Inspired by different motivations and experiences, Gabriel and Cátia both joined Le Wagon in batch #683. After the bootcamp, their learning path continued together and got hired as web developers in the same company!
Summary
Hi and thank you both for your time! Let's begin from the past: what did you do before Le Wagon?
Cátia: Before Le Wagon, I was working asvisual merchandiserfor the fashion industry.
Gabriel: Many things. I was a student, an AirBnB host, an English teacher...
And what made you want to learn how to code?
C: I felt a need for change. I was stagnant, unmotivated and wanted to expand on a professional and personal level. During the pandemic, I embraced the opportunity to stop and rethink my life and goals. I stumbled upon Le Wagon's Tech Careers GPS workshop in partnership with the Câmara Municipal de Lisboa (Lisbon city council). I was very excited about the experience and from there I put "Learn to code" in my main goals.
G: Mine wasn't a proper career change, I was about to start studying medicine and the bootcamp at Le Wagon was my last attempt to scratch the itch that I've had about becoming a developer. I was always involved in technology while growing up, and coding just seemed like the next step forward. Plus, I was motivated to work in the tech sector as it's the only one I feel at home.Cátia during batch #683 Demo Day
Two very different backgrounds and motivations. Why did you choose to join Le Wagon in the first place?
C: The Tech Careers GPS program was crucial for me. I quickly realized that I identified with their values and, like people at Le Wagon, I believe that we all have the ability to be and do what we want. I was looking for a change and this experience showed me where to start.
G: Le Wagon to me was a career savior, I was ready to jump ship from the tech industry until I saw this opportunity as a last resource, as all my previous attempts at joining the programming world flopped. As a matter of fact, I was studying for my entrance exam for a medicine university just a few days before the bootcamp started.
Amazing! And what did you learn from your bootcamp experience?
C: It was definitely challenging. I learned to be more patient and kind to myself. Don't compare me to anyone else and accept where I am. Do it for the process and enjoy the present moment.
G: My experience in Le Wagon was amazing, everyone was highly motivated to learn and we lifted each other up. The teachers were also very welcoming and helped with any questions I had. Le Wagon taught me about several technologies, went in depth in a popular methodology of coding and also taught me about being autonomous.
What did you enjoy the most during these 9 weeks?
C: Every moment was good (including the days of frustration), but without a doubt the best one was Demo Day, the satisfaction of an achievement. People were the thing I enjoyed the most. I loved meeting everyone who came across me in batch. The spirit of mutual help, empathy and joy filled my heart.
G: I loved watching my project come to life, and working on it with equally motivated people was amazing! My best moment at Le Wagon was presenting the app we worked so hard on. The satisfying feeling of showing your app - finished. Gabriel pitching his final project "BreedMe" on Demo Day
Actually, talking about final projects, you both worked on “BreedMe”. Can you tell us more about it?
C & G: Sure. BreedMe was born from a need that Gabriel feels whenever he wants to breed one of his pedigree dogs. From researching, contacting the owners, confirming the veracity of the documents, it makes the process lengthy. Breed Me works as a dating web app for pet owners (some kind of Tinder) where they can create the profiles of their animals, search, locate, contact and match. All in one place.
And now you guys are both working at VoiceInteraction, congratulations! Can you explain to us briefly what your jobs consist of?
C: We are developing an internal web app, whose main goal is to improve the performance of the support team. Each of us will have the opportunity to go through Backend, Frontend and UX experience. In parallel, I'm working on rebuilding the website, newsletters and rebranding.
G: As a Full-stack Developer, my job consists of developing an internal app to improve performance and autonomy of the support team. Whilst also updating the existing web apps with a newer technology stack.
You have been working together in two different contexts, during the bootcamp and in real life. How important is communication for you? What’s your main advice to create and grow good communication in a team?
C: Communication is fundamental throughout the process. For me, it's quite important to express our point of view. Showing our opinion is one way to connect closer and get to know a little more about us and who the people around us are. But, more important than communicating is knowing how to listen. Respecting each other's time, being open and present, without judgment.
G: Communication is key whilst being part of a team. If you don't communicate where/what you're doing you can't score a goal together! Embrace failures together, and have a growth mindset together - being able to understand each other's struggles and being able to help each other succeed.
Finally, your #1 tip for getting the most out of the bootcamp
C: Don't demotivate. Create goals (short, medium and long term). Prioritize. Take it one step at a time. Don't be afraid to take chances. Believe, believe, always!
G: Ask Ask Ask. You're there to learn! Why not ask all the "silly" questions to those who want to help you learn!
Guys, thank you so much! And good luck on your new tech adventure.
