Changing careers comes down to placing one foot in front of the other

From TV Producer to Software Analyst, Snap Inc.

"Completing the bootcamp has helped me with my self-confidence, assertiveness, and belief in myself."

This is Mecca Adams, a Nucamp Bootcamp graduate and now a Software Analyst at Snap Inc., contracting for the Department of Defense.

Being a long distance runner, Mecca knows the value of pacing herself to reach the goal.

Mecca has spent the last 20 years making 30-second commercial spots for cable TV advertising, but as streaming services took off, cable TV ads appeared to be on their last leg.

When clients started asking for their commercials to be on the web, she knew it would soon be time to take a different course, which is exactly what she did after her production department was closed in 2020.

Mecca had warmed up to web development while taking community college courses in web design, but knew she needed to go the distance with more intense education.

She first heard about Bootcamps through Career Karma's 21-day challenge to keep people in step with their coding goals.

One 21-day tasks for new people was to reach out to someone who had comleted the challenge and that's when she met a friend that told her about Nucamp.

When Mecca saw how affordable it was and that the in-person workshop met blocks away from her house, Nucamp was the shoe that fit.

What it was like taking a Nucamp Bootcamp

Mecca had a lot of expectations for her instructors in the Full Stack Bootcamp, but they were always open to questions and never made her feel dumb, which gave her comfort.

For her, the structure of the bootcamp provided a great tempo that made it easier to learn new concepts.

Describe your job search process.

After graduating in June of 2020, Mecca set a goal for herself: "I will get a job within a year."

One of the first steps she took was to register and subscribe to various job boards, including Indeed, The Muse, and job boards for the federal government that required certain levels of clearance.

When she looked at the number of differnet skills the jobs required, she started taking on coding projects to brush up her skills.

One thing that kept her going was seeing how much demand was out there.

Mecca applied to a number of jobs simply to get interview experience and overcome nervousness.

In March of 2021, she received an offer from Snap Inc., beating her goal by 3 months.

"This has been a huge step and accomplishment for me."

What advice would you give to someone just starting out?

"Do it! Don't hesitate. You're going to leave things behind, but you're going to gain a lot as well. Don't try to make it all pretty, just get the work done, on time, then go back and improve things. You're not going to fail—this program is designed for you to succeed."