“Live a life you love and code!”
Awesome people do come together in our Full-Stack Web & App Development course. In a series of interviews we are talking with them about their past, their experiences within the coding bootcamp and their dreams.
Today we talk with Jens. His life was quite a journey so far and the coding bootcamp is the next exciting chapter.
Hi Jens, let’s start by talking a little bit about you. What was your background before starting the coding bootcamp?
I was born in Hamburg, Germany, but at my ripe age of 51 I consider myself a citizen of the world by now. In my youth I used to be a vocalist and guitar player in my own Heavy Metal band. I continued playing in the band while studying computer science and business management. An internship during my studies led my way to Japan where I was the CEO of two foreign-owned companies in the music industry. Almost 15 years later life took me to the US followed by my favorite place Crete, Greece. I am back in Germany for now. Back to the roots and I rediscovered my love for coding again as well.
Wow, that is quite a journey. While rediscovering your love for coding: How did you search for a suitable solution for your wish to learn programming?
It was as simple as reflecting on your next step in life and find something you want to do for the rest of your working life. I ran a few blogs using WordPress before so I thought about web development and possibly mobile app development. I searched the internet up and down for a few days and compared the options I have to achieve that goal. WBS Coding School was the clear winner for me since the bootcamp has exactly the content I was looking for. The remote learning and an additional presence period is a huge plus as well.
You choose to learn remotely. How does it feel so far?
It feels great! A huge benefit is of course saving time because the commute between home and campus doesn’t exist. It gives you more time to relax or review lectures and work on code if you are inclined to do so. You can also make yourself comfortable while learning, grab a coffee or a bite when you need it. Human interaction is not missing either thanks to the virtual classrooms, discord chats and much more. You will find somebody to chat with or exchange knowledge almost at all times of the day — whether it is fellow students or the WBS staff.
Besides the curriculum: How do you handle your daily life?
As anybody does I guess. The routine does not change much, except that the day at work is replaced during a similar timeframe by attending lectures, workshops or coding. It is of course another plus that you have that timeframe at home during this challenging time. In the evening I often review the day or week, which is essential since this is a bootcamp that can challenge you.
How does the bootcamp factor feel so far?
It can be frustrating at times and you might feel some pressure. Sometimes you will feel pushed, followed by a more relaxed session or day. In the end the cycle of new material and repetition will yield a result you can be proud of. You just have to lean back sometimes and look at what you had no clue about when you started the bootcamp. Step-by-step you will realize that you are getting more and more comfortable with the material. Oh, and you will code in your dreams as well.
That sounds like some progress. Take a look back 5 weeks: How do you compare yourself to the pre-coding-school Jens?
Excellent question to actually reflect on this aspect. Apart from the gained knowledge there is a certain change in approaching things even in non-bootcamp life. I am more organized, methodical and efficient which results in higher productivity. It sounds weird, but it is true! Curiosity and the desire to learn more has increased and with all of that the effectiveness of the bootcamp has increased as well. A win on many levels!
We are an online coding school and we offer a remote-first course. How does the corona situation affects you in comparison to friends or family?
My “normal” life is not affected at all apart from the social distancing measures in place when leaving the house. Other relatives have a more severe cut into their lives, be it working from home or even not being able to work at all or even complete isolation. I feel blessed that I don’t have to worry about that aspect at all at the moment. From the get-go my final goal was to be able to work remotely from anywhere in the world anyway, so I am getting an exercise in that as well. If I may add a little message: Please follow social distancing orders and think about others. Keep a distance and stay healthy!
You talked about “working from anywhere in the world”. Do you already have plans for the time after the course?
It depends on what the next months will put on our plates. Long term I want to move back to Greece and work remotely as a web developer — you can always dream and with this field of work the chances are higher than in other fields. I might go for further learning since I am interested in mobile app development as well. Once you go into the IT world you will have to keep learning anyway. In times like these you will have to adjust to whatever happens on the fly, but remote work is the key for me. Live a life you love and code!
For many people it is very courageous to start something totally new with 50. Do you have a word for them?
A simple answer would be: If you want to do something, just do it! Grab a glass of wine and ask yourself what would make you happy long term. If you can picture yourself doing that exact thing 15 years from now you have a winner. I believe the key factor is to enjoy what you are doing and in my case coding was the answer. You might be a novice in your new field, but the life experience will come in handy in dealing with issues, teams and clients. This is a huge advantage that is not to be underestimated. Next step, show the young boys and girls how it’s done!
