At 34 years old I was stuck in a minimum wage job ...

At 34 years old I was stuck in a minimum wage job while trying to run my own small business and I wanted to change the direction of where I was going. Next week, I turn 35 and start my first job in the web dev world as a Junior UX Designer/Developer. I have HackerYou to thank for that! Read on if you'd like to learn more about my journey from Barista to Developer:

At the start of 2018, after a lot of self-reflection and thinking about what I would enjoy doing, I decided to look into UX/UI and web development. At first I was interested in taking HackerYou's part-time UX course, so I set up an in-person consultation with Sam, one of the Admissions Coordinators. We had a great chat, but the UX course was geared towards those who had some experience in the industry/with coding, so he recommended me start with the part-time Web Development course to see if it was something I'd like and be interested in pursuing. Well, I loved it. After that course, I took the part-time JavaScript. I think my instructors Kristen (web dev) and Tiff (JavaScript) had a huge impact on how much I enjoyed learning at HackerYou. I decided to take the next step, applied for bootcamp and got my acceptance letter in June 2018.

You can find the current bootcamp curriculum on HackerYou's site as it changes to keep up-to-date with the ever-changing industry, but in my cohort (Summer 2018), we spent the first couple of weeks revising HTML5 and CSS3, then the bulk of the course focussed on JavaScript, jQuery, React, Firebase, Git and Github. Weekly projects made sure we were practising and using everything we were covering and it also helped with learning how to prioritise our time and work in pairs and groups. The instructor to student ratio was great, so you could quickly ask for help and feedback. By the end of the bootcamp, you will be ready to job hunt with a portfolio site!

What can't be beat is the HackerYou community. I've met the most amazing people in my cohort and made lifelong friends. Everyone had their own origin story and that made it even more interesting and encouraging. There is also so much support in all aspects of the bootcamp. The instructors and staff are all friendly and helpful and they really want their students to succeed. Heather, the CEO worked with us one-on-one after the bootcamp and gave us feedback and advice for our job-hunt. I got my first offer within a month of graduating, and I'm stoked to have had this opportunity.

If you are thinking of a career-change and like learning in a classroom surrounded by amazing students and staff then don't hesitate to choose HackerYou. Set up a consultation, get a feel for the environment and programs, and change your life :)