Since 2012, when we first started our work to close the global tech skills gap, we’ve had hundreds of students come to us because they wanted to make drastic career changes. Some wanted to learn web development or software engineering in order to join an industry that was the cause – and not a casualty – of digital disruption. Others wanted to find better career prospects, and personal and financial freedom. For students like Leandri Nieuwoudt, a 25-year-old who worked in Risk and Fraud Analysis in Cape Town, the reason to become a software engineer was much simpler: she wanted work that would free up her creativity and keep her constantly developing new skills.
I wanted a complete career change. I wanted to be able to be more creative and learn new skills regularly.
Leandri worked in risk assessment after completing her BSc at Stellenbosch University, but soon turned to HyperionDev’s Full Stack Web Developer bootcamp when she felt that her day-to-day was becoming stagnant. Her hope was that a whole new set of skills would allow her to make a more significant contribution to her work as a Risk Analyst.
I wanted to be able to contribute more substantially to the company that I work for.
However, what she got out of her bootcamp instead was a whole new career, as a Junior Software Engineer for Sweepsouth – thanks in part to the HyperionDev placements team.
From Risk to Reward
Making such a drastic career change isn’t easy, but Leandri progressed at a rapid pace thanks to her hard work, and the course and support structures at HyperionDev. HyperionDev’s online and part-time bootcamp allowed her an immersive, hands-on coding education that fit into her busy schedule and allowed her to tackle real-world software engineering problems herself.
I enjoyed the bigger ‘capstone projects’, where you can really be creative with your solutions and work on one project for a longer period of time. You have to get used to being uncomfortable, stuck, and losing confidence every now and then. I was able to get my bootcamp work done whenever I had some off time. Sometimes that meant early mornings and some late nights, but it was worth it. It’s definitely not easy, but it is loads of fun! Luckily I could rely on my mentors for a bit of a boost and some tips to help me get unstuck.
Wherever she encountered a hurdle, her mentors were there to help her come up with solutions that worked and that were constructed to the industry standards you’d find in any tech company.
The code reviewing process was great: it showed me alternative ways of solving challenges, and let me know if I was on the right track. Tav and Nkosi (my mentors) were so helpful and patient with me! I really appreciated their feedback and motivation.
The HyperionDev bootcamp prepared her well for her responsibilities at her new position as software engineer at Sweepsouth.
Along with my team, I am responsible for improving and maintaining the website as well as the app that our company uses. The company uses a number of different technologies, some of which I learned to use in my bootcamp. The bootcamp also taught me how to teach myself, so I’m able to learn new languages and technologies as I go along.
We help you find – and land – your first coding gig
Of course, learning new skills in Software Engineering and Web Development is just one side of the equation – finding a new job is a whole other subject.
That’s where HyperionDev’s specialised placements and career support services stepped in. Thanks to the hiring companies HyperionDev has partnered with in the growing tech industry, Leandri was able to land a job as a Junior Software Engineer soon after her bootcamp.
I was placed via Hyperion Connect. It was great walking into interviews knowing that the company knows exactly what to expect because they were in contact with HyperionDev beforehand. It allowed both myself and the company to manage our expectations.
HyperionDev offers its career and placements support as soon as students 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’s dedication to getting our graduates hired is our number one priority,” says Developer Placements Manager Ilze King. “We work around the clock, 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.”
And Leandri couldn’t be happier at her new job.
I used to work shifts of 6am to 2pm, 2pm to 10pm, or 10pm to 6am (throughout the night. Now however, I’m quite happy to be able to work flexible hours at SweepSouth (so I miss city traffic) and I even get to work from home one day every week! Special thanks to Ilze for the career support after I graduated! She really had my back and I’m really thankful for the work that she and her team does!
Is your job not letting you be as creative or agile as you wish you could be? Or maybe you want to potentially double your salary, and open up career opportunities that could take you overseas? Whatever your dream or plan, our one-on-one mentored coding bootcamps in Software Engineering, Data Science, and Full Stack Web Development will give you the skills to get there – or even bring you more than you’d thought possible.
Register on our website for your free trial and you’ll have access to all the beginner basics to get you started on your coding journey.
