How Phillippa shifted her career path from the publishing sector to IT after SheCodes
๐โโ๏ธ Before SheCodes
Introducing you to Phillippa! A nature-loving adventurer hailing from England, United Kingdom ๐ณ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ. When she's not busy conquering hiking trails or hitting the pavement for a run, you might find her lifting weights or gracefully defying gravity through aerial arts.๐๏ธโโ๏ธย
Before her exciting journey with SheCodes, Phillippa spent 21 years in the world of publishing project management. ๐ Her role involved editing academic and educational manuscripts before their printing process. She was the mastermind behind assembling teams, ensuring top-notch quality, and maintaining constant communication with authors.โ๏ธย
What sparked Phillippa's fascination with coding, you ask? Well, it was an encounter with her friend's LinkedIn post that changed everything. In 2020, Phillippaโs friend's SheCodes Basics project caught her eye. ๐ฉโ๐ปย
โI knew I was going to be made redundant later that year and had wondered if I could make it into an opportunity to do something new. Something about her post caught my eye and she told me I should do it because she thought I would love it. I thought she was insane. But it turns out she was very, very right. โ
At first, she thought her friend wasnโt serious when she suggested coding, but curiosity got the best of her. ๐ชย Phillippa decided to take the plunge and embark on a journey she never imagined she'd take, thanks to her friend's timely encouragement. And boy, was it the right decision! ๐ย
๐ฉโ๐ป Her SheCodes Experience
Phillippa's experience with SheCodes is inspiring. She took her first SheCodes Workshop at the age of 40 while being a parent to a lively three-year-old. ๐ถ She was eager for a change in her career but felt unsure about how to make it happen while balancing her job and parenting.
โI did my first SheCodes course at 40 years old. I was 18 years into my career and had a 3-year-old child. I knew I wanted a change but couldn't fathom how to make those next steps, especially while still working full-time and parentingโ
Her journey began when she decided to try SheCodes Basic out of pure curiosity while she was job hunting. ๐ผ To her surprise, she immediately found it interesting and enjoyable. As she continued with the SheCodes workshops, her interest and confidence in coding grew.๐ฉโ๐ปย
One thing that really stood out to Phillippa was how SheCodes structured its courses. They broke down the learning process into small, manageable steps. It felt like climbing a ladder, with each step boosting her confidence and building her skills. Phillippa also appreciated the teaching style at SheCodes. She found Matt's way of explaining complex concepts in a simple and easy-to-understand manner to be a real game-changer.๐ย
โAs I progressed through the courses I enjoyed it more and more, and it gave me the confidence to say, 'Hey, my brain still works. I am capable of doing this thing, and maybe this is my path.โโ
Compared to other courses she had taken with different companies, Phillippa found SheCodes to be much more beginner-friendly. ๐ SheCodes made coding accessible and approachable for someone like her who was just starting out.
โI've done some courses with other companies since and found them far less accessible as a beginner. โ
๐ How SheCodes has Helped to Change Her Life
SheCodes was a game-changer for Phillippa, and it set her on a transformative path. ๐ While she knew she wanted to dive deeper into coding, she wasn't entirely certain if web development was her true calling. So, she took a bold step and decided to pursue a master's degree in computer science. ๐ The skills and knowledge she gained from SheCodes served as an invaluable foundation, giving her the confidence to embark on this academic adventure.
โThe things I'd learned in SheCodes were a great jumping-off point for me to continue my studies and move forward with confidence.โ
While Phillippa is still on her way to completing her master's degree, something unexpected happened along the way. She decided to apply for junior developer positions, not with the expectation of landing a job but to gather feedback for future applications. To her astonishment, she secured a developer job! ๐
Today, at the age of 43, Phillippa proudly works as an IT developer at P&G. ๐ ย It's a thrilling new direction in her career, and while it may seem daunting, she's embracing it with enthusiasm. In her role, she's been diving into different aspects of web development and databases, working with various coding languages.๐ฉโ๐ปย
Phillippa also credits SheCodes for laying the groundwork for her newfound success. She found the JavaScript elements, APIs, and modularity introduced by JS React in SheCodes Max to be exceptionally valuable.ย
โI definitely found that the JavaScript elements, APIs, and the modularity introduced by JS React (as well as Matt waxing lyrical about Objects) on the SheCodes course were really useful for beginning to get the concepts used in backend development, so while the SheCodes courses focus on the frontend they are a great introduction to everything.โ
As she looks ahead, Phillippa is excited to leverage the lessons from SheCodes as she works on her new role and builds web applications as a side project. The journey may have started with curiosity, but thanks to SheCodes, Phillippa's life has been transformed, and she's thriving in her new role as an IT developer.ย
๐ฉโ๐ผ Advice to Future SheCodes Student
For those considering the SheCodes journey, Phillippa shares some relatable guidance. First and foremost, she encourages you to keep an open mind. No matter your age or life situation, don't let that deter you. She herself started in her 40s with family responsibilities, and she's living proof that it's entirely worth it. So, stay open to the possibilities!๐ย
Additionally, Phillippa stresses the importance of building a portfolio on GitHub. It might seem like a small step, but it can open big doors in the tech world. You never know when someone might want to see your projects, so keeping them organized and accessible is a smart move.๐ฉโ๐ปย
โI wanted to share my experience because I know how hard it is to change your career, especially as a woman in your 40s with a small child in tow. But it's possible, and entirely worth it.โ
Phillippa is living proof that change is possible when you set your mind to it. ๐ช Weโre really proud of your achievements Phillippa and weโre looking forward to seeing where your coding journey takes you next!ย
ย ๐ Phillippaโs SheCodes Basics Testimonial:ย
โI really loved this course! I'd been thinking about trying coding for a while and was not disappointed. The lessons are well taught and easy to follow, and being able to do it at my own pace was great. Thanks, Matt! I will be back...โ
ย ๐ Phillippaโs SheCodes Plus Testimonial:
โThe SheCodes workshops have been so great! Five weeks ago I had no idea what CSS, JS, or APIs even were, so it feels amazing to be able to create something that works from scratch. I'm addicted! I've really enjoyed the workshops and found the format really easy to work with. Thanks so much to Matt and the team :)โ
ย ๐ Phillippaโs Responsive Testimonial:
โI really love the format of the SheCodes modules, hence why I came back for more after finishing the SheCodes Plus course! I've enjoyed the course and definitely recommend it :)โ
ย ๐ Phillippaโs React Testimonial:ย
โI've really enjoyed learning to code with React - it was challenging but in a really good way, and I can't wait to begin using it! Teaching from Matt and support from the team were top-notch, as ever. I highly recommend these courses :)โ
