Today’s spotlight is on Alvin Sewram. Prior to enrolling in Ironhack, he was a retail store manager with a passion for graphic design, tech, and a hunger for learning new things. After completing Ironhack’s 9 week full-time Web Development Bootcamp at Ironhack Miami , he was able to build a fulfilling career as a Software Engineer. Alvin learned the top frameworks used by development teams, how to code for long periods of time, and became comfortable relying on the Ironhack community for support during challenging times. The knowledge he gained from Ironhack helped Alvin realize what he was able to accomplish in a short amount of time. Check out his story here. Hey Alvin! Tell us about yourself and what life was like before enrolling in Ironhack. Hey everyone! My name is Alvin and I am an Ironhack alum, was an Ironhack Assistant Instructor briefly, and now am officially a full-fledged software engineer - but it was not always this way. In fact, I didn’t even know it was a career path I wanted to pursue just 2 years ago, but I am super grateful for this decision and everything that has come along with it so far. Before this change in my passion, my work life could be divided into two separate parts: sales and art. Let's start with sales: for the majority of my working life, I was a salesperson. In my first sales job, I was employed by a manager that took selling a little too seriously. It was tough, but he drilled some core fundamentals into me that made me attractive to other sales employers. I didn’t consider selling a passion, but my experience did give me some value in being able to sell myself, negotiating, and to be a generally less timid person. I eventually took a position at my company at the time that wasn’t sales related, but dealt with maintenance, operations, and the auditing of district locations. The next aspect of my work life prior to Ironhack revolved around art. This existed ever since I was a child watching anime and cartoons, trying to capture exciting moments on paper. This then naturally grew into a fascination for graphic design, where I was given an abundance of new tools to use to bring my artwork to life. In an attempt to turn this passion into a more lucrative one, I began working as a freelancer. This led me to take part in a lot of projects I was not accustomed to at the time, which included lots of UX/UI design work. At this point, I decided that I wanted to take my art to the next level. I gathered a few friends to assist me in opening my very own clothing brand that would showcase some of my work. The entire process of setting up this company and being able to create something that I could bring to life in the form of a product or shirt was very rewarding to me. I eventually had the opportunity to sell my products at a vendor booth at a convention which was a huge personal milestone. Within a month after the convention, the COVID quarantine began, which gave me some time to reflect on my current path. As I was still feeling the motivational momentum from the event, I wanted to change my main job into something that could accelerate the growth for my company. A friend introduced me to the idea of programming and told me my prior experience with UX/UI design would make me at least somewhat familiar with what I’d be embarking on. So I decided to try my hand at web development . I did not, however, expect to enjoy this path as much as I did. The Ironhack experience After several months of back to back personal projects and online courses, I began getting a feel for the material. However, even if I could manage my way into a completed project, I felt that there were gaps in my overall understanding of what I was doing as a whole. I needed to hone in on my fundamentals and the foundation of my skills before I propelled myself forward. When explaining this to the same friend that encouraged me to start programming in the first place, he told me about Ironhack , a bootcamp that several people he knew went through and heard good things about. To me, this felt like the natural next step I needed to take. I decided to pull the trigger and here we are. Roughly one year of work that transformed me from a retail employee to a software engineer. " I thought when I started my programming journey that I would be in it alone. But having a community that I can lean on for support and advice really does make all the difference." Why did you choose Ironhack over all the other bootcamps? What was your experience like? My overall decision to join this particular bootcamp came from a friend's recommendation. Since I joined with some prior knowledge, a lot of the initial topics felt like a very in depth review and helped me to really understand what I was doing. Also, even when we were going over topics I felt comfortable with, the sheer amount of time of nonstop programming and immersion definitely helped. I feel like one of the very underrated takeaways from this course is how you get accustomed to programming for long periods of time. As for my mindset, after being introduced to new topics during the bootcamp and learning and applying them on the fly, I gained a lot of confidence in what I’m able to accomplish in a short amount of time. What are some of your biggest takeaways from Ironhack Miami’s Web Development bootcamp? My biggest takeaway probably would be the community I am a part of now. I thought when I started my programming journey that I would be in it alone. But having a community that I can lean on for support and advice really does make all the difference. My advice is to not be shy when it comes to connecting to other alumni. Everyone I reached out to was very eager and willing to help a fellow Ironhack alum. You get out of these programs what you put in. If you are in class and are confused about a topic, don't hesitate to ask questions or reach out to the instructor outside of class time. All of the instructors I've met are passionate about helping their students, but they can only do so if they know you need help. Another thing that I felt helped me during my time was to acquire knowledge on the material prior to the bootcamp itself. I’ve seen Ironhack help many people that started with no knowledge in the field, but studying ahead of time definitely makes things more comfortable as the topics