Thirty-two-year-old Michael Boonekamp worked as an IT Technician, repairing and maintaining computer systems. He liked the work that he did: it was technical, and required him to discover, investigate, and solve problems. However, Michael wanted a career where the demand for his skills was higher than the supply of these skills; he wanted more mobility and he wanted a job that was as financially rewarding as it was personally fulfilling. He didn’t want to just fix the software and hardware his colleagues and clients used, as a normal technician would; he wanted to create the systems they were using, just as a software engineer or web developer would.
I really enjoyed working with computers and I enjoy problem solving. I tried finding work further in the IT technician field but I found it to be very saturated. When I saw an advert for learning Web Development, I dived straight into it.
There is some difference between a programmer, such as a web developer or software engineer, and a technician.The job of an IT technician can be more hands-on and manual, primarily involving the repair, maintenance, installation and testing of computer systems and software, rather than making brand new programs, or fixing bugs in program code. However, the close work with computers this career involved made Michael’s decision to learn about the computer system a natural progression.
He signed up for an online part-time Full Stack Web Developer bootcamp with HyperionDev, hoping to learn how to turn his computer knowledge into full programming capability.
What he didn’t predict was that HyperionDev would help him find his first job as a Junior Web Developer.
From fixing to creating
While Michael wanted a drastic change in his career path, he still had work and personal commitments that he couldn’t sacrifice to take up studying full-time. Thankfully, our part-time and online bootcamps have been made exactly for students like Michael, so they can learn at a pace that fits their lives and livelihood.
I worked full time, so [the bootcamp] worked perfectly.
HyperionDev’s educational structure and one-on-one mentored design helped him to dive straight into solving a whole new set of computer problems. Outside of this tight expert-to-student learning model, Michael was never alone in his efforts, and, via the online student forum, had a rich peer network to work with to solve problems and collaborate with on challenges. Even in the online environment, Michael felt drawn into a community of people who all had similar dreams and ambitions to his.
The peer learning environment was great. There was a sense of commonality and shared visions, and [there were] people who are getting to grips with the same challenges you are. They were all amazing friendly people.
In this accepting and collaborative working space, Michael was able to make quick progress through the phases of his Full Stack Web Developer bootcamp.
At the end of the program, HyperionDev’s dedicated placements support stepped in to do their work. Within just a few months of graduating, Michael was able to find his first job as a web developer.
I now work at VMG Software, as a junior web developer. I have to work on Angular JS and Angular 8 projects. I’ve learnt from HyperionDev how to properly carry out debugging and work with JavaScript. Definitely, without HyperionDev I wouldn’t be where I am today. I would recommend others to join HyperionDev to get your foot into the door.
Getting the skills to go with the job – and vice versa
VMG Software is just one of the many corporate hiring partners that we’ve forged strong ties with to complete our vision of closing the global tech skills gaps.
At HyperionDev, we believe in more than just giving you some coding skills and then saying goodbye. Our mission to help companies find the tech talent they so desperately need is what drives our dedicated career and placements support, which is freely given to all students as soon as they enter Level 3 of their bootcamp. At this level, which is close to their graduation, students get personalised development and career services from a team that is dedicated to connecting students and tech companies. This support includes:
- brushing up students’ LinkedIn profiles and technical resumes,
- helping students refresh their github profile,
- giving students valuable CV advice from experienced recruiters,
- hosting mock job interviews,
- and providing students with introductions to hiring companies.
“The Placements team has one mission: getting our graduates hired,” says Developer Placements Manager Ilze King. “Every day my work focuses on reaching out to potential hiring companies across the country, introducing our graduates’ profiles to organisations, and guiding our graduates through the interview and assessment processes. We know that it isn’t the easiest thing to break into your first developer role right out of school – that’s why we’re there to give you access to an active hiring network, and make sure your CV and portfolio are up to scratch.”
“On behalf of the VMG Exco and development Managers, we wish to thank you for sending us such wonderful interviewees. HyperionDev is the first time we have worked with a placements manager that has met our needs so perfectly. Our appreciation could not be overstated. I am happy to speak to any other company owners / managers about our excellent experience with HyperionDev”
– Alan Green, Managing Director, VMG Software
Are you looking to make a move to a career in tech, where pay, career mobility, and job security are considerably higher than most other fields? Why don’t you sign up for our free trial, which has all the programming basics you’ll need to make whole computer programs or applications, work with large data sets to help business be more profitable, or create beautiful and fully functional websites. You don’t need any prior coding experience whatsoever; and when you finish your bootcamp, we’ll help you land your first programming job.
Contact one of our admissions consultants today to find out how we’ll help you get to the future you’re thinking about.
