I was born in the Philippines and raised here in the GTA. While studying for my last year of Computer Programming and Analysis, I decided to take a break from school to pursue my own studies outside of an academic setting. This led to a very challenging job search as it seemed if you weren’t holding any sort of degree from an educational institution, it was unlikely you'd even be considered for an interview.

I didn’t want to be tied down to a curriculum that was laid out for me, which I may not have been really interested in. It felt more exciting to curate my own learning path and eventually build a Portfolio that showcased my competence. I would watch lectures from MIT’s OpenCourseWare, PluralSight, and other sources. I’d also read documents of the technologies I found interesting and a few books that expanded on what ideologies should be adopted when choosing this industry.

Although it was very difficult, what kept me motivated was first and foremost my wife and kids who depended on me. Also my innate curiosity for the different problem sets in software development. So I kept pushing. 

What turned things around for me was when Hatchways reached out with an opportunity to work with their platform to find a job. I completed their coding assessment and spoke to Shums. He focused on what it was I was looking for as a developer, and evaluated my skills.

Eventually I received a coding challenge from the platform for a job in San Jose, which lead to more interviews with the company. After maneuvering through the whole interview process, I was hired!

Although I’ve only been with the company for about a month it has been the most amazing experience. Being able to work with incredibly talented developers is helping me grow and develop. 

I advocate Hatchways to every developer that tells me they are looking for a job, because the team has been so amazing and thoughtful. This is a team that I felt really cared and understood me as a developer. If you are a developer, I encourage you to check out Hatchways.