How I Inadvertently Got Into Software Engineering: My Enyata Academy Story
I remember scouring the internet for information about the Enyata Academy just to have an idea of what to expect and also to get an ‘expo’ on how to ace the tests and interview. I didn’t get much info at the time so I’m hoping this helps someone in the future.
When people ask me how/why I got into software engineering, I tell them it wasn’t intentional.
The backstory…
I applied to Enyata Bootcamp sometime in Dec 2020. Before then I was learning data science and ML while building some projects alongside but 6 months in, I wasn’t feeling it again. Although I continued learning, I started taking freeCodeCamp’s Responsive Web Design course to get a feel of software development.
I saw a post about a company giving out free MacBooks in Nov 2020 on SheCodeAfrica’s slack page and decided to apply. In my defence, I badly wanted a MacBook so I just clicked the first link I saw that had Enyata written on it and applied. Unbeknownst to me, I applied for the Enyata Bootcamp instead of the Enyata build-up programme.
Some days later, I got an email to take an aptitude test. I remember asking some of my friends that applied for the laptop thing if they got mail already; one of them even teased me about being the chosen one because no one else got mail, yet it wasn’t until I got an invite to the Bootcamp that I realized my mistake. In retrospect, I’m grateful for that mistake because it set off the series of events that brought me where I am today.
P.S - I later applied to the laptop giveaway but didn’t get to the final stage. 😥
Bootcamp
The Enyata Bootcamp is a 2-week intensive programme that preceded the academy programme where about 18 of us were introduced to the basics of software development.
We learnt about HTML, CSS, and Javascript. We went ahead to work on a mini-project to showcase our understanding of what was taught. I didn’t have much trouble with this because I already knew some basic HTML & CSS; the Javascript sessions on the other hand proved to be a little challenging.
Attending the Bootcamp before the academy makes sense because this gave me an idea of what the academy would be like. After the Bootcamp, I got a mail informing me that of the 18 Bootcamp participants, I was one of the 6 selected to attend the academy.
Academy
Enyata Academy is an equal opportunity, highly competitive learning environment intended for those who want to build a career in software engineering.
It is a four-month remote, intensive, full-stack, and free software engineering training, established to build world-class software engineers.
The Bootcamp was hard lol, but the academy tested me. The part about it being ‘intensive’ is 101% true. We had classes from 9am-5pm with only one hour to break. We were taught by experienced engineers who were extremely patient with us. Sometimes I look back on those days and cringe because boy, did I ask dumb questions!
The academy is obviously not enough to make us seasoned developers but it gave us ample training. A senior designer taught us the rudiments of design and how it is key to the success of a product. I learnt how to create and navigate design screens on Figma, learnt about prototypes, wireframes, etc.
My biggest takeaway: Always duplicate the design to my drafts instead of viewing or working on the original copy, I learnt this the hard way fam. 😰
After that, I learnt how to implement neat, responsive web designs using HTML, CSS, and Bootstrap. I got to implement some website designs, this was both fun and frustrating (thoughts of Flexbox and Grid still give me the chills).
Shoutout to Cynthia for the way she taught us design implementation. She was so patient and encouraging and I really love her for that, because when I look at what I did back then, hmmm… Let’s just thank God for life.
I learnt how to integrate features using Javascript and built some programmes/projects. Then I was introduced to JS frameworks like VueJs, VueX (for frontend), NodeJs, Express(for backend). Other stuff I learnt about are database management(PostgreSQL, MongoDB), jQuery, Bootstrap, Git & GitHub, Project Management frameworks with a focus on Scrum which is what we use at Enyata, and also how to use collaboration tools like Trello, Jira.
Although it was a lot, I think that it’s nice that we were introduced to different aspects of software engineering because, in the end, we were all able to choose what field we prefer and can excel in.
I was also able to build valuable non-technical skills like teamwork, leadership skills; every week, someone is selected to lead the team and at the end of the week, we take turns to grade the lead’s performance and give feedback on how they can do better.
Other skills I picked up are conflict resolution, presentation skills, expectation management, proper and prompt communication, advocating for others, etc
My manager, Joseph is the coolest person ever, he has this clever way of bringing out the best and sometimes the craze in us. He’s one of the reasons I didn’t give up.
In the end, I worked on a capstone project with my teammates. We were asked to build a recruitment portal where users can go through the academy application process from signing up to taking final tests.
The truth is that in trying to build what would become a career as a developer, I was faced with so many challenges. From poor internet to typical NEPA and my generator always conspiring against me, I was left to attend classes in the weirdest places and positions. At some point, I found myself having to explain the concept of remote work to those around in a bid to convince them that I’m not a yahoo girl (internet fraudster) because I was always going up and down with a laptop, the list is long.
I remember telling my friends that I want to go learn tailoring instead because I was really going through it. But thanks to a solid support system and therapeutic credit alerts, I didn’t give up.
In all these, one thing that stood out for me is how I learnt by doing. I was given tasks on every topic, these tasks/assignments were reviewed and feedback was given on every single one of them - this way I was able to see from the tutor’s perspective and also get a grasp of how things are done on real projects.
I’m super grateful to my tutors; Tomiwa, Gerald, Kingsley, Cynthia, Suliat, Emmanuel, Pelumi, Joseph, Demola, Oreoluwa, and Toyosi, for doing more than just teaching. They instilled discipline and diligence in me and this has been of tremendous benefit to me.
Special shoutout to my classmates; Abigail, Lani, Modupe, Peculiar & Ruqayaah for helping me stay sane, explaining stuff when I slept off in class, staying up with me at odd hours to fix bugs, and most importantly being available for my numerous rants.
After Academy
After the academy, the 6 of us were offered full-time positions in our preferred field. The ‘creative’ ones chose frontend while the ‘great thinkers’ chose backend. 😂
I was assigned to a team and paired with a senior backend engineer to go on a 6-week pair-programming. During this period I was onboarded to the largest codebase I’ve seen to date and was assigned tasks. I found it both exhausting and exhilarating to contribute to live projects. I was also given a brand new MacBook so win-win. 😋
It was easy to settle in, everyone was so welcoming and helpful, maybe because a greater % of the employees are youths, it was so easy to blend in and get help when necessary.
Letty, my mentor is such a sweet babe, people in the office refer to us as mother and daughter and I see why. It’s the way she supports and encourages me for me. I feel blessed.
It’s been over 6 months since I resumed and I’ve had the privilege to work with fun, talented people on cool projects. I still have a lot to learn but I’m definitely not the scared, overwhelmed babe that walked into the office in April 2021. I like it here, I hope it continues that way.
I’m extremely grateful to the Enyata organisation for this beautiful and effective programme that trains people with non-tech backgrounds like me and for giving me a soft landing to start a career in the software engineering field. This is one of the best things to happen to me this year!
Cheers to having fun and building cool stuff!
Thank you for reading to the end.
Don’t forget to clap👏 and leave a comment.😚
I didn’t want to write this because I thought ‘how I got into tech’ stories are so cliche. Thank you Jenny for encouraging me to do this.
If you have further questions about the bootcamp or academy, you can email community@enyata.com or send me a DM on Twitter at @TheSussex_
Enjoy more beautiful pictures of Enyatans at the beach.
