I started getting into web development in the beginning of 2015. I used to work as a Technical Recruiter here in Denver, CO. I specialized in recruiting for technical positions in the financial services industry. The positions I recruited for were predominently software/application development positions such as Java or .Net Developers. However, I also recruited for many other technical positions such as Project Managers, Business Analysts, Systems Administrators, Data Analysts and more.

I was consistently impressed by how difficult it could be to find qualified candidates for the positions I was recruiting for. I was impressed with how in demand these technical skill sets were and I became increasingly aware of the serious lack of qualified candidates out there compared to the number of open positions we were trying to fill, not to mention the total number of open positions in application development.

I always considered that a career in something like web development was out of reach. It felt like the only way to really get started in the profession was to be a math and science mastermind and spend (at least) 4 years obtaining a Computer Science or Software Engineering degree. I remember visiting one of my friends who worked as a systems administrator and picking his brain about his job, the Software Development Lifecycle, and about the nature of learning such difficult skills. At some point during our conversation something shifted. My belief that web development was out of my each or above my ability to learn was no more. I realized that if I was interested in it enough and I had the appropriate resources, I might be able to plunge into the world of web development without the need to go back through school for a separate Computer Science or Software Engineering degree.

I thought about what was always most important when I would interview candidates for a job I was recruiting for; whether the candidate could actually do the work that the job required. Rarely did a job req absolutely require a candidate to have a particular degree. Hiring managers mostly just cared about whether the candidate could actually use the necessary technologies to do the job they needed them to do.

I consider myself a strong and excited learner. And when I bite onto something…

I immediately dove head first into getting myself acquainted with HTML, CSS, and as much JavaScript as I could wrap my brain around. I devoured as many online tutorial websites as I could get my hands on. I eventually transitioned away from my Technical Recruiter position and sought a foot-in-the-door technical position. Anything that got me closer to working with software and closer to utilizing my rapidly increasing knowledge of HTML and CSS. I found a great position as a Technical Support Representative for a company that builds a variety of SaaS products and continued growing my web development skills in my free time.

I wanted more.

While I was successfully expanding my knowledge as much as possible in my free time, I started to realize that it was not going to be enough. I became more and more excited and hungry for the opportunity to get started as a Junior Web Developer. I wanted to immerse myself in web development and really give myself the opportunity to rapidly accelerate my progress. It became clear to me that the best solution was for me to search for and enroll in a web development “coding bootcamp” program. This search eventually led me to the Full Stack Web Developer program through Bloc.