Graduate Stories

Medical Student to Software Developer

ZoePreview: Zoe

How did you find your time on the bootcamp?

It was really intense but so enjoyable. There was a great sense of camaraderie, everyone really bonded as a group. We still meet up to hang out quite often! The content of the course was excellent. The team did a really good job of explaining things and covering all the most important concepts. Although the course does not cover everything you might get in a computer science course, it gives you everything you need to really do the job - which means lots of very important soft skills on how to go about your work (something missing in a lot of uni courses), but also a deep dive on the complex concepts that you need day to day (eg. recursion, closures, inheritance). I have found that although my work colleagues may have some background knowledge that I don't, I have never found myself lacking any of the practical skills needed to really hit the ground running.

It was really intense but so enjoyable. There was a great sense of camaraderie, everyone really bonded as a group

August 2017

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

I had been studying medicine but found it was not for me. I was trying out different things and doing some programming it seemed like the best fit for me. I had already spent so long in uni, going back wasn't really an option, so I was very excited to find this course that could catapult me into my new career. The sponsorship for women also made it much easier for me to take the risk and get into a job fast.

What was the support like on the course?

There were always plenty of helping hands around to give us one-on-one help when we got stuck, and every one was really lovely (and I may have left the course with some unexpected new best buddies).

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

The team work with you to find a new job which is quite helpful.

What advice would you give to anyone thinking about applying?

There are lots of resources around to get you started with coding. I think most of us used a bit of codecademy, code wars and free code camp. The course will teach you all you need, but the more you can get used to all the basic concepts before you start, the more you can get out of the course. Don't worry about getting left behind though, the team never let anyone stay confused for too long!