It wasn’t until after I was halfway through my Masters in Chemical Engineering that I made the decision to try it out in the Tech world. I have always known that I loved the more computational side of engineering but I have never imagined myself taking the leap and switching careers at age 30.

But I did and my first step was signing up for a coding bootcamp in San Francisco, US. Those three months were overwhelmingly difficult given the fast pace and amount of information covered. I learned full-stack software engineering, JavaScript, React, Redux…

Done with that, I was “ready” to get my first job in tech. Needless to say I was still overwhelmed by the amount that I still needed to learn and had no clue what to do next. So I started studying algorithms, data structures, building projects, prepping for interviews...

In the middle of that, I was lucky enough to find Hatchways. I set up profile as interested in applying for frontend developer roles, so after a first assessment that tested my skills in React and JS, I was part of their process to be recruited for tech startups in Toronto.

I find Hatchways' way of operating very effective in that they not only put you in contact with hiring companies but actually prepare you for the recruiting process, through mock interviews, both behavioural and technical, great feedback, aside from making a lot of rich resources available in their website to learn from.

I interviewed for four positions and was luckily enough offered an internship in the one that most appealed to me, Quantum Mob, an end-to-end software development startup. The experience has been enriching as I have been able to build real-world projects, pushing my skills to the next level by coming into contact with experienced developers and more technologies that I could pick up from learning on my own.

Getting work experience as a junior developer is definitely key in ramping up your knowledge. I would recommend Hatchways as a great service to get your foot in the door for your first job in Tech, whether you are switching fields or newly graduated.

I am happy I pushed through the beginning of the journey which was far from easy and today I feel that it all comes down to discipline and seeking different opportunities. Learning in this field never ends and it certainly becomes more enjoyable than overwhelming with time.