Cohort Stories: Meet Vicky
vol. 4, no. 64 — guest post by Vicky Rockingster
Over a year ago now, I decided to shift careers from teaching. When I initially started looking into alternative career pathways, technology was one of the first industries I explored. I am fortunate to have several friends who work as Software Engineers, and they recommended that I look into this sector. I took their advice, and they were right; I love coding. It combines many of my favorite things: organizing information, creating something, and designing a product.
Beyond that, the opportunities in technology are limitless. Every company has a software department. I could work in healthcare, education, or any sector where I can truly make a difference with my contribution. Additionally, there are always opportunities for professional development. I’ve always felt that my work in education has pushed me to mature, both professionally and personally. My students taught me just as much as I taught them, and I didn’t want to lose that culture of learning.
That’s one of the reasons why I ultimately decided to move into the technology industry; growth mindset is a cornerstone in an industry that continuously improves its trade tools.
Once I’d chosen a career in technology, I did a lot of research as to what I should do next. I eventually decided to do a coding bootcamp. Every day, from Monday to Friday, 9–5, I coded. As a result, in just 12 weeks, I learned far more than I’d anticipated: JavaScript/ES6, Ruby, HTML, CSS/Sass, Git version control, and various libraries and frameworks, among other technologies.
Just as important, I learned how to apply my new knowledge. I added debugging, documentation/technical writing, and programming logic to my coding skill set. I also applied my skills from teaching to my coding workflow. In fact, I was surprised to find how many skills were transferable. Cross-team collaboration easily lent itself to working within an agile environment. I practiced goal-oriented planning through test-driven development. Even curriculum design had its role, through implementing UX design. There is a lot of overlap in the skill sets for coding and teaching.
Now, over a year later, I am so glad that I made the decisions I did. I love coding, in all its facets and specializations. I am grateful to be a part of Hack.Diversity, where I can continue to learn and grow in this field.
