In mid-2019, amid the pandemic, I left my unfulfilling job as a retail store manager of 5 years due to the lack of work-life balance and the impact it had on my mental health. Feeling pushed to the absolute edge I put in my two weeks and made the decision to utilize all that energy into something that would challenge and grow with me.
My sister, Michelle Bakels, a former Gallery Director and Art-History Major turned software developer, inspired me to make the switch to tech. I saw how happy she was and I couldn't remember the last time I could truly say I was happy.
I began attending free online tech meetups and seminars through South Florida Tech Hub and enrolled in several short courses, including User Experience (UX) Design, Intro to Web Dev, and Game Development. After completing these courses, I took a 10-week Software Engineering bootcamp that was mentally challenging but immensely rewarding. It was a mental hurdle to believe I am capable of learning these things, to be comfortable with the unknown and understand how to find the right answers not memorize them. Imposter syndrome hit me hard about 8 weeks in when I realized how much I didn't know and how massive the world of tech is. It felt like I was swimming in a pond only to look around and realize I was in the middle of the ocean.
This is where my support system was key. I had my person, my sister, to talk to in those low moments when I thought I really couldn't make it through. She heard me out, sympathize with my struggle, gave me the reality check I needed, and held me accountable. With her help, I completed the bootcamp and went on to land a job as an intern software engineer at CITY Furniture, where I joined the digital software engineering team. I felt like I was living the dream, making twice as much as I did at my previous job and having my weekends and holidays to enjoy my life.
Today, years after starting my bootcamp, I still wake up every day excited to work in tech and pursue opportunities that I never thought were possible. If I can do it, so can you.
Not at all, you need to have basic math/order of operations knowledge for most developer jobs
You are. I thought the same but you get out what you put into it. It's not about being "smart"; it's about being committed fully
Imposter syndrome, my own brain getting in the way, telling me I'm not meant to be in this field, being self-defeating. You need to be comfortable with not knowing the answers and know the right place to find them or reach out for help.