Eve’s unique background in art and social work may seem unrelated to a software development career, but those skills are exactly why she had an offer in hand before she’d even graduated.
She shares about her job search, the hardest part of learning to code, and advice for others who are making a career switch.
Hi Eve! Thanks for talking with us today. You recently shared about your background and decision to learn to code—was the process worth it?
Yes! The process was definitely worth it. I was able to connect with a company that I am very excited about working for and I feel confident about jumping in as an iOS Developer.
What was the most challenging part of the past five months?
I believe the most challenging aspect was the intensive time commitment. Jumping into a new career in such a short period of time requires diligence, dedication, and certainly sacrifice. There were certainly things in my life that took a back seat during school, but the trade-off is worth it.
Tell us about your new job. How did you find out about the role?
I will be working for a company called FiLMiC that has made an incredible high-definition video app, FiLMiC Pro. The company actually found me on LinkedIn and reached out to me for my resume and then they arranged an interview.
What are you most looking forward to in your new career?
I cannot wait to learn more amazing content! I am very impressed by the technology in the app and have loved learning about what is happening under the hood. I have really enjoyed the process of getting to know the code base, beginning the development stage for a refresh on a product, and soaking up all of the knowledge.
You were offered a job before you finished the course—what did your job search look like?
I had started by following the recommendations made by Code Fellows that Brandy Rhodes taught us during our career development classes. I polished up my LinkedIn, I started a blog about coding and my experience, I updated my resume, and I started making connections with people in the industry on LinkedIn. This was all new to me as my previous career required less of an online presence, so it was a big shift. The career development classes were so valuable—I can’t stress that enough. FiLMiC was interested in me because they saw that I was not only an iOS Developer but I have a background in art—specifically photography. They would not have found me if I had not followed the suggestions made in Brandy’s workshops.
What do you think was the most important thing you did during your job search?
I found tremendous value in LinkedIn and following guidance on how to expand my presence there.
If you could go back and do anything different in your career change, what would it be?
I actually feel happy about the way this transition happened—the timing worked out beautifully. I wish I had learned about software development as a career option earlier, but I am very grateful to have had my experience in the mental health field and the arts.
Any advice for students who are getting ready to embark on this journey?
I think knowing that it is okay to not know! That is why you are here: to learn, and no one expects you to already understand the content. I struggled off and on with my confidence level, going from “Yes I can do this!” to “Why am I even here, I should just get up and leave, hopefully no one will see me crawling out of the class.” Waves are expected and moving through them helps you realize those are just thoughts, not always facts.
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