I am Laura, I am 32 years old and I grew up in Switzerland but originally from El Savador. I have been in Dubai for the past 6 years and I attended Le Wagon Batch #562 in Dubai.
Why did you decide to join le Wagon?
Before the bootcamp I worked in Events Management and I also worked for an IT company in Sales and Marketing. That is when I discovered I loved technology and decided to specialise in Digital Marketing. After that I worked on several freelancing side-projects for clients. I was partnering with developers to help my clients build their websites. My biggest challenge was speaking to developers, understanding the tech jargon and translating it to my clients. I needed to leverage my technical skills. That’s why I decided to join Le Wagon. Also, I have always wished to learn how to build a website and especially learn front-end development. Being a creative person, I wanted to know how to use HTML and CSS to design websites. I tried to learn it on my own but it was very difficult! I also wanted to dig more into back-end development and understand the full structure of a website.
What was your most favorite part of the bootcamp?
The projects. During the last two weeks we put everything that we have learnt together by building a fully functionable web app. We shared ideas and we built the app from A to Z.
I also loved the team. We were very close to the teachers, they were truly amazing!
Also being in Dubai, the weather is very nice, we could go to the beach at the end of the day which is priceless.
What was the most challenging part of the bootcamp?
The first three weeks were the most challenging because we were learning and processing new technical concepts on a daily basis so it could be tiring. When we started building our first application based on the Airbnb model we finally connected the dots and understood how it all worked! Everything became much easier.
What support does the bootcamp provide you?
When we didn’t trust in ourselves, the team was always there to support us. We also had the chance to interview speakers of the tech industry and learn many things about entrepreneurship : how to create a business, the legal aspects of it, how to find investors etc. It gave us a network we can rely on. After Le Wagon I joined the Career Week where we learn how to improve our resume, have interviews, simulations and technical tests to help us transition into our new career. Le Wagon is in fact a never-ending experience! I now truly feel part of a family.
What did you learn about yourself?
I learnt a lot. I learnt how to work with people from different backgrounds with different ideas and mindsets. We were all complementary. Some people had worked in Finance, others in the Oil and Gas industry. It was a strong human experience. It was very intense but I learnt how to control my emotions and how to trust the process. It was also amazing to discover how much I could achieve in just 9 weeks.
What was your project?
I worked in team with two other students, Zohrab and Octavia. Our app was called PickEat. It is an app both for clients and restaurants which allows tailoring any meal to your own taste. It also enables restaurants to manage their process by tracking orders and managing their stocks. We actually faced this problem at Le Wagon because every day we had lunch and ordered food from a restaurant. It was always difficult to sort out orders because everyone wanted their own specific meal. I am also a very picky eater so when I order food, I like tailoring my meal by adding or removing ingredients.
What are you up to now?
Doing Le Wagon I discovered I loved doing front-end development so I am now seeking a position as a Front-end Developer or Product Manager. I am still working as a freelancer developing websites for a client portfolio. It’s now so much easier for me to work on those projects since I understand the work of a web developer. I am also building my portfolio website to showcase my products online!
