Meet the Instructor: Romy

How long have you been coding? How did you get started?

I am old enough to have had a Myspace account, so I did a little bit of html and CSS when I was a teen and also did a module on programming at university but was far more interested in partying and didn't really pay it much attention. Fast forward 7 years and I was really struggling at my job at the time, it had no progression for me and was a huge emotional toll. I looked at different career options and a few of my friends were software developers and always spoke really positively about the industry and its benefits. I attended a free coding meetup and did a tonne of research about coding and how to become a junior developer I eventually settled on a full time course, really enjoyed it and got offered a job at Jaguar Land Rover when I had finished.

What do you enjoy about working at Manchester Codes?

A big part of the tech industry is giving back (we all make a living off open source projects). My career started with people willing and passionate to teach me the basics, so I really enjoy helping people get into the industry too. I love meeting new people. I have been in the student position and want to help reassure them all that they can do this. There is so much potential and it can really change your life. A bonus for me is that teaching reinforces your knowledge and even helps you learn at the same time. It's really important to get opinions and ideas from a wide variety of people from different backgrounds to make good applications. Plus, you never know what challenges students are going to throw at you, so it keeps the job exciting.

What gets you excited about Technology?

Nothing ever stagnates. What you knew yesterday could all be new tomorrow. We use technology in everything we do, so it's already a huge part of our lives. There is always a challenge waiting for you.

Favourite language and framework/library/ tool?

JavaScript and React

Least favourite language and framework/library/ tool?

C and Ratpack

One piece of advice you have for people fresh to Software development?

Ask ALL the questions, no matter how stupid or irrelevant you think they are. It's always the things you think are silly or obvious that will surprise you.

Outside of work, what do like to do for fun? How do you spend your downtime?

I like to go to gigs, festivals, travel to other countries

What did you want to be when you were younger?

An astronaut. It was more from a travel perspective than being peak physical fitness and a specialist scientist or engineer. I wanted to go everywhere and see everything.

Do you have a pet? If so, what do you have?

I don't technically, but I do have a stray cat in the neighbourhood who I treat like mine. I love both cats and dogs though.

What would your dream holiday destination be?

Space. But if we have to stay on Earth the Galapagos islands or Madagascar would be great

If you were stranded on a remote island, alone. What piece of technology/ gadget would you be unable to live without?

A speaker or sound system. Anything I can listen to music with.