Before I tell you why I did the web development bootcamp at Ironhack, I would like to take you back to a very important point in my life when I had to make a decision that would define my future career path. It was so important that I had to think about it very carefully; this decision was going to determine the field & industry I was going to work in for the rest of my life.

I don’t really know how to describe by time at Ironhack, but in these next paragraphs I will attempt to give you an idea of how it felt to participate in the 9-week Web Development bootcamp.

Being introverted or shy has different meanings depending on when and where you ask: in Latin America, it is often seen as rude or inconsiderate while other countries welcome you keeping your business to yourself. Time has also changed how we see quiet people; with the ascension of neurodiversity, an individual's lack of communication is now seen as a sign of intelligence.

In May of this year, I was at a point in my life that many of you will identify with. I had been studying for the last 8 years of my life: 7 spent on an architecture degree and a year on a Master’s in 3D design. Although this helped me to make the leap to become a freelancer where I started earning money and getting clients, I still did not feel truly happy.

When faced with the decision to choose a coding or design focus, Ironhack alumna Sofia Borges opted for a unique solution. Sofia not only attended Ironhack’s Web Development Bootcamp, she later went on to study UX and UI Design at Ironhack as well. In an interview with SwitchUp, Sofia talks more about her journey, and how both her coding and design skills are instrumental in her new role as a Content Producer & UX Strategist at Royal Caribbean Cruises.

This is part 1 of a series that follows Julia’s journey at the bootcamp, and looks at the ways coding can strengthen leadership and teamwork and how companies can encourage this.

Co-founder of Mindly (made in Silicon Valley), Madrid native, woman and, of course, Ironhacker, Marta Fonda tells us about her Ironhack experience as a student of the Web Development bootcamp in Madrid.

When I was 21, I started having doubts about my career. I was 2 and a half years away from getting my BA in Economics and doing well. It’s not that I didn’t like economics, or that I didn’t find it challenging, but I just didn’t feel like it gave me the fulfillment I felt I needed. I thought a career change may be what I should do. But I decided not to do it, and just stick with economics. I thought I was too old to do a career change by then, and the idea of taking first year classes with a bunch of 17–18 year olds just didn’t feel right. Now that I’m 28, the idea of a 21 year old feeling like they are too old for anything feels ludicrous.