How is Coding Becoming More Inclusive for Students and Graduates

Please tell us about yourself and your connection with CodeOp.

I did CodeOp's remote full-stack development bootcamp earlier this year, then briefly worked for them as a teaching assistant before I started my current role as an apprentice software engineer in a large tech company.

How would you describe the education you get on the program?

For me, the most useful parts of doing the program were accountability and community. Participating in the bootcamp motivated me to fully dedicate myself to learning to code, whereas before I had just been studying random things on my own. It was also super nice to study with a group of women all working towards the same goals.

What kind of advice would you give to someone interested in becoming a student on the program?

First - if you can study the course full time, you should! I found it very useful to be able to learn intensively, 5 days a week, for 11 weeks. However, I know studying full time is a luxury that isn't possible for everyone - if someone has unavoidable work or family commitments, I would just suggest that they commit as much time as they possibly can to the course.

Second - do the pre-work on basic HTML, CSS, and Javascript! It gives you a great foundation so you are not going into the course with zero knowledge of the basics.

How do you feel the tech sector can become more inclusive?

Providing training that is specifically targeted to people who don't identify as cis men, and is delivered in an inclusive environment, is an amazing start. Even better if that training can be fully or partially subsidised, given the challenges that women can face when changing careers due to their lower levels of savings and the fact they carry a disproportionate high burden of caring responsibilities.

Can you think of any stories about the school which reflect what it aims to achieve?

When I was finishing up the bootcamp and preparing to look for my first job in tech, one of the things I did was reach out to other CodeOp alumnae to have (virtual!) coffee and learn more about their journeys since they graduated. It was eye-opening to see just how many possibilities there were - I met graduates working as full-stack developers, front-end, back-end, in big companies, in start-ups, and so on. I think it really shows that CodeOp gives women+ the skills and tools they need to make the transition to tech.

Article written in association with CodeOp.