Pre-Dojo:
- Worked as a line cook in fine dining
- Was sick of the terrible work conditions and knew he had to find a new career
- Had self-taught himself a moderate amount of coding, but needed a bootcamp to take his knowledge to the next level
After Dojo:
- Works as a Full Stack Developer in the restaurant industry
- Has confidence in his skills, knows he is doing things the correct way, and is not breaking industry standards
- Dreams of creating his own application to empower restaurant workers
Program: Online Full-Time Bootcamp
Testimonial:
It was scary (as switching industries always is) but nothing good will come without taking the risk. I believe the program really taught me the skills needed to be the best developer I can be.
Tell us a little about yourself. Age, hobbies, passions, and what you were doing (professionally) before the bootcamp?
I’m 28 years old and I enjoy cooking, tv/film, video games and of course, coding. Before the bootcamp, I was a line cook in the world of fine dining.
Beyond the desire of learning to code, why did you decide to enroll in a coding bootcamp?
After a decade in kitchens I was sick of the terrible pay, conditions, hours, and general poor treatment from people around me due to my profession. I was also starting to feel the effects of spending 60 hours per week on my feet so I knew I had to find something else. A bit before COVID hit I started getting back into coding (I did that all throughout my teenage years) as a way out of kitchens. I learned a lot on my own but around mid-2020 I decided to enroll in a bootcamp to get a better education than just being self-taught.
What fears or doubts were “holding you back” from enrolling? How did you get over them?
The cost, time required, and competitiveness of the field. Coding Dojo’s ISA program helped me front the cost and the COVID lockdown meant there was not much money to be made in my previous field anyway, so I had plenty of time. My worries about competitiveness and the need to quickly find a job were something I just had to power through. I struggled quite a bit in the time between graduating and finding a job but with hard work and dedication I made it though.
What sealed the deal on Coding Dojo? Why did you choose us over other programs?
Coding Dojo had the best reviews mostly. Lots of other bootcamps had aspects like low ratings, low satisfaction, sketchy recruitment tactics, etc.
What was it like getting ready for the bootcamp? Were you nervous, excited, etc.? How did you prepare?
I wouldn’t really say I prepared too much, if I remember correctly there was pre-bootcamp work, which I completed, but after having spent the past 6+ months doing little more than coding I entered fairly confident and ready to learn.
How did you overcome the obstacles or struggles you faced?
LOTS of dedication and support from instructors/other students.
Do you have any fun anecdotes to share about your time in the bootcamp? Make good friends? Fond memories?
Not exactly, but the feeling of being able to code full time and not having the feeling of being ‘lost at sea’ that comes from being self-taught was amazing.
When your graduation date was approaching, how did you feel about your skills and job prospects?
Somewhat comfortable. I did not do much job searching until I graduated and simply focused on really learning the skills taught so as not to spread myself too thin. It was scary (as switching industries always is) but nothing good will come without taking the risk. I believe the program really taught me the skills needed to be the best developer I can be.
How did the job hunt go? Where did you land a job?
The job hunt was rough. It took about 8 months to find something and put out thousands of resumes. I’d encourage anyone interested in going into software engineering to be conscious of the competitiveness/difficulty of finding an entry level job. I am currently working for Cava but I was hired as a contract-to-hire position through Ettain Group (a local recruiting agency) so I am technically employed through them.
Beyond the coding expertise, did the bootcamp give you anything else?
It gave me confidence to know that I was doing things the correct way and not breaking industry standards, which would be very hard to unlearn. As for soft skills I’d say I already had very strong work skills prior to the program simply from working in very intense upscale kitchens.
What advice do you have for others who are interested in coding bootcamps or who are just starting one?
Focus hard on the core concepts, especially of OOP (Object Oriented Programming). You may have a personal favorite language/framework, but you will end up using many over the course of your career due to individual business’s personal preference and advances in technology. If you learn how programming works at its core you will be able to learn new technologies in record time.
What are your goals/dreams for the future, say 5 or 10 years from now?
I’d like to stay in the tech side of the restaurant industry which is what I am doing currently. Of course advancing upwards the whole time. I feel the restaurant industry is heading towards a major collapse and I’d like to make some kind of app that will empower and save the workers of that industry from a life of poverty and suffering. Basically something that empowers chefs to work independently and not be tied down to a specific restaurant.
—
If you are interested in learning how to code and upgrading your career, Coding Dojo bootcamp offers accelerated learning programs that can transform your life. We offer both part-time and full-time online courses, as well as onsite (post COVID-19) programs. We also offer financing options, scholarships, and other tuition assistance programs to help you with financial barriers.
If you want to invest in yourself and your future, there is no better time than the present! If you’re interested, use this link to schedule a 15-minute exploratory session with one of our Admissions representatives today.