How a Project Manager is pursuing her passion for coding.
๐โโ๏ธ Before SheCodes
Sofia is from Moita, Setรบbal, Portugal. She comes from an architectural and management background. It wasnโt until very recently that Sofia became interested in the world of IT - hype in the press and on social media about Web Summit, an annual technology conference hosted in Lisbon, sparked her interest.ย
She decided to put her foot in the door of technology and learn how to code. She did some searching online and came across SheCodes and SheCodes Plus.
โSheCodes was particularly interesting to me because its concept was very alluring. Finally, there was a very cool initiative to bring gender balance to the tech world.โ
She chose SheCodes over other online courses available because of the unique teaching methodology, course material, and set-up.
โI knew from the beginning that there were many online courses available and before SheCodes I started Stanford Online - Computer Science 101. SheCodes stands out in a very different/positive way since it provides not only videos but a very practical side with coding exercises. This is by far the best way to learn code โ practice makes perfect!โ
๐ฉโ๐ป Her SheCodes Experience
Sofia thoroughly enjoyed her experiences with SheCodes and SheCodes Plus. She enjoyed the student interaction, the course material, the schedule, the SheCodes Slack chat, and the real-life coding projects.ย
The Student Interaction
โThe diversity and different backgrounds that we find among us are unique and all the thoughts and ideas exchanged are a very enriching experience to everyone.โ
The Course Material
โI started SheCodes because I was very curious about the coding industry. When I finished the workshop I already knew what to do next. I wanted to enroll in SheCodes Plus to go deeper in HTML, CSS or JS and this was an excellent opportunity to keep evolving within the same learning method.โ
The Schedule
โIt really was aโPlusโ experience! At the beginning I was a bit worried that it would be impossible to match my day to day work with the course and the classes but with discipline and schedule organization it was completely doable.โ
The SheCodes Slack Chat
โIn the courses we were connected via Slack chat and there was a very good synergy among us. Whenever one of us posted a question it was very common to see fellow students trying to help and by the end I believe everyone learned much better by doing and also by explaining others how to achieve a particular result.โ
The Real-Life Coding Projects
โThe main projects were the most challenging and fun part because Iโm a creative person and I really enjoy creating something from a blank canvas and seeing it grow. Itโs super to write a line of code and see the layout changing and the cool look in the end!โ
โIn my opinion the final projects were the most fulfilling experience. I got to plan everything from scratch, from the first draft idea to the final app version. It was an intense ride but there it was - my own project - getting into shape day by day.โ
Check out Sofia's impressive Coding Project Here! ๐ป
๐ How SheCodes has Helped to Change Her Life
Sofia works as a Project Manager/Architect for Alartรฉcnica, Lda., a Portuguese company that provides accessibility equipments to public and private clients. Her daily work includes giving tech support in quotations and dimensional studies, as well as AutoCAD representations in architectural projects. She acts as the link between domestic / international suppliers in the areas of logistics, production, and sales within the company. She is now better able to better manage technical conversations at work thanks to her new coding knowledge.ย
She is also in the process of searching for a job as a Front-End Developer ๐ and her SheCodes knowledge has proven very helpful in recent interviews. Sheโs had a few interviews with tech consulting companies in Lisbon, but hasnโt found her perfect fit yet. She now considers herself to be a Junior Front End Developer.
โI want to keep learning, be as updated as I can, and my absolute goal is to professionally work in a company as a Front-End developer. What started as a hobby turned out to be a passion and I'm really motivated in changing my professional path to the Tech Industry and in evolving both as a human being and as a developer.โ
โโฆnow I have a broader view about the development field and Iโve gotten to experience this newfound confidence managing conversations in recent tech work interviews.โ
The knowledge of coding has given her a new career direction, a bulked-up LinkedIn profile/CV, confidence in a new area of study, and a stronger professional skill set. ๐ฉโ๐ป ๐ช ๐ปย
โAt the end of the day I went home with the strength and the confidence that although my background isnโt related to coding, I could really do this!โ
Sofia is currently continuing her coding journey in Front End Development in Lisbon.ย
Sofia is currently continuing her coding journey in Front End Development in Lisbon.ย
๐ฉโ๐ผ Advice to Future SheCodes Student
When asked to give advice to future SheCoders, Sofia referenced the price, the course set-up, and the relevant course material in relation to todayโs job market.
The price
โSheCodes was great because the course is not too long nor too expensive like other intensive bootcamps.โ
The Course Set-Up
โI strongly recommend this to all women who want to have a real understanding of what really is Front-End Development and its frameworks. I could develop what I initially started in SheCodes workshop. The online platform was very well organized. The re-watchable lessons, the challenges videos, and the exercises sequences helped me a lot to prepare myself to do the weekly homework. Never in my life I thought I could actually be capable of building a proper app, with real time information. This workshop sometimes was"sweat, blood and tears" but when I got things done and working it was a huge feeling of accomplishment!โ
The Relevant Course Material
โMy advice would be to go for it without fear! Even though you arenโt sure if this is the right fit for you it will expand your horizons and put you in a different perspective about the world of today. Everything is changing so fast and itโs good to keep up and understand todayโs work trends. If in fact you do want to follow this as a professional career this is the best way to be introduced to the tech world! If anyone is as curious as I am to be launched into the universe of coding, SheCodes is the place to be!โ
