From Matriculant to Full-Stack Developer in 9 Months

Brent had good matric marks — good enough to study Computer Science or Accounting at university. But he chose a different path. Instead of spending three or four years in lectures, he enrolled in Code College's Java bootcamp. Nine months later, he was a junior full-stack developer writing production code on his first day at work.

Key result: Brent went from matric to employed junior full-stack developer in 9 months — while still helping part-time in his parents' business.

School Days and First Interest in Coding

I did not have coding at school. I only became interested and read a little bit about Python myself. I had good marks in matric and could have studied for a degree in Computer Science or Accounting, but decided against it because of the amount of time it takes to get into the job market.

What Inspired You to Study Software Development?

I have family members in the development field who told me about the big demand for software developers and that it is an exciting, lucrative career which spans international boundaries. Most university graduates don't have the practical experience required and most have to undergo re-training in practical skills anyway.

Why Code College?

Code College has deep roots in the IT Consulting and Recruitment space and has close employer relationships. Their training model is very task-oriented and they encourage peer contact through teamwork — peer and mentor support. It proved to be right because I never set foot in the classroom but I never felt alone.

Did You Need to Know Basic Coding to Apply?

No. The Intro to Programming Course started right at the bottom, covering the basics of HTML, CSS and JavaScript individually and together to build small apps — learning what programming is all about from scratch.

What Was a Typical Day Like?

The Java Bootcamp consisted of 7 modules in total. Every module started with a 5-day intensive curriculum covering the fundamentals of the subject, live-streamed to remote students. The instructor kept remote students as engaged as classroom students — everyone had an equal chance to participate in Q&A, discussions, screen sharing, and presentations.

This was followed by 3 weeks of practical assignments with daily online meetings. We rotated team leadership positions and worked in pairs doing code reviews. Instructors oversaw everything, advising on issues as they came up.

How Many Hours Per Week?

I worked in my parents' business and spent approximately 5–6 hours per day on studies and 2–3 hours at work. It was intensive but manageable because I was building real things every day.

What Did You Actually Learn?

I learned the tools needed to construct an application that can solve any business problem. I also learned how to separate the data (back-end) from the user interface (front-end), to be able to focus on each separately.

The back end handles storing data in SQL or NoSQL databases and exposing an API. The front end consumes that API through a JavaScript framework like React. Java knowledge enables me to switch to any language quickly — it's a very comprehensive learning environment. I also learned leadership and admin skills.

What Projects Did You Build?

How Did Code College Prepare You for the Job Hunt?

Code College has an in-house recruitment partner, Compuways (established in 1990). They report on the most in-demand skills required by employers — our job preparation projects were designed according to current employer feedback. They helped us prepare our CVs and market ourselves, and also marketed us to their own clients.

I found a job on the internet, applied, and was sent an interview test — a MERN Stack App with CRUD functionality and user authentication. I completed it within a week.

Which Jobs Did You Feel Qualified to Apply For?

What Is the Job Like?

"I love it. My employer asked me to work on an MVC app in C#.NET — there is a small learning curve between C# and Java if you've learned Java first. It took me a few days to pick up the intricacies, but my employer accommodated it."

Java was actually a plus point for them — they used me in a full-stack position right away and may utilise me on a Java project later. Most definitely, the Code College Java Bootcamp gave me a thorough understanding of full-stack applications, and although I'm currently not using Java, I converted to C# very quickly. The React front-end part is still the same.

Inspired by Brent's story? Read more about Code College's bootcamp for school leavers →

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