get more involved and complex. My last bit of advice when it comes to Ironhack would be DO NOT SLOW DOWN after graduation. Your work doesn’t end until you find a job. After graduating, I was arguably busier than when I was in the program. My days consisted of algorithms in the morning, applying/interviews midday, and personal projects at night. Also, commit every bit of code you do to GitHub. You do not want to lose momentum especially when you’re now starting to speak with individuals in the field and convincing them to give you a shot. Immersing yourself in programming, backed up with helpful staff, a supportive community AND the career services after graduation were all huge catalysts in helping me break into this field. What’s it like working in tech as a software engineer? Where would you like to take your career next? Because I inherently enjoy programming, I really enjoy my role developing sites and mobile applications for my current company. My current position consists of managing multiple project deadlines for clients, assisting other employees, and of course, non-stop on the job learning about new frameworks, languages, and different aspects of the tech sector. I am actually very impressed with myself for being able to keep up with this intensity in spite of the imposter syndrome I felt early on. In a matter of a few months, I can confidently say I am leagues beyond the programmer I was prior to this role and I am grateful for that. If I had to think ahead to my next role, I think it would be exciting to be a part of a company that is developing its own products and/or services, and one with more peers from whom I could learn and gain experience. I personally enjoy being a small fish in a big pond because then it allows me the opportunity to grow as an individual and as a programmer. What do you love the most about working in tech? There are so many perks to being in tech that I never even considered before. The biggest perk for me is the ability to work remotely, which I never realized how big of a benefit it was. I have already taken trips to Orlando, Daytona, and New York and I’m planning a few out of the country this year. I am able to enjoy all of these experiences without missing a beat at work. Why would you recommend Ironhack to others? There are many reasons why I feel Ironhack is a great choice for anyone thinking of becoming a developer. Immersing yourself in programming, backed up with helpful staff, a supportive community AND the career services after graduation were all huge catalysts in helping me break into this field. If you are someone that wants or needs to jump into a career that’s rewarding, in demand, and pays well and you enjoy learning more about the software industry, I believe Ironhack has the right tools that will start you on your journey. --- A big thanks to Alvin for sharing his story and advice. It’s amazing to see how he used his previous experiences, time, and dedication to build his career in tech. We’re so proud of him and wish him the best in everything he does! You can connect with him on Linkedin here to follow his journey. If you’d like to follow a similar path as Alvin and are looking to change careers, we encourage you to check out our Full-Stack Web Development Course in addition to our UI/UX Design and Data Analytics courses. We look forward to seeing you in class!

Product Managers work very closely with developers every day. After all, Product Managers are the glue holding product development together. But it’s not uncommon for PMs to see developers making software come to life with their bare hands and feel a sense of jealousy. “I want to be a builder too!” some of them think. Jeroen van Bart, Product Manager turned Junior Developer and Ironhack alum, took the leap and joined our Web Development bootcamp. He kindly sat down to chat with us about his experience, as well as sharing some advice for how others can make the same journey. Can you tell us about yourself? My name is Jeroen van Bart. I live in Amsterdam with my wife and dog and in addition to coding, I love to paint. To display my paintings, I often played with the idea of creating my own website, but never found the time to dive into the world of coding. Then the world was struck by COVID-19 and that gave me the opportunity to rearrange my life. A few of my friends and Ironhack alumni suggested the Ironhack bootcamp and this is where my coding journey started. Tell us about your experience at Ironhack Ironhack was a rollercoaster ride with many ups and downs and boasted a pace that, at times, didn’t seem manageable. But after the ride, almost everything made sense. The amount of information you have to deal with in 9 weeks is insane and at times I felt I was not going to make it, but after the first few weeks the puzzle pieces fell in place and I started to make sense of everything. So my experience was intense and at times stressful, but I learned so much. Looking back, Ironhack was definitely worth the challenge! Before Ironhack For the last nine years, I have been working for a company in the IT branch on a commercial level. But the technical side of things always piqued my interest. So with the whole COVID situation, I had time to think about how I wanted to rearrange my life. Since I knew a few people who went through the Ironhack bootcamp already and the positive experiences they had, I decided to start my Ironhack journey too. Why did you decide to make a career change? In life, you spend most of your time working and sleeping, so you best make sure you have a good bed and a job you love. It’s important to know what gives you energy and from where you get most of your satisfaction. For me, that happens when I am able to create. For any creative process, however, you need to have an understanding of the world and the present reality. Therefore, for me to gain a better understanding of the world nowadays, it was inevitable to come across coding, since most of what we do, see, and feel happens in the context of technology. I wanted to dive deeper into the world of this technology so my career change actually comes from the fact that I want to spend my time creating something useful while doing what makes me tick. Do you think having been a Product Manager has helped you in the world of programming? How? No, I