We caught up with Jack Torn, one of our part-time Full Stack coding bootcamp students for him to share his experiences of taking the plunge into software development.
Could you tell us a bit about yourself? Where do you currently work or where did work before starting this?
Before starting the Full Stack Bootcamp with Tech Educators I was teaching guitar in schools around Norfolk and teaching privately from home. I’ve been working in the music industry since 1999 primarily Teaching but also performing, writing, engineering and producing.
Have you had any coding experience before?
Only trying out online courses in python and web development.
Why have you decided on pursuing a career in tech?
Inspired by watching DeepMind’s Alpha Go Documentary in 2020 I started to look for ways I could transition into the tech industry. Adding web development to my existing skillset opens up a huge range of new opportunities that I'm excited to explore.
You're currently doing the evening courses. How well do you feel this is fitting into your life (work/life balance)?
As a father of 2 in his early 40’s with a mortgage and all the commitments that comes with that, going back into education full time is not a realistic possibility.
I have been lucky enough to set up part time work I can do 2/3 days a week which will, just about, keep things ticking over while I complete the course and give me some time in the week to get the course work done.
I have a huge amount of respect for those on the course who are still working full time and managing to get the work done.
How did you hear about us? Why did you choose our course?
I had been looking for coding bootcamps online and Tech Educators was the first provider I had seen that I could actually attend in person.
I found the website in late April, came for a visit and was sat in the Code 101 course within 2 weeks. By the end of Code 101 I was sure I wanted to do the 0 to web 3 set of bootcamps.
I have been offered places on development bootcamps in the past but they have all been full time and delivered remotely. Being able to fit the course in around work combined with the benefits of attending the Tech Educators bootcamp in person made it an easy decision.
You're currently doing the 201 section of the course- how are you finding it? Any aspects you find particularly challenging or particularly interesting?
After the 101 and 102 bootcamps 201 has felt like the real deal.
I definitely needed to do the 101 and 102 to set me up for this course but while they felt like introductions and were very achievable the 201 is where things get serious.
I love the challenges in this course and the progress we are making is amazing, in a matter of weeks the language we use in lessons has changed as we become familiar with new concepts. Getting started with JavaScript has opened up a whole new world of possibilities and it feels like we are getting into the concepts that can actually be used to get a computer to work for you.
Varma is great at breaking down and explaining the concepts, the challenge comes with putting those concepts into action for ourselves.
It can feel overwhelming at times but we always find our way through and having other students to bounce ideas off definitely helps solidify the concepts.
Do you have any plans after the completion of the Full Stack course you're currently on?
I’m definitely looking to go onto the blockchain coding bootcamp after completing the Full Stack course. In the coming weeks I'll be looking out for job opportunities I can apply for so I can put all these new skills to use and start a new career in the tech industry.
If you want to find out what the 101 part of the course was like, and see if you can become a software developer just like Jack, sign up to our coding taster session today.
About the Author
James has 8 years with Fortune 200 US firm ITW, experience of managing projects in China, USA, and throughout Europe. James has worked with companies such as Tesco, Vauxhall, ITW, Serco, McDonalds. James has experience in supporting start-up and scale up companies such as Readingmate, Gorilla Juice and Harvest London. James completed his MBA at the University of East Anglia in 2018.
