Disclaimer: Coding Dojo cannot guarantee employment, salary, or career advancement. The experience of this alumnus/alumna may not be representative of all students.
Pre-Dojo:
- Was a recent high school graduate
- Believer in landing a job in tech without a degree if you’re willing to put in the work
- Wanted to learn three stacks to understand full stack development
After Dojo:
- Works as a Software Engineer at Cisco
- Gained stronger communication skills and a close group of friends
- Wants to create SaaS side projects while working to build additional income and retire early
Program: Online Full-Time Software Development
Graduation Date: November 2022
Testimonial:
“I landed a job as a Software Engineer at Cisco after 5 months of the job hunt! It was a long process and I sent out plenty of applications, but it was worth it in the end, and my amazing Career Services Manager made it a lot easier.”
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Tell us a little about yourself! Age, hobbies, passions, where you grew up, where you live now, and any other fun facts!
I’m 18 years old and dropped out of college to enroll in Coding Dojo’s bootcamp. I’m located in Silicon Valley, and was a strong believer that you don’t need a college degree to land a job in tech if you’re willing to put the work in. In my spare time I enjoy running and exploring the web 3.0 space!
What were you doing professionally before bootcamp?
I enrolled in the bootcamp right after my senior year of high school and dropped out of a University Comp Sci program.
Tell us why you enrolled in Coding Dojo? Were you unhappy with your current role? Yearning for a change in career path?
I didn’t think a $250k degree was worth it, and knew that I could land a job in under 4 years with the skills the bootcamp taught me.
Why did you choose Coding Dojo over other bootcamps?
The 3 tech stacks felt like the best way to go. By having 3 tech stacks I knew I’d properly understand full stack development, and not just memorize a few things to help me get by and build projects.
What were your thoughts going into bootcamp? Were you nervous? Excited? All of the above?
I was nervous about the workload but excited to start learning skills that I could instantly put to use on the job and for personal projects.
Did you face any obstacles in bootcamp? If so, how did you overcome them?
I had a few issues with deploying my belt exams to AWS but was able to finally find the error which was a single space in the wrong spot.
What was it like during your first few weeks in bootcamp? What did you enjoy? What did you struggle with?
I loved the first few weeks of bootcamp! It was interesting to learn about the building blocks of websites and I was very excited to start building on them.
What advice would you share with others considering bootcamp? What about those currently in bootcamp?
The best advice I have is that you have to be dedicated. Just going to a bootcamp won’t get you a job, you have to be willing to continue learning and building your portfolio consistently after the bootcamp
Do you have any fun memories to share about your time in bootcamp?
My favorite memory from the bootcamp was being in an amazing cohort. After being with them for a long time, they truly became my second family and I love the bond we have.
Even now we have a Discord and reach out to each other for help with projects, work or simply to check in.
What was your favorite stack, project, or module to learn? Why?
My favorite stack to learn was MERN, because React is a very useful framework for web3 projects and is very popular.
As graduation approached, how confident were you in your new skill set?
I was confident in my skill set, but knew that I still had so much to learn and improve on.
Aside from credentials, what else did you leave bootcamp with? (soft skills, motivation, confidence, etc.)
After leaving the bootcamp I noticed my communication skills remotely improved drastically.
How did the job hunt go? Where did you end up working?
I landed a job as a Software Engineer at Cisco after 5 months of the job hunt! It was a long process and I sent out plenty of applications, but it was worth it in the end, and my amazing Career Services Manager made it a lot easier.
What did it feel like to receive your first job offer? Or to get that first paycheck in tech?
It felt amazing. I knew that all the work had finally paid off and a new journey is just starting.
What are your goals and dreams for the future? Career or otherwise.
I hope to start SaaS projects on the side while working, and hopefully let those build enough income to let me retire early
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If you are interested in pursuing a new career path, Coding Dojo bootcamp offers accelerated learning programs designed to help you learn the skills you want. We offer both part-time and full-time online coding programs, as well as programs training you in Data Science and Cybersecurity. We also offer financing options, scholarships, and other tuition assistance programs for those who qualify.
If you want to invest in yourself, there is no time like the present! If you’re interested, use this link to schedule a 15-minute exploratory session with one of our Admissions Advisors today.
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