do not think being a Product Manager helped me be a good programmer; the closest my previous job came to learning to program was using formulas in Excel. But I do have a good understanding about products, services, and markets. So in the long term, I think my previous experiences will help me in my new career. After Ironhack First of all, I am super grateful to the people of YPA for their guidance and for offering me the opportunity to learn on the job. I actually have an Ironhack alum as my mentor and she recognizes many of the struggles I am going through. She has been a tremendous guide during my onboarding and I would love to pay it forward one day and become a mentor to another Ironhacker myself. Working at YPA, which is an agency, I get to work on different cool projects for a variety of clients. The diversity of work and the mix of signatures in projects is such a “deep dive” into learning how to code. While at Ironhack, I was not really aware of the complexity in understanding code made by others. So far, understanding code has taken up to 60% of my time on the job and while it’s a big challenge, it is also thrilling to solve a puzzle. Looking back on my time at YPA as a Junior Front-end Web Developer, I cannot believe how much I learned in such a short time. I can honestly say that I truly love my job. Advice for future Ironhackers Just do it! If you start a journey like Ironhack, you have to find peace with the fact that you will spend your first weeks confused and wondering why you chose this. Don’t give up, push through, and enjoy the rollercoaster ride until the end. And who knows, maybe it will be as life-changing for you as it’s been for me.

Today’s spotlight is on Dria Thomas. Prior to enrolling in Ironhack 's bootcamp, she was a middle school Technology Teacher with a passion for web design. After completing Ironhack’s 24 week part-time Web Development Bootcamp , she was able to take her coding skills to the next level. Dria learned the top frameworks used by development teams, how to create responsive and user friendly designs in front-end development, and how to be comfortable with back-end development. The knowledge she gained from Ironhack gave her the confidence and courage to sign up for a 9hr hackathon hosted by J.P. Morgan Chase. Here’s her story. Life Before Ironhack After a year of teaching web development during the pandemic, I realized I had a passion for web development. This spark began when I was in my senior year in college: our group was working on our capstone project and I was in charge of creating/designing the web page on WIX. I noticed I had more fun creating/designing the webpage than editing the video. I was prouder of the work I had done for the website than the actual video editing. I was discouraged from looking further into web development because I felt that website builders such as WIX and Squarespace existed, so I didn’t feel the need to dig deeper into the subject. Everything changed when I became a middle school technology teacher during the pandemic. I found myself watching endless amounts of YouTube videos on web development on a Saturday night. That's when I realized it's time for a change. I’ve heard great things about Ironhack and have seen students go from zero to hero! After hearing so many success stories, I wanted that for myself. Ironhack To continue my journey and growth in web development , I decided to enroll in Ironhack’s Full Stack Web Development program. I'd known about Ironhack since my freshman year of college at FIU, heard great things about Ironhack, and have seen students go from zero to hero ! After hearing so many success stories , I wanted that for myself. The JP Morgan Chase Code for Good Hackathon JPMC Code for Good hackathon is a great opportunity for individuals who want to switch into or start a career in the tech industry. You experience what it’s like to work in a fast paced environment with different individuals who have different knowledge of tech stacks. JPMC Code for Good is a 9 hour virtual hackathon where you team up with 6-7 team members to help a non-profit organization. Each team is also given two mentors who guide you throughout the hackathon. Dria’s Hackathon experience My experience completing the hackathon opened my eyes to the different approaches to web development. During the hackathon, I wanted to challenge myself by working with the backend. I usually work on the frontend and wanted to see if I could learn something new. I was able to convince my team to use Mongodb instead of SQL because the setup is a lot quicker (important as we have limited time!). Some of my team members were not familiar with Mongodb, so I used my teaching skills to help them. We used a npm package I learned about at Ironhack to help speed the process of setting up the backend. While I was teaching, I discovered both what I knew and didn't know about Mongodb, helping me gain new knowledge about the backend. Now, I feel more comfortable taking on the backend than before. Overall, JPMC Code for Good was a great experience to meet and learn from other developers on the same level. Tips for participating in the Code for Good Hackathon (or any other Hackathon!): Plan ahead on what tech stack your team wants to work on Separate your team into frontend and backend before the hackathon Make sure you learn and have fun! After Ironhack In the future, I would love to become a Unicorn developer because of my love for design and web development. I believe I have what it takes to become well versed in both of these skills ; I want to be able to design and develop web applications to help make people's lives easier and safer. — Big thanks to Dria for sharing her Ironhack experience and tips for participating in a Hackathon. It’s amazing to see how she went from a middle school technology teacher to a self-motivated web developer that is ready to take on any challenge! We’re so proud of her and happy to share that a few weeks after the hackathon, she accepted a position as a Software Engineer at J.P. Morgan Chase. If you’d like to follow a similar path as Dria and are looking to change careers, we encourage you to check out our Full-Stack Web Development Course in addition to our UI/UX Design and Data Analytics courses. We look forward to seeing you in class!

