Miguel

Tell us a little bit about you/your background e.g. previous coding experience, job situation before the course, motivations for taking on a coding course etc

I’m Miguel and I used to be a nuclear medicine technologist. I had literally 0 coding experience and was stuck in a career that stopped giving me any type of job satisfaction.

What are your plans following the course/what have you achieved already?

I’ve landed a job a month before I completed the course, which is partly on me and partly on the team. I’ve also had the pleasure to mentor new students, which has been amazing. I want to continue getting more experience, knowledge, and I want to continue to teach everything I know.

Why did you choose Manchester Codes over other courses?

The fact that it is the only school in the Manchester that teaches these skills in part-time was the big reason.

What did you enjoy most about Manchester Codes?

The indie type of vibe the school has. There’s commitment, engagement and tons of patience from the tutors. Having friends that did a similar bootcamp in other schools, I always felt, in comparison, that I was not just another head in the crowd.

What did you find most challenging?

Managing time, but that’s entirely on me. I did the whole course while working 10h/day, mostly from Monday to Saturday, and I have to admit that my tiredness took the best of me at times. However, the support I got from the tutors, as well as my personal goals, kept me going.

How did you find balancing the course with your other commitments?

As above, quite difficult. I tried to study the suggested 20h/week and it was a massive struggle sometimes, but it made a massive difference.

Anything else you’d like to add about your experience on the course?

If I had to go back and do it again, I wouldn’t think twice.

If someone was on the fence about doing the course, what would you tell them?

Think about what your goal is. If you want to learn how to code with people that are actual full-time developers, hence on top of what the current market is, and you want to be a part of a community that is quite proud in helping each other out, then this is the place for you.

What advice would you give to others who are doing the course now?

20/hours per week, for 6 months is absolutely nothing in comparison to what you might potentially achieve at the end.
Be brave and go the extra mile.