We asked William about his motivations for joining the bootcamp, expectations after completing the course and a short overview of his bootcamp experience.
What were you doing before Le Wagon and why did you decide to join?
I worked as a digital designer at Isobar Norge, an advertising agency. I was for the most part creating marketing material using creative tools and markup languages (HTML and CSS).
I decided to join Le Wagon to obtain the skillset I’ve always wanted to get regarding programming. Being a designer graduate I felt I needed more technical skills and regretted not going into programming at an earlier stage in life. From a professional point of view, joining Le Wagon enabled me to follow along with my company’s strategy involving marketing automation. I knew tagging along on this strategy would greatly benefit me and the company in the long run. I didn’t want to feel limited to ready tools and what they could offer. Being a developer means being able to create your own tools and creations. As I see it, this will make me a stronger asset at work, as well as enable me to carry out my creative ideas.
Were your expectations met during the bootcamp?
Yes, definitely. However, I wish I prepared a little better for the time after the course.
Going back to work and daily routines make it easy to forget about the importance of maintaining the knowledge obtained after 9 intensive weeks at the bootcamp.
That being said, I’m using a lot of what I learned and if I need a refreshment on some parts of the bootcamp, all resources and a great community are still just a few clicks away.
What was the best part of your bootcamp experience?
Meeting all the great people and being invited into a big and helpful community is definitely the best part of the bootcamp. Finding help solving a programming problem, or keeping up to date with the latest involving development and design is much easier now.
How are you applying your skills now?
After the course, I started to work with marketing automation and marketing technologies on a much larger scale. The role requires me to consult on different technologies as well as being able to work with different programming languages. Using what I’ve learned during the bootcamp I am better prepared to continue learning independently and fulfill my new role as a MarTech Solutions Consultant. I am now able to talk programming with skilled developers, contribute to writing code, and work with data.
Do you have any advice for future students?
First, I’d advise you to do the prep-work. Not half of it, but all of it. And start early. It’ll lay the foundation for the upcoming weeks and give you an idea of what to expect.
Second, get enough sleep. Your brain needs it. Don’t underestimate the cognitive consequences of sleep deprivation. Especially during the 9 intensive weeks of the bootcamp.
It is an intensive bootcamp, providing you with the knowledge needed in order to become a full-stack developer. On top of that, the course introduces you to a large community of likeminded people, with whom you can stay in touch long after the course and really become a part of a programming and start-up scene.
