Student Perspective Week 2 – Student Cris Pope

Let’s check in with Cris Pope who is a student at LEARN in her second week of classes. LEARN why she made a switch to a career in web development and how LEARN is helping her gain the needed skills for the transition.

1. What made you decide to choose a career in web development?

I had been working as a Localization QA Tester for the past 4 years until starting at LEARN. I tested web products as an end user and reported bugs to a team of engineers who made the corresponding adjustments to the code. With time, I became curious about these fixes and wanted to get more involved with coding so I decided to learn different programming languages and technologies to expand my skills and prepare for new possibilities.

2. Do you have any past educational or work experience in web development?

Before being a QA Tester, I worked as a Localization Project Manager at a global solutions company that created and deployed multilingual web products. Last year I took a JavaScript course and attended a Django Girls workshop where we learned to build a web app using Python and Django. It motivated me so much that I became one of their organizers and was a coach at their last event. I also attended a Railsbridge workshop earlier this year where I heard more about LEARN and was introduced to making an app with Ruby and Rails.

3. Were you nervous about switching careers?

Not really nervous, but excited to see where this path may take me.

4. What week are you in? How are you liking your experience so far?

I am starting week 3 and my experience has been extremely positive. We learn new concepts everyday, apply them to solve challenges and work on collaborative projects. Classes have also been complemented with presentations by alumni and experts, which are great opportunities to ask questions and get advice. Although it is an intense experience, at LEARN they believe in having a good work-life balance and people are friendly, approachable and supportive. Time has gone by fast and I feel accomplished thinking about all we’ve learned in this short period.

5. What advice would you give students choosing to enroll in LEARN?

Going to meetups are a good way to get involved in the tech community and to see if you’d like to work in this field. Talking to others and meeting people who have also attended boot camps help you prepare for this experience and set your expectations about the program and the industry. For me, it was also helpful to review core concepts of the subjects covered in the course before starting so it would not be too overwhelming. Lastly, enjoy your time at LEARN as it goes by quickly!

LEARN about week 3 from student Nick Eggers