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From Service Desk Technician to Solution Delivery Engineer, Sandbox Banking

"The instructors were all really great. They had a lot of experience and diverse backgrounds. Having the support of experienced people in the field was a big plus."

This is Brian Zbriger, a Nucamp Back End Bootcamp honors graduate and now a Solution Delivery Engineer at Sandbox Banking.

You can watch Brian’s Back End Bootcamp honors project here.

Brian’s favorite pastime is hiking to a beautiful spot to hang his hammock and relax with a good book.

When he isn’t enjoying the outdoors, Brian keeps himself busy solving math and coding puzzles.

Brian was originally a sociologist, completing research in Malaysia and teaching at a college level.

However, the work grew far more repetitive than expected and so he started teaching himself Python for a change of pace.

It started off as something small and eventually grew into a new hobby.

Coding was more energizing than his day-to-day, so he double-downed and switched into IT as he continued to teach himself coding.

Working at a help desk was Brian’s first step toward progressing his career to better pay and a more flexible schedule.

He took self-study as far as he could until he felt his progress plateau.

Brian talked to others who completed coding bootcamps and realized he would benefit from that type of structure as well.

The price of coding bootcamps caused him to put off registering at first but seeing how affordable Nucamp was in comparison, he couldn’t pass up the opportunity.

Brian was interested in learning back end development and Nucamp’s back end bootcamp had the tech stack he was interested in; it was the perfect fit!

He ended up loving the curriculum and benefited from the support of instructors who are experienced professionals in the field.

Brian also attributes his success to the collaborative environment, weekly classroom workshops, and flexible schedule.

“I gained a lot of confidence through this. If I set a goal and stick with it, I can accomplish it. I had a lot more doubts a few months ago. Would I be able to excel in a coding career? By focusing, doing the bootcamp, I can continue to reach my goals.”

Describe your job search process.

Brian leveraged his network of peers to secure his job after graduation.

He took the initiative to ask his classmate about a tech assignment they had and applied to the same company; this is where he ended up taking a job.

Brian repeated this process and got leads on job opening by simply asking classmates and others he had met in the tech industry.

He utilized LinkedIn, Indeed, and Angel List for the positions he applied for.

”Networking with my peers was the key to getting my job.”

What advice do you have for people who are thinking about attending a bootcamp, but haven't yet registered?

“Once you think you’re ready to take a coding bootcamp, go on LinkedIn and find people who have graduated with a similar background and have a career path that aligns with what you want. Ask them for advice.”

What advice do you have for people who have already started the bootcamp and are about to start the DevOps module?

“If you can, expose yourself to Docker, Linux, and command line. That will help you make the most of your learning. A lot of it is being open and patient. Know you won’t understand everything you’re going through. You follow the tutorial, you won’t understand each step, but it’s about the exposure. Don’t panic if you find it overwhelming at first.”