November 21, 2018
By Amy YanawayAlmost every day since graduating from Codeup in December 2017, I have meditated over how much my life has changed in such a short period of time. Especially during this Thanksgiving season, I took the time to reflect even more deeply about the top three reasons I am grateful for Codeup. I am thankful for:
When they say that Codeup is a “career accelerator,” they are not joking! In just 18 weeks, you graduate with the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in the industry as a junior developer. When I was first searching for options to learn how to code, I was told that any college degree program would take me two to four full-time years, or four or more part-time years, to finish. As we all know, our bills do not get put on hold while we are in school! I also looked into free or inexpensive part-time programs so that I could continue to work full-time, and although I would describe myself as diligent and able to handle self-study, this would also have been a long route, and without the career advice and connections Codeup provides. Knowing what I know now, I am so glad I didn’t try to study on my own. The depth of Codeup’s curriculum, compared to some online training I have tried, is unmatched and very important to have in my current work as a developer.When you think about it, 18 weeks is a blip in your life, especially when that blip of time in Codeup very quickly produces a return on your investment. Remember to consider wages lost when making your decision: your time is VALUABLE, and time spent not in the workforce is wages lost that you could have been making. Speaking of finances, I am also thankful for...
Did you know that many students receive internal scholarships and financial help from Codeup’s funding partners? I, too, had sticker shock when I saw the price tag, but I ended up receiving Codeup’s Women in Tech scholarship, as well as a grant from Project Quest, which greatly reduced my cost. For the remaining balance, I utilized one of Codeup’s loan partners, which offers reduced payments while in school, and for two months after. Read more about my journey through Codeup here. Last but not least, I am thankful for...
Until just a few years ago, I had never in my life met a computer programmer. I was not aware that this was a thriving career, or that development and IT jobs occupy many of the slots on Glassdoor's list of top careers. For several years, I was stuck in another field that was not for me, and I spent a lot of time thinking about how to get my foot in the door of this industry that seemed like it would better suit me and my needs. However, I did not have any connections in the industry or the direction needed to do this myself.Codeup provided access to the tech field to me, as a woman who knew nothing about code prior to attending, and as someone who constantly doubted (and still do sometimes) whether I would be able to grasp what I had heard was very difficult subject matter. They saw potential in my aptitude and, more importantly, in my attitude. Life since Codeup has been incredible. My job is fun, challenging, and stimulating; most of the time, it feels like I’m working on jigsaw puzzles all day. The hours just fly by, and I can’t believe I’m getting paid for this! Sometimes, when that pesky ol’ imposter syndrome pops up, a coworker of mine will brag about the quality or speed of my work to my supervisor, and I’ll feel validated and appreciated all over again, despite my newness to the field. Financially, I also feel appreciated, as I am now a skilled worker in high demand. In fact, in less than a year since graduating from Codeup, I was able to purchase my first home, all by myself!This truly has been a life changing year. Codeup got me in the door of the tech industry, and where I go from here is up to me. This Thanksgiving, I am humbly grateful for finally being able to carve out my place in the world, and I hope the same for you. Happy Thanksgiving, y’all!--Amy is very proud to say she is currently the only female developer employee working on Whataburger’s first ever online ordering platform. She has a Master’s degree in Music Theory and keeps that knowledge fresh by analyzing music on the radio during her daily commute. Since learning to code, what she enjoys most is mentoring new developers. [rev_slider alias="footer"][/rev_slider]
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