Three Years After the Bootcamp

Agnes finished the bootcamp in March 2020, when Covid was starting to affect the lives and work for everyone. Due to the shaky job market, she stayed with her old employer for a year after graduating from Technigo bootcamp. We met with Agnes three years after for a short interview and discussed her experience with changing jobs in uncertain times and the difference between working in larger or smaller corporations.

Craving a challenge

Today, Agnes works as a Frontend Developer at Ericsson. She's been there for over a year and is very happy with her current workplace. "It feels like we're a big family!" Before, she worked as a Horticultural Engineer overseeing vertical farming production but felt after a couple of years that she needed a change.

"I realized it was time for a career change because my previous job just wasn't sparking my interest anymore. I was craving a new challenge, something to engage me."

Learning on the job

Thanks to an old teammate from Technigo bootcamp, Agnes got her first job in web development. It was at a smaller web agency where she learned a lot, working in a fast-paced environment and with senior developers. Even though Agnes had barely coded since graduating from the bootcamp a year before, she didn’t think getting up to speed with her old programming skills was that difficult. “I don’t see it as a problem, you learn so much on the job anyway.” By revisiting projects and looking at old material and videos, she felt prepared to start her new career.

After working at the agency for about 1.5 years Agnes applied to a Frontend position at Ericsson thinking that she would never make the final cut. A friend recommended her for the position and in the end she got the job. “I gave it a chance and got the job! It’s been a crazy journey.”

One of the prejudices you might have about working at a big company is it’s anonymity. Being one out of many thousands workers. But Agnes shares another view. Her team works like an agency within the bigger cooperation. Overseeing Ericssons design system used by the entire company. Most of her colleagues are in their 30s and are multitalented, with a strong sense for design. Today she codes in Vanilla JavaScript and some Angular. Learning on the job seems to come natural for Agnes and working at a company that prioritise and have a budget for upskilling is one of the advantages with her current workplace.

Pros and cons for working at a big company

+ Structured working environment. There is a plan for the coming months, and if I don’t have time with a task or ticket, it’s no problem moving it into the next release.

- Things move more slowly; you must push for your cause and say it many times.

+ Budget for upskilling and taking new certificates.

- Job security.

Tips for bootcamp students

→ When presenting a case or code solution, put in extra effort. Do not just show your screen with a bunch of code on it. Make a presentation, maybe put a little design to it. Show your thought process.

→ When you desperately want something, it’s harder to get it. It’s good to have goals, but be present for the opportunities and work you’re doing right now. Focus on doing a good job today and learn something new every day. Something that interests you. In the end, you will reach your goals.

→ Find a mentor and don’t be afraid to use your network.

Thank you Agnes for sharing your journey after graduating Technigo bootcamp! ❤️