Annie's journey into coding with Juno College
Before investing in Juno’s Web Development Bootcamp, Annie decided to take Juno's part-time Web Development course to be absolutely sure it was something she wanted to do.
“I remember there was a precise moment late one night when I was troubleshooting a button transition and it worked! It was in the resulting endorphin high I experienced that I realized, I really can do this!”
Soon enough, Annie applied to Juno’s Bootcamp, and was accepted!
Juno’s clear curriculum and deadlines helped Annie stay motivated and on target with her goals. She found herself inspired by the passionate community of students in her cohort who were also there to make a career change, and the first-hand advice from Juno's instructors who worked in the industry. Annie felt “a collective sense of purpose, camaraderie and journey” with her cohort.
At the end of the day, our lives are a collection of experiences. This nine-week chapter of immersive education at Juno is one that I really value. Beyond the intellectual stimulation of learning, it was the people I met and the connections I’ve built that mean the most about my time there.
Annie graduated in Summer 2019 with new friends, new skills, and a new sense of purpose. Only two weeks after graduation, she landed her first job as a Front-End Developer at Trew Knowledge, a WordPress VIP Agency in Toronto. Annie worked on building the front-end architecture of new websites, debugging existing projects, and implementing new micro-sites or products within the brand. She also gave presentations to clients, communicated any blockages or suggestions for improvements with her team, and advocated for accessibility and culture in the company.
Next, Annie joined the team at Pastel as a UI/UX Developer - and was promoted to Front-End Engineer Lead in less than a year!
Why work in tech?
To start, it has given her peace of mind, financially - no more worrying about living paycheck to paycheck! Tech has also given a great sense of meaning to her work, and a feeling of community through events, conferences, and the general culture of continuous learning and growth.
"I feel I use the word “impact” and “meaningful” a lot, but that’s because it really describes how I feel," she says. "A job is a job at the end of the day. It’s not your whole life but you spend so many hours on/at it, so with that time, why not use it to contribute something good at some scale?"
Technology touches almost all other industries and verticals. It’s amazing to say that you’re helping to build the internet or shaping the future in this area somehow.
"I think the thing that inspires me is really knowing that what you’re working on can have a meaningful impact on people," she continues. "Maybe the feature you work on helps better the user experience for those with disabilities. Maybe the website you build allows a small business owner to feed their family or keeps people in employment. Or the product is one that adds some other value to the world."
Annie also adds that her digital skills helps her feel a little more secure in a world where technology can be hard to understand. As for some challenges that Annie faced during her journey into tech, she brings up some very relatable points - and some helpful reminders to those who may feel similarly:
“I feel like some of the biggest challenges you’ll face are always in your own head. Imposter syndrome was, and still is, very real for me. It's helpful to know that almost everyone goes through this. Even though I might feel this way, someone believed in and hired me. If I look at the evidence of work I’ve done, well, I guess I can call myself a developer.”
