I am very proud of myself
In short
Hey Anna, what prompted you to learn how to program?
I got stuck in my job at the time and had been thinking about a career switch to IT for a while. This direction doesn't come entirely out of nowhere for me. After all, my father is an IT professional and I was able to look over his shoulder several times. I thought to myself, I also think this direction is something. Especially because I really enjoy puzzling.
How did you end up at Winc Academy?
I wanted to exchange my job at the time for a retraining to IT. I was looking for a trainer who could achieve this in a relatively short time. For me, it was very important that I was able to take the lessons in my own time and thus complete the course at my own pace. That was as fast as possible for me.
To make sure Winc Academy's teaching method suited me, I first tried out the three-day course. I just heard from one of the teachers that this course has now made way for the free trial package. By taking this short course, I was sure, I enjoyed puzzling so much that I was sure that the Front-End Development course is for me.
How much time did you have left for your retraining?
When I saw on the Winc Academy website that the average student spends between 4 and 6 months full-time on the Front-end development course, I thought to myself: I'm going for 4 months! Unfortunately, I just didn't make it, but I'm almost there now and I'm also happy with the 5 months!
When did it click and did you know you were in the right place?
I didn't really hesitate before starting the course. This was mainly because I did the short course before I started. This made me sure that I was in the right place. There was a lot of guidance, you are surrounded by a very nice group of people and the teachers were also friendly and very helpful. I enjoyed working so much that choosing to start the Front-end course quickly was actually a no-brainer.
What do you think of the Front-end course so far?
I really like the course! There is a lot of interaction with the teachers and fellow students, which works very well. You will also receive a lot of personal guidance and will help you get started when necessary. Best of all, I like that you can follow the course in your own time. As a result, you are completely unhindered in your daily activities and you can make a good plan yourself.
Are you still studying full-time or do you already have a job?
Halfway through my education, I already found a job as a Front-end Developer. At the moment, I work at ING, where I make a lot of templates. It is a very fun job with a lot of variety and offers all the benefits that most jobs in IT have. I learn a lot of new things on the job and in my spare time I work on the latest assignments of the Front-end course. I'm almost in my hands with my certificate!
What are your career plans after training?
I would like to continue my work at ING. I want to see what my options are there and find out where there is room to grow in my position. As soon as I finish my training as a Front-end Developer, I may also want to train as a Back-End Developer, so that I can then call myself a Full-stack Developer.
What's your most surprising experience in the Tech industry?
The most surprising thing I found was that the ICT sector is very broad. Broader than I had first imagined. Outside of the Front-end, you can also go in many other directions. It is important that you see for yourself what suits you and what you like most about the sector. Only you can decide that.
Did you have an idea of the 'ICT' person before you started the course?
My father works in ICT, so I had a reasonable idea of what an ICT professional's work looks like. But I was amazed at how broad the sector is and the almost infinite number of directions you can take.
What are you most proud of?
I am most proud of the final assignments that I have completed and submitted so far. In addition, I am very proud of the fact that I already found a nice job with a good employer before completing my education. This has given me an extra boost.
What kind of final assignments did you do?
Most of the assignments I've done have to do with building websites. From the first website, you can clearly see how fast you roll in. As you continue in the course, you will notice that the websites are becoming more extensive and that you can do more and more. That is very nice to see again. If you look back on this, you will see that you are making a lot of progress in a short time.
When do you prefer to study and where do you prefer to study?
When I started my education, I often studied with my grandparents in the attic. It was nice and quiet there and I was able to concentrate well. I deliberately quit my job for this course because I wanted to make a career switch in a short time. At the moment, I live alone and I mainly study in the evenings and weekends.
What else would you like to achieve?
I would think it would be super cool to also complete the Back-end Development course after my Front-end course and then work as a Full-stack Developer.
Do you have another tip for someone who also wants to study at Winc?
For those who are unsure: thoroughly investigate whether Development is right for you. So I heard that there is now a trial pack. That is, of course, perfect. You can then quickly find out whether and which part of the broad Tech sector suits you.
Have you already decided to take the course? Then I would recommend making sure you have a study buddy as soon as you start the course. Learning together is more fun and also more pleasant, because you can learn a lot from each other.
One last tip: dare to ask questions! The Slack channel (Winc Academy's chat program) contains all friendly fellow students and teachers who are happy to help you get started. Asking more questions not only helps you with your own learning process, but it also helps other students. So don't be shy, and ask those questions!
