one of them would patiently go through them with me. They were also very hands on hand to help if we needed help during sprints.

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

Every fortnight, there are hiring partner talks where companies come and give presentations. There's a day dedicated to CV writing, technical tests, the different types of companies you can work for, interview questions etc. Once you are signed off as "job ready" you then have access to a jobs board, with a job description and information about the company. Northcoders submit your CV for you, arrange any interviews and, in my case, helped me to negotiate my hours (I have two young children so am working part time). That is a lot more than I got at law school, I can tell you!

What advice would you give to anyone thinking about applying?

Definitely apply, even if you don’t get in first time you will have learnt so much in preparation for your test at Northcoders! And if you do get in, you will have an opportunity to learn so much in such a short space of time, hand on heart I don’t think you’ll find an online course out there that would come even close.

Anything else you would like to add?

Just do it! Don't be afraid to have a go and don't worry if you don't get it straight away. It isn't easy, but it is really rewarding. You will not regret it.