Whether you've just qualified as a UX/UI designer or are planning a career change, a strong design portfolio is the key to getting the job you want. Before you start scanning your drawings from high school art class (don’t get us wrong, we’re sure they’re beautiful), think about what employers are looking for in a portfolio: project-based work that shows you can take a brief and turn it into something extraordinary. A good way to get a kickstart is by signing up for a bootcamp , since the work you do can form the basis of your portfolio. Or, if you're already established as a designer, look back over your projects and choose the ones that inspired you most. These will form the backbone of your designer portfolio. Previously, portfolios would have been physical pieces of work carefully bound into a book. Today, they're online and can be easily shared with a few clicks, so prospective employers see a lot more portfolios than they used to. That means your work has to stand out and make an immediate impact. How do you go about creating a design portfolio that will “wow” whoever takes a look at it? The Ironhack team has put together seven inspirational tips to help you do just that. 1. Aim for Quality and Diversity Time and attention spans are short and — wait what were we talking about? Oh yeah, attention spans. Hiring agents have many applications to review so it's important not to overload them with a crowded portfolio. Yours should be compact, crisp, and compelling, delivering an exciting reflection of you and your work. Aim to include (depending on your experience) between three and ten examples of work. Go through your work with a critical eye, choosing pieces that you're proud of and that received positive feedback from clients. Aim to show your range of skill by including, for example, a website designed for one company and an advertising project for another. 2. Bring Examples to Life with Backstories Images are central to your portfolio but they don’t always speak for themselves. Brief accompanying texts should answer these questions: What was your brief? What inspired your idea? What did your design achieve? Did you encounter any problems? If so, how did you solve them? What would you do differently in retrospect? And don’t be afraid to brag a little. If your design gave the client a measurable upturn in business, talk about it! If a project received a glowing testimonial, include it! Not every example needs to be a complete case study but pick one or two and use them to highlight your design process in full. Providing this extra information helps prospective employers decide whether you and your ideas will add value to their design team. 3. Make the Portfolio "Yours" Once you've selected your best designs and created backstories, you need to put them together in a cohesive way that sells you and your work. You need to create your “brand.” Think about how the different examples work together and then choose a consistent color theme and font that complements them. Avoid distracting movements or animations. Instead, let one image roll gently into the next. 4. First Impressions Count Your portfolio's homepage is the first thing potential employers see. It should be as attention-grabbing as an album cover or a movie poster. Easy-to-find and follow navigation links such as "my work" and "about me" are non-negotiable (you’re a UX/UI designer after all!) but the layout and colors of the rest should give readers a clear idea of you, your brand, and your style. Have contact details clearly visible, ideally via a link from every page. Create a standout homepage and reap the rewards with a new career in UX/UI design. 5. Showcase Your Work and Skills with the Right Web Host Your portfolio is ready and now you need a platform for it, one that makes browsing a pleasure. To some extent, this choice of platform depends on your technical know-how. The most flexible ones assume some coding knowledge (HTML or CSS) while hosted websites such as Carbonmade and Dunked are easier to work with but have fewer customization options. If you have coding skills to show off and want a fully customizable platform, choose a self-hosted website or create your own website from scratch. Whichever route you take, ensure that all images are correctly sized for your chosen template. Prospective employers don't have time to wait for oversized photos to download. Make use of tools such as TinyJPG to compress pictures without sacrificing quality. 6. Get it Checked You know when you hear a word over and over and over again, and it just starts sounding like gobbledigook? While creating your portfolio, you’ll be looking at your text and images so much that it’ll all kind of just become a blur, making it easy to overlook errors. Ask someone you trust to check it. Does it look professional? Is it easy to navigate? Does it flow seamlessly? Finally, double (or even triple) check it for typographical, spelling, and grammatical mistakes. You're looking for employment and nothing damages your credibility and chances more than basic misspellings and punctuation mistakes. 7. Promote your work Even the best designed portfolio only produces results if people see it. Promoting it is essential: Join an online design community (such as Dribble or Behance ). Other designers can see your work and give feedback. This improves your portfolio while creating a business network for you. Also, employers visit these sites in search of exciting new designers. Use social media. Publish links to your portfolio on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. Remember to keep the links updated. Friends and colleagues will remember your portfolio when they hear that someone is looking for a designer. Channel the power of “word-of-mouth.” Show former and existing clients your new portfolio (especially if their work is in it!) and ask them to share it if they hear of a job opening. Once you've created, launched, and promoted your designer portfolio be sure to keep it current. Schedule regular review dates on your calendar for editing and adding your latest design successes. Taking an Ironhack UX/UI design bootcamp gives you the hands-on skills to succeed in the design world. The design projects you work on during your course can form the basis of your portfolio. You'll have a headstart when it's time to look for a new career.

