\u2018I wasn\u2019t a developer myself,\u2019 Janine tells me today, \u2018but years of working in the field had made me curious to find out what goes on behind the curtain. At the time I had a broad idea of what HTML and CSS were, but no more than that. I knew the bootcamp would be challenging, but I told myself, if I wanted to acquire some new hard skills without leaving my job, then this was the chance.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Janine was right about both things \u2013 about the bootcamp representing the right opportunity, but also about it being challenging. Experiences like this are intense at the best of times, but when one has to fit them around full-time employment, they have to be managed carefully if they are not to become overwhelming<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018I expected it to be time-consuming,\u2019 she admits, \u2018but I wasn\u2019t prepared for just how exhausting it would be. The projects I realized were rewarding, naturally, but they were also demanding on many levels. There were moments when I questioned my decision. But that\u2019s common with every new venture you start, especially when you grow out of your comfort zone.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n So what can<\/em> one do to ensure one gets to the end of the marathon without giving up halfway through? Janine was happy to share her best tips with me, which fall under three essential headings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Balancing a job and a bootcamp is\u00a0certainly\u00a0tricky, but Janine is positive that it can be\u00a0managed\u00a0with the right preparation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018Studying on Saturdays meant that I only had one free day a week, so I really wanted to find a way of arranging my schedule that still left room for the things I wanted to do. And while I was very disciplined about my time from the beginning, the routine I ended up with was one that developed organically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018Doing the groceries, for example, fit well with my lunch breaks on Saturdays, so I turned it into a habit. It\u2019s important to make plans before the bootcamp and complete any preliminary assignments the school may give you, for sure. But keeping a flexible mindset, and leaving room for improvisation and adaptation, is just as important<\/strong>.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yet when Janine discusses the idea of \u2018planning\u2019 her scope is broad, encompassing not just the work one does but also the people one knows. \u2018I made it quite clear to the rest of my team at work that going forwards, I would no longer be available outside regular working hours. This was a good idea not just to keep my studying time free from distraction, but also because \u2013 to my surprise \u2013 it ended up providing a good motivational boost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018Everyone was supportive and understanding from the get-go, and seeing them get excited for me made me even more excited in turn! So definitely do not clam up when taking a bootcamp \u2013 let the world know what you\u2019re up to<\/strong>.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n When I ask her what the hardest moment of the bootcamp was, Janine has no doubts. \u2018The week we started with JavaScript. Not only was the code new, but also the logic behind the programming language gave me quite a headache.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her feelings were certainly not uncommon \u2013 anyone who codes, regardless of how or where they learned, knows what it is like to hit a wall conceptually \u2018I went in with high expectations for myself, so those feelings like I was lost at sea really got to me. When you\u2019re wired to constantly deliver quality work in every detail, you apply the same strictness to yourself, even in completely new terrain. It was then that I started wondering whether I could really do it.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n So how did she overcome these feelings?<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018I didn\u2019t \u2013 instead, I learned to accept them<\/strong>. And I think that\u2019s one thing that everyone who takes this sort of path should learn too. You have to make peace with the idea that when you\u2019re presented with a broad concept like a programming language, you won\u2019t understand every single detail of it. But having a few blind spots doesn\u2019t make you a failure. It\u2019s enough for you to get the bigger picture, and tackle the smaller details when it becomes necessary. And, when you do come across something that you really don\u2019t understand, just give yourself a few days<\/strong>. Let it sink. Trust me, you\u2019ll figure it out eventually.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the same spirit, Janine also strongly recommends taking regular breaks. \u2018I used to get anxious about leaving the computer with a problem unsolved. But I discovered quickly that there is nothing more unproductive than just sitting all day and staring at a puzzle \u2013 you just end up doing the same things over and over again and not making any progress. It\u2019s much better to step away from the computer. Ideally get out of the house for a bit and you will find your missing piece.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n Janine\u2019s\u00a0last and\u00a0most practical\u00a0piece of\u00a0advice has to do with how to retain information. \u2018I lost count of the times that I had to look up how to do something, only to suddenly realise this is something I have already learned!<\/em>\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her recommendation to counter this is to take notes not just on coding skills, but also \u2013 accurately and methodically \u2013 on resources and frequently used links. \u2018There\u2019s stuff that looks peripheral, like how to setup a React App, or how to submit to GitHub. It may seem too basic or elementary to require study, but during your first weeks\/months of coding you probably won\u2019t remember how to do these things unless you take notes<\/strong>. And I can guarantee that you will waste more time than is reasonable just looking for a way to do something you already learned. Spare yourself that.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n In short, don\u2019t be afraid to \u2018study how to study\u2019, and note down information that at first glance seems inessential. Time is short – use it to focus on coding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018One thing that really helped me during the bootcamp,\u2019 Janine tells me at the end of our interview, \u2018was to know that I wasn\u2019t just doing it by myself. If you take on something like this you will be surrounded by classmates, instructors, mentors. Even when things get at their hardest, you never feel alone<\/strong>.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n As hard as it sometimes got, Janine would not go back on her decision to take the bootcamp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018I am happy with my job \u2013 the point wasn\u2019t to change it but to complement it. The difference is that now I can speak the language of developers<\/strong>. I can work not just for<\/em> them, but with<\/em> them. Not\u00a0only\u00a0my\u00a0portfolio of\u00a0skills, but my professional perspective has broadened too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018For someone who already has a full-time job, I understand that a bootcamp like this can feel intimidating. And make no mistake, it really is a substantial investment of time and effort. But if you are willing and determined, and your expectations are realistic, then I can think of no better way to upskill.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n Janine Duhre is a Product Manager at Zalando<\/a>, one of Europe\u2019s leading online platforms for fashion and lifestyle. She graduated from the WBS CODING SCHOOL Part-Time Full-Stack Web & App Developer bootcamp<\/a> in July 2021.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Janine Duhre picked up the skills of a web developer while working a full-time job. Now she shares her tips.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":24761,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24890","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-reviews"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wbscodingschool.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24890","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wbscodingschool.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wbscodingschool.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wbscodingschool.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wbscodingschool.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24890"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.wbscodingschool.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24890\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":62579,"href":"https:\/\/www.wbscodingschool.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24890\/revisions\/62579"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wbscodingschool.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24761"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wbscodingschool.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24890"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wbscodingschool.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24890"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wbscodingschool.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24890"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}#1 Plan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Hand](\"https:\/\/www.wbscodingschool.com\/files\/AdobeStock-by-Olivier-Le-Moal_296343799-1024x540.jpeg\")
#2 Accept<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Back](\"https:\/\/www.wbscodingschool.com\/files\/AdobeStock-by-bedya_227842019-1024x683.jpeg\")
#3 Structure<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Education](\"https:\/\/www.wbscodingschool.com\/files\/AdobeStock-by-tomertu_361054810-1024x555.jpeg\")
Her final thoughts?<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n