Having spent years studying to work in the Textiles industry, 25-year-old Simone Groenewald had finally started working professionally with fabrics. The work was intensive, and everything she had studied so hard towards, but Simone soon found that the environment was not focused on constant self-improvement and learning. This disappointing lack of creativity and continued education was made more painful due to the long commutes she made each day to get to work. So, looking to develop a strong and modern skill set, Simone joined an online part-time HyperionDev Software Engineer bootcamp.
I worked for Truworths as Trainee Fabric Specialist and before that as a Textile Laboratory manager at a factory as I studied a BSc in Textile Science. As I was working in the city and living quite far out, getting to and from work took a lot of time out of my day.
Simone soon discovered that learning software engineer skills wasn’t just a way to keep her creativity and hireability honed – it was also a path to a drastic career change.
A career change that was much more effortless than anyone could have predicted, Simone was able to find a job before she completed her bootcamp.
Work, learn, code, play – all at your own pace.
While learning the foundations of a brand-new programming language are challenging enough, Simone also needed to make sure she could still fulfil her work obligations and make her daily commute. Thankfully, our part-time and online Software Engineer bootcamp was made for professionals like her – and she was able to work on tasks and complete modules at a pace that didn’t demand her giving up work or fun.
The flexibility of the course made it possible for me to still accomplish my goals. I had to work after work hours and on weekends, and tried to complete tasks between the time I got home (around 19:00) and before I went to bed (around 22:00). Some of the tasks are quite lengthy to tackle and take a few days to complete. I would try and tackle these tasks over weekends when I can sit down and work for longer periods of time and research everything properly.
Our one-on-one mentoring model made sure that whenever Simone got stuck on a particular task, she would get the help and expert insight she needed to make her programs work.
I really enjoyed having my mentor. He was very helpful, supportive and understanding. I really appreciated the fact that my mentor would be understanding and accommodating to my busy schedule and would meet with me later in the evenings. I really enjoy the extra tips that we receive in the notes, the connections we can make through discord and being with us every step of the way.
Passing the test and getting the new tech job
All of Simone’s hard work and time soon paid off, as she found a job as a Software Engineer at TooMuchWifi, even before she had completed the final phase of her bootcamp. Her interview involved several technical tests, which HyperionDev’s specialised and dedicated career and placements support services help all of its students prepare for.
I hadn’t really been looking for a job as I thought that I should first complete my course. I found myself chatting with a developer that works at TooMuchWifi, and he said I should apply. I had to do a telephonic interview and then complete a small assessment task. Once that was done I met with the one of the founders and he proceeded to give me another task in order to help me learn Django, the framework that they use. They were quite pleased with what I submitted and made me an offer a week or so later.
Everything she learned didn’t just help her pass the dev interview tests: it comes in use every day.
The knowledge that I gained whilst doing my study allowed me to gain enough programming logic and self study skills to be able to pass the interview process. The company does use some other frameworks that I didn’t get to cover in my course, but I get to use and apply all the programming foundations and skills that I learnt every day.
And Simone could not be happier at her new software engineer career.
I feel so much more satisfied with my current job as it challenges me every day. It is a lot of learning, hard work, and perseverance but if it something that you really want then there is always a way to make it happen. I would say that if you feel the need to switch careers, go for it!
Are you not getting the challenges and educational development you need to thrive at your workplace? Perhaps it’s time for a change.
The world of computer programming comes with challenges and new things to master every day, as the world increasingly turns to digital technologies and online services. Our coding bootcamps in Full Stack Web Development, Software Engineering and Data Science are your first step to these exciting and rewarding fields, where ability and adaptability go hand-in-hand with fantastic work prospects and improved earnings.
And if your commitments – or other circumstances – make it hard or impossible to dedicate a commute or long hours to learning, our bootcamps can be taken online and part time, so that you learn on your terms.