Mariana is from Brazil but has been living in Amsterdam since 2019. She joined the Ironhack Full Stack Web Development bootcamp in May 2021 and we interviewed her about her experience during and after the bootcamp. You always dreamed of being a magistrate of a criminal court. Why did you change your mind? I have always considered myself a very fair person and wanted to use that to make my country a better place to live. But after doing a postgraduate degree in digital law, my curiosity to learn new things led me to do an online Udemy Bootcamp about web development. And after 10 years in law, I realized that I want to change the world in a different way. I started planning a career transition and, after finishing the online Bootcamp, I joined the Full-Stack Web Developer Program at Ironhack in May 2021, which I finished at the end of July. I'm an adaptable and focused person who likes to plan things carefully and keep them tidy. On a personal level, I love traveling and learning about different cultures. The Ironhack Experience My experience at Ironhack couldn't have been better. I learned a lot about development but I also developed other skills like communication. In addition, they helped and encouraged me during my job search; it’s very challenging and tiring, but it’s definitely worth it. Before Ironhack I used to be a lawyer in Brazil. My last permanent job was at the same law company that I had been working at since I left university. I kept my job when I moved to the Netherlands, but then I decided I wanted to have work experience here in the Netherlands and I looked for a company that outsourced catering services. I worked for a while as a dishwasher at the company where my boyfriend works as a developer; I discovered a new universe for myself and started to open my mind to new things. A year later, I started thinking more seriously about transitioning my career, so I took a Udemy course on full stack development to see if I would like it before investing in a bootcamp. I joined the Ironhack bootcamp later that same year. Why did you decide to make a career change? Because I wanted to have more space to explore my creativity.  In addition, technology is an area that grows every day and encourages a flexible work culture. I chose web development because I liked the idea of ​​being able to reach the whole world with my work and because of my personality, I like being able to test things I do before presenting them to other people. And being a lawyer has helped me focus on finding solutions and meeting deadlines. After Ironhack I’m currently at an agency and work on several projects, which helps to enhance and develop different skills. I found my job through Ironhack . When I finished the course, I was a little insecure about looking for a job, mainly because I was going to spend three months in Brazil at the end of the year, restricting my job options. But through a "Meet Our Partners" meeting promoted by Ironhack, I met Strangelove, which is a company that combines a remote-first approach together with flexible office spaces and I applied for the position through my career coach, Carla Martin. What I can highlight about my work is flexibility. Now I'm in Brazil, visiting my family, and I can still work. Expats certainly know that this is a huge advantage. And as a front-end developer, I find being able to build things that people in different places can use very rewarding. Advice for future Ironhackers Changing careers is certainly not easy, especially when you spent a lot of time in our previous role.  But it's never too late to pursue your dream and with effort and dedication, everything is possible. If you feel inspired by Mariana’s story and are interested in making a career change, check out our Web Development bootcamp and take the leap!

