How did you find your time on the bootcamp?

Studying at Northcoders has been exciting, challenging, and a constant steep learning curve - which was exactly what I wanted. I'm hugely appreciative of how knowledgeable, kind, patient, and fun the tutors are and were in helping me build my skillset. For me, they are the magic ingredient of the Northcoders course. Five months after taking the leap from my previous work in education to complete the precourse and begin the Developer Pathway, I feel so proud to be starting work as a developer at a great company where I can add business value, learn even more, and be a part of the tech community.

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

Prior to studying at Northcoders, I was working in education teaching and leading literacy development at a school in Merseyside. I love working with young people and making a difference - I'll continue mentoring and doing research in this space. I've loved technology ever since my father had me playing around with computers as a kid in the early 90s but always thought like I'd missed my chance by not studying technology at university. I wanted to fulfil that deep interest but beyond doing another degree I wasn't sure how to make it happen. When I found out about Northcoders, I was trepidatious at first as it was a big step to change career and support myself during that time. However, now I can say I am so happy I backed myself to put in the hard work and succeed.

What was the support like on the course?

I'm hugely appreciative of how knowledgeable, kind, patient, and fun the tutors are and were in helping me build my skillset. For me, they are the magic ingredient of the NorthCoders course. JD, my mentor, made lots of time to help me understand core concepts and so many other tutors, Sam, Mitch, Jac, Paul, Anat, Johnny, and others were always so supportive even when I was feeling frustrated as I grappled with new ideas and briefs.

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

Northcoders helped put me in touch with a handful of great companies who have realised the value career changers at Northcoders can bring to their companies. The CV and tech test workshops are a real help as well.

What advice would you give to anyone thinking about applying?

Looking back, if I were advising myself about learning to code, I would say: take full advantage of the range of free/cheap online resources there are, find someone to learn with or go to meet ups, don't be afraid to just explore and read about all sorts even if it doesn't all make sense at first. Looking back, if I were advising myself about applying to Northcoders, I would say: learn as much JavaScript as you can; if you're commuting from quite far away (as I was), consider getting a 3/4 month short term let in the city; if you catch yourself thinking about becoming a developer a couple of times over a couple of months, just do it. Don't be sat there in a year or more questioning yourself, really, take control of your life and do it.