Having the Drive to Change Careers May Not Be Enough without a Road Map

From Crime Scene Investigator to Jr Front End Developer, LovelySkin

"You can use free resources, but at the end of the day, without the bootcamp, there’s no guidance. The bootcamp is super helpful to have a class to work with, but also the deadlines, the accountability, and the guidance. It made the difference."

This is Jonathan Cardenas, a Nucamp Full Stack Bootcamp graduate and now a Jr Front End Developer at LovelySkin.

Jonathan is a natural problem-solver.

This is apparent since he enjoys modifying cars, he was a crime scene investigator, and now he solves problems with code.

Before considering a career as a web developer, Jonathan enjoyed his job as an investigator.

He loved how exciting it was, but as he considered his future he couldn’t help thinking about how mentally and physically demanding being an investigator was.

In search of a more comfortable job to transition into down the road, Jonathan looked to his friends for inspiration: a lot of them were working in IT, web development, or system administration.

Without putting the brakes on his career, in 2012 Jonathan started teaching himself coding in his spare time.

Taking a look under the hood at how the internet actually worked was fascinating to him.

Jonathan started off learning Python from a free course but wasn’t impressed with the program.

Then he took a step back to learn HTML, CSS, and JavaScript and it all began to click from there.

Jonathan completed circuits on and off again for years where he would study for a 6-month sprint and then take his foot off the gas for just as long.

The inconsistency caused him to lose precious momentum, setting him back considerably each time.

Once COVID lockdowns arrived, Jonathan started to look into coding bootcamps for a source of motivation and accountability so he could finally accelerate his learning.

He was concerned with spending $10,000-$20,000 on the local or even remote bootcamps he came across.

What if he spent that money and didn't end up going in the direction he wanted?

Finding Nucamp’s coding bootcamps eased his fears by having the right tech stack and mentorship he wanted at an affordable price.

After graduating from the Full Stack Bootcamp, Jonathan applied to job openings without being too picky—if it remotely matched his skills set- he applied.

Jonathan landed interviews with eight companies, and within three months after graduation secured his first job in tech as a Jr Front End Developer.

“I have always been the type of person who does things themselves. I’m a big DIY guy: watching videos and reading forums to figure stuff out. That's how I do a lot of my car stuff around the house. Going through the bootcamp solidified the fact that I’m capable of teaching myself things if I put my mind to it.”

What advice do you have for aspiring developers who are considering a coding bootcamp, but haven't registered yet?

“I think the reason why I did as well as I did had a lot to do with familiarizing myself with the concepts.
If someone was on the fence and they had tried teaching themselves, I’d say definitely take the bootcamp. If they were totally brand new, I would tell them to go teach themselves some stuff first and see if coding is interesting to them.
You have to take it seriously and push yourself past your comfort zone.”

What advice do you have for students who have started their coding bootcamp and are about to learn React.js?

“Pay attention to the material and don’t feel bad when you have to go back and rewatch videos or even play the videos while you’re coding. Once it clicks for you, React is great. It’s going to be overwhelming, but that’s what the in-person classes on Saturday are for; get clarification on stuff in your class.”