There are linear life paths and people who have always known what they wanted to do. Jordane Lelong is not one of them. Between passion, questioning, and personal quest, her story is like each of ours: unique . Whether you are a student or a professional in transition, you may find yourself in her story. But regardless of that, her story will not leave you indifferent. And for those who are a little lost in finding their "way," just like Jordane, we invite you to discover the excellent advice that she shares at the end of this article. From Education to Passion Jordane was a young woman of 28, passionate about music and travels "even if it's a bit complicated to travel at the moment." Product designer at Free since last July and co-founder of “ UX Challenger ” that she created with another Ironhacker, Morgane Favchtein , Jordane seems to be really fulfilled today. But it wasn't always like this. Like many, she was asked at 18 what she wanted to do with her life without having any idea how to choose. Her taste for school was limited, "except for English, art and computer science" and without really anyone to help her, she settled on a "safe" choice: that of a career in international trade "because there are more opportunities in this field.” But several years later, with a master's degree in hand, her questions were still there and none of the jobs that her studies could lead to appealed to her. As creative as she is passionate, Jordane turned to the only environment that really attracted her: music. This was followed by 6 years as an event manager organizing concerts all over the world. But far from a life of dreams, as an intermittent performer, she had to face a lot of dedication, difficulties, and sacrifices. At the beginning of 2020, a burnout, and the first confinement later, her job and her health were gone. So it was time to "think about what I wanted to do with my life." Being Inspired by Others Beyond her incredible personality and proven creativity, Jordane's independence and need for freedom is striking. It's not surprising that, while searching on social networks, she was drawn to videos of women explaining how to avoid depending on a salary. That's when she first heard about web design and her future job. Little by little, Jordane trained herself in "no code" tools and started to create her first websites for friends. By the end of 2020, not only was she financially successful thanks to several projects and clients, but she also discovered a new and growing interest in web design and UX/UI issues. Thanks to her thirst for learning and her unlimited curiosity, Jordane managed to completely turn her career around in a few months. So why jump into a bootcamp when everything is so well (re)launched? You probably know the answer. It's sometimes really difficult to fight against imposter syndrome and to succeed in thinking that you are ready to jump into a new sector or job. That's why she joined Ironhack: to learn the basics and apply them on concrete projects, but also to join a community of enthusiasts. She had a lot of hesitations and fears: "3 months is short, what's going to happen after?" "I'm a woman, do I really belong here?" “What if I fail in this area?” Becoming an Ironhacker However, thanks to her determination and the help of an Indeed scholarship created especially for people who lost their jobs during the pandemic, she quickly joined the bootcamp. From that moment on, all her doubts evaporated: theory combined with practice every day was her magic formula. She learned to trust herself by practicing, by "putting her hands in it," and especially by seeing how much she was able to progress day after day. Not to mention the fact that, at Ironhack, you learn in a group. Having feedback, being able to share her questions, and receiving support when things weren't going well were all essential elements in her learning process. Knowing how to do things and knowing how to behave were the two keys that allowed her to unlock the door to the self-confidence she was missing. What asked what the bootcamp did for her, she said: "I came out of it energized. I was a new person, prepared for this new adventure that I was about to embark on. [...] Ironhack taught me that I can start from nothing and go far. [...] I had a really bad experience when I left the music business because of my burn out, my world collapsed and with the bootcamp I proved to myself that I was not an old dinosaur who could not do anything anymore, quite the contrary. Too often we think we are too old to learn new things, change careers, start a business, but we are not. In general, habits condition too much our way of doing things and of apprehending changes. You need to have a good environment and a good mindset to learn new things, that's what Ironhack gave me". Staying True to Herself Jordane finally reconciled her life as a freelancer and a salaried employee by joining an agency just a few weeks after the bootcamp and later, the Free group: "I didn't think I would find a job so quickly. Ironhack has a very good reputation in the UX world and companies are impressed to see the work we manage to do in 9 weeks. I felt confident talking about my background and I wasn't ashamed at all when I walked out even though I didn't have a specialized profile." To stay in line with her convictions (editor's note: she has been vegan for 8 years and practices "0 waste"), she had given herself the mission to accompany entrepreneurs in the field of ecology, health, or well-being. Finally, she finds her usefulness not only in these projects but also at Free on a daily basis. Her job consists in taking a more responsible approach towards the user, putting them at the center of the strategy so that "technology is at the service of people and not the other way around." One might think that Jordane is already quite busy with all this, but that's not knowing her well. As if that wasn't enough, she set up a volunteer project “ UX Challenger ” with another Ironhacker, Morgane Favchtein , whom she met during the training to "give back what she benefited from." The principle is simple: 1 pitch = 1 project. Between the two of them, they regularly launch "design challenges" so that young designers can practice and they offer mentoring after the project is submitted. "The designers in the making are very happy to have constructive feedback that will help them progress". Spontaneity is Key As you can see, her desire to help is matched only by her passion for her job. Here's her advice: "If I had met myself back when I was lost, I would have said to myself: stop overthinking and trust yourself. It's too easy to compare yourself to people, especially on social networks, you have to take a chance and go for it. Ironhack was almost a spur-of-the-moment thing but I had nothing to lose. At first, I felt bad about making a decision so quickly but, in fact, it takes spontaneity to shake things up. If someone had told me a year ago where I would be today I would have laughed. When the bootcamp is over, we continue to learn, that's when the work really starts. Then it's a different kind of learning, you're confronted with reality, with business problems, you have to deal with all parts of the company. You have to tell yourself that every opportunity is good to improve. That's how you learn who you are and what you want to do, or not do.” Want to be like Jordane? Start your UX/UI, web developer, data analyst, or cybersecurity journey today by taking one of Ironhack’s Bootcamps . Our courses will equip you with the essential skills to get started on a career path in the dynamic and exciting tech industry.

