3W, what have I learned?

3W Academy, what have I learned?

A year ago I decided to start my own path as a web developer. I had 5 years of experience in design, editing, photography and programming, most of my work was freelance. I was just enjoying work and didn't care about income, but as I got older I started looking for more stability in my life.

So, after six months after I finished my bootcamp, what have I learnt?

1. It is worth it — even if you don’t get your dream job, if you commit to work hard and continue learning, this knowledge will definitely be a plus in your CV and help you advance your career. And it will give you confidence that you can take on hard challenges and win!

2. The work doesn’t stop when the Bootcamp ends — you should continue perfecting your skills, learning new things, and gaining more experience just so you can rock the interviews. I committed the mistake of stopping to develop my skills, getting tangled in freelance work, and it could have been a serious problem if I had gone down the developer path.

3. Prepare emotionally — you hear that it might take a while to get a job, but you also hear about people who land a job the next day or the next week, and, secretly, you hope you will be of them. You probably won’t. Embrace this and be patient. Find yourself some support, in your family, friends, partner, and battle through. It will pay off in the end.

4. Prepare financially — precisely because it can take so long to get a job, you should prepare in advance. The Bootcamp lasts 5 months (or however long in your case) but then I needed another 5 months until I got my first paycheck. So, basically, a year without an income. Make sure you have enough saved up. You will get lots of stress from the job hunt, you don’t need money stress too.

5. Be open — maybe you started out wanting to be a programmer. But there are many, many positions in IT which are not in development. You might end up being a Tester, a Business Analyst, a Product Owner, and so on. And even if it was not your initial plan, you might realize it is actually the right fit for you.

6. Enjoy the process — this is more of a life advice. There is always a bright side. And better days always come. Stay positive!

If you are planning on doing a Bootcamp — or any other crazy, beautiful venture in your life — the best of luck to you!