Justin spent two years after school trying forex trading — full of highs and lows, profits and losses. Something felt missing. When his dad suggested Code College, a visit to the Woodmead offices was enough to convince him. Twelve months later, he was a junior developer writing database code for enterprise clients.
Key result: Justin started with zero formal coding training and landed a junior developer role within months of completing the Code College Java Bootcamp.
His Journey Before Code College
After I left school, I decided to try forex trading and spent two years doing it — when I realised that it was not really what I wanted to do. It was full of highs and lows, making a profit and losing it again. I also played many video games for relaxation and to take my mind off trading. During this period, I always considered coding and enrolled in a few free online courses here and there to explore it further.
Why Code College?
My dad recommended we speak to Code College because of their very practical approach to teaching and their good reputation. We went to their offices in Woodmead — the meeting was very welcoming. I liked the environment and felt at home immediately.
Did He Need Coding Experience?
No — you do not need any previous coding training. It was to my benefit that I had done one or two courses, but some of my fellow students started with zero exposure and they did not struggle at all.
What Was a Typical Day Like?
At the beginning of each module there was a lot about installations, configuration, and being introduced to core concepts. I found it beneficial to do this part onsite, but after I found my feet I preferred to attend the remainder online. The teaching style was more mature than in a school — they do not force you, but rather motivate you to study. It is a lot like a task-oriented workplace.
"They encourage you to use tools like Google and StackOverflow — to show you that you are not alone when you get stuck. That is how it works in the real world."
What He Learned
I learned a lot about the behind-the-scenes things in coding — web servers, APIs, databases. I also enjoyed creating beautiful apps that are both functionally and aesthetically appealing to users. We built a variety of apps in React, Node.js, the MERN Stack, and Spring Framework with Spring Data.
How Code College Prepared Him for the Job Hunt
The interview and CV preparation phase helped me a lot. It was nice to know you are not alone when going for interviews — having somebody motivate you, boost your confidence, and analyse employer feedback with you. Compuways also marketed our CVs to their existing client base.
His First Job
I am working in the software support side of the development team, handling incoming change requests to the various systems the company supplies to clients. I am mainly working on database changes, but I will steadily learn other parts of the system as I get to know them.
My employer sees the big picture and took all my skills into account — they don't see me staying in software support forever. Where I am now, I am learning about all the systems in the company, and then I can use my other bootcamp skills (Java, React) to grow into software development roles.
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