Son muchas las personas que deciden reinventar su carrera y dar un giro de 360º a su vida profesional. Este es el caso de Sergio Centellas , un chef especializado en repostería con más de 10 años dedicado al sector que decidió dedicarse al sector tech. Su interés por el sector tecnológico empezó poco a poco al estar rodeado de amistades vinculadas con esta área, especialmente al desarrollo web. Las ganas de aprender más sobre programación y la búsqueda de una mejor conciliación profesional, familiar y social, hicieron que Sergio apostara por realizar el bootcamp de Desarrollo Web en Ironhack Barcelona . En este artículo nos explica su experiencia como ironhacker y las puertas profesionales que le ha abierto justo después de graduarse. Cuéntanos sobre tu experiencia en Ironhack Mi experiencia en Ironhack fue mejor de lo que esperaba al estar en plena pandemia: el profesorado supo adaptar las clases presenciales a remoto rápidamente y el espíritu de unión con el alumnado perdura hasta hoy. Fue un trayecto duro, muchos conocimientos que absorber cada día con altibajos anímicos. Pero todos los teníamos y nos apoyamos los unos a los otros ya fuera ayudando con el código atascado o tomando algo en la terraza del campus. ¿A qué te dedicabas antes de hacer el bootcamp? Me dedicaba al mundo de la hostelería, chef pastelero específicamente. ¿Por qué decidiste hacer un cambio de carrera? La búsqueda de una mejor conciliación profesional, familiar y social. Descubrí el mundo de la programación de forma pasiva: nuevas amistades que eran programadores y, mi por aquel entonces, pareja programadora empezaron a plantar la semilla de la curiosidad que acabó germinando al comienzo de la pandemia. ¿Tenías experiencia previa en código antes de empezar el curso? Solamente lo que había aprendido en Codecademy y algunos videos de Youtube. ¿Crees que haber sido chef te ha ayudado en el mundo de la programación? ¿Cómo? Totalmente. Creo que cualquier experiencia previa al sector IT, en todos los casos, aporta y crea un perfil IT único. En mi caso, al haber trabajado en restaurantes, sé adaptarme a ritmos intensos de trabajo rápidamente, reaccionar rápidamente y buscar soluciones con las herramientas a disposición. Después de graduarte, encontraste trabajo en una startup. ¿Qué destacarías de trabajar en una startup en comparación con otras empresas? Antes de empezar, quiero decir que me considero muy afortunado de trabajar en esta startup, ya que algo que no habría encontrado en una mediana-gran empresa es un mentor: mi jefe (en el departamento de IT solamente somos 3 personas). Se toma el tiempo necesario para hacerme entender los conceptos que me enseña y, sprint tras sprint , va escalonando la curva de aprendizaje para que cada vez aprenda más y mejor. Y esto es algo que, según la experiencia de mis más allegados compañeros de clase, no se suele ver en las medianas-grandes empresas. ¿Qué consejos darías a esas personas que quieren iniciarse en el sector tech y tienen miedo al cambio? Estudia mucho antes de empezar el curso. De esta forma podrás absorber los conocimientos en un plis y que todo haga “click” nada más empezar. Así podrás probar si realmente te sientes cómodo programando y si te pica la curiosidad por saber más: si es así, lánzate a la aventura que cambiará tu vida. Si tienes en mente hacer un cambio de carrera hacia el desarrollo web y te ha inspirado la historia de Sergio, ¡ echa un vistazo a las próximas convocatorias del bootcamp de Desarrollo Web en Barcelona!

