Why did you decide to learn Web Development?
I studied Engineering at McGill and then worked in the aerospace and robotics industry. I’m also a musician and wanted to find a career that gives me enough autonomy and time to play music.
I’ve always liked coding. I learned Python during high school and had some experience building websites. So I decided to transition to Web Development.
Why did you choose Le Wagon?
There are so many bootcamps available on the market. Here are the few elements I looked at to differentiate them: the hiring rate, the community, and continuing education opportunities.
The alumni community (more than 17,000 graduates around the world) made a difference in my decision to join Le Wagon. I knew I would get the support I needed to start my career in the tech industry.
What did you like the most about your experience at Le Wagon?
I did the bootcamp during the pandemic while I was looking to put my time to use and learn a new set of skills. The program was great and helped me to structure my learning journey. I enjoy the focus on problem-solving skills and I found Ruby logic very fun!
While university helped me think theoretically, I feel that I walked away from Le Wagon with tangible and “job-ready” skills.
How was your experience finding your first job after the bootcamp?
Right after the bootcamp, I started learning React. I took a course on Le Wagon’s learning platform to learn the fundamentals and got in touch with other alumni to get recommendations. I was also a TA for two batches - an experience that I enjoyed a lot!
In the meantime, I got in touch with an alumnus who connected me with a recruiter from CloudRaker. I sent them my GitHub and they were impressed with the personal projects I’ve been working on. I’ve been working with them for two years now.
Tell us about your developer role at CloudRaker
CloudRaker has a relaxed, mentorship-driven culture that I enjoy. The schedule is flexible enough so I can do sports and play music.
I started working on both front-end and back-end tasks but now I only do front-end because it’s what I enjoy the most.
Every morning at 9 AM we have standups and we use Jira to distribute tickets among the tech team. I also work a lot with the UI/UX designers to implement mock-ups. We have very few meetings, which allows me to structure my day according to what I think would make me the most efficient at completing tasks :)
According to you, what are the similarities between music and coding?
I think the technical part is similar in the sense that you need to cultivate both an analytical and creative brain.
Music and coding also have some social aspects in common. People - especially bootcamp students - practice coding for fun because it’s cool to build stuff and make websites. It’s the same for musicians. We practice music whenever we have some free time because we’re passionate about it.
What’s your advice for someone who wants to transition into web development?
Don’t underestimate your pre-bootcamp background. There are a lot of great developers who have studied non-technical topics like Philosophy and can leverage this to do creative work.
Leveraging your background is what can set you apart from other candidates. Also, make sure to continue learning!