Evelyn nació en Argentina pero lleva viviendo en Madrid desde los 11 años. Actualmente, tiene 26 años y es estudiante en el grado de Ciencias de Datos en la UOC. Compagina sus estudios con un trabajo a tiempo completo en Inmark , una empresa de consultoría. Se describe como una persona bastante introvertida con gente nueva, pero poco a poco se abre. Si estás leyendo este post, siéntete afortunado de conocer un poquito más de la experiencia de Evelyn en Ironhack. Evelyn cursó el bootcamp de Desarrollo Web Full Time en remoto. Descríbenos tu experiencia en Ironhack Conozco desde hace tiempo Ironhack, porque dentro de los centros de alto rendimiento para la formación de programadores suele salir el nombre y siempre vi opiniones positivas. En 2020 lo pude comprobar por mi misma cuando participé en el Bootcamp de Desarrollo Web. Pude conocer a otras personas, con los mismos intereses y pude aprender un montón de cosas nuevas junto a mis compañeros. ¿Tenías experiencia previa en código? En mi caso sí, debido a mis estudios universitarios (Grado de Matemáticas e Informática). Pero tenía muchos compañeros en el Bootcamp sin experiencia previa. ¿Cómo ha cambiado tu vida después de hacer el bootcamp? He podido aplicar los conocimientos adquiridos en mi actual trabajo. Pero sobre todo, me ha permitido tener una visión más amplia en el área del desarrollo de software y que no es algo que te enseñen en la universidad. ¿Qué proceso has seguido para encontrar trabajo en el sector tecnológico? Me adapté a mi actual puesto estando en la universidad y, tras pasar una serie de entrevistas y una prueba técnica, llegué hasta aquí. ¿Cómo te preparó tu experiencia en Ironhack para tu carrera profesional? Mi formación académica siempre ha estado orientada a las matemáticas, y en desarrollo de software no se incide mucho (al menos en el grado universitario en el que estaba). Por tanto, era una debilidad que debía suplir, ya que trabajar con Datos implica más allá de solo hacer consultas o analizarlas. Además, hoy en día en las ofertas de trabajo piden que sepas de todo un poco. ¿Qué consejos darías para trabajar la marca personal en perfiles junior? Para perfiles junior, mi consejo sería que decidan en qué línea se quieren dedicar en un principio. Sobre todo para adquirir experiencia. Porque este mundillo es muy amplio. A partir de ahí, entrar a diferentes foros como discord,slack etc sobre ese tema a elegir y así aprenderlo con profundidad. Recibir y compartir recursos en las diferentes plataformas disponibles (LinkedIn, Youtube, Instagram, etc) para hacerse un nombre en este campo. ¿Cuál es la ventaja competitiva que brinda estudiar en Ironhack? Mi formación en Ironhack hizo que mi perfil se orientara a lo estrictamente tecnológico, y también aprendí las habilidades básicas para enfrentarme a las entrevistas técnicas, que eso siempre se deja de lado cuando uno empieza. Como se dice ahora, una formación técnica y humanística. ¿Tienes algún consejo para los estudiantes de Ironhack que buscan seguir una carrera en el mundo Tech? Desde mi experiencia dentro de una educación reglada y no reglada, lo que puedo decir es que no se asusten y no se desanimen. Al principio, es todo luces y estrellas, como en el Show Business pero por detrás hay mucho sudor, dolor y lagrimas. Pero eso no quiere decir que no sea tu camino. Como bien dice la frase “No pain, no gain”. Hay tiempo de sobra para aprender nuevas habilidades o conocimientos, porque eso es lo bueno de esta profesión. Siempre hay algo nuevo, es un aprendizaje continuo. ¿Qué habilidades consideras necesarias para tener éxito en la industria tecnológica? Si bien es favorable que seas bueno en lo tuyo, si lo acompañas con una actitud comprometida, entusiasta y sobre todo con un sentido de compañerismo, eso es lo que te hará llegar lejos. Porque habrá momentos en los que el trabajo se te hará cuesta arriba y que quieras tirar la toalla, pero si tienes compañeros que te permiten ver la luz al final del túnel, eso es algo por lo que luchar. En ese aspecto, tengo mucha suerte. ¿Qué habilidades son necesarias para alguien junior que quiere diferenciarse del resto? Todo depende del área que uno se quiere dedicar. En mi área, que son los datos, es bueno estar al tanto de las noticias y saber cultura general. Como bien se estudia en ciencia de datos, los datos de por sí no cuentan nada pero si decides darle un sentido (desde tu experiencia o conocimientos), quizá te cuenten una historia. ¿Cuál es el mejor consejo profesional que te han dado? Saber manejar la tensión y no derrumbarse en el momento. Los conflictos me ponen muy nerviosa y no me dejan pensar con claridad. Cuando estoy en esas situaciones, intento pensar o hacer otra cosa, darme tiempo para pensar con claridad. Si no, es muy difícil continuar. Si alguien estuviera considerando estudiar en Ironhack, ¿qué le dirías? A cualquiera que no tenga experiencia previa en el mundo tech le diría que la formación que se imparte en Ironhack te permite adquirir habilidades en tiempo record que seguro en otras formaciones regladas puede durar desde 2 a 4 años. Este es el momento para saltar al mundo tech por el abanico de posibilidades que abre, pero sobre todo porque el tiempo es oro, tanto para la vida personal como profesional.