This is what Christine Shiels she had to say about her experience within the Pathways to Tech program:
When I first heard about Pathways to Tech, I was in a pretty dark place. I was suffering from depression and stress due to an extremely hostile work environment. After eight years of school, nine years working in my field, and over two years trying to find a new job in a dwindling market, I felt stuck, defeated, and had little hope that I would ever find a respectful and healthy workplace.
I had taken a workshop with Canada Learning Code about machine learning on a whim and found it interesting and fun. They sent an email about a scholarship opportunity, which sat in my inbox for some time. But I kept coming back to it and imagining what it would be like to try breaking into a new industry, at this stage of my life. It seemed scary and difficult, but also exciting; I was worried though, that I would be jumping out of one old-boys-club right into another. Eventually, I decided to take a chance and apply. At the very least, I would have a project to work on and something to feel hopeful about for a few weeks.
I searched for all the information I could find about Juno College because honestly it sounded a little too-good-to-be-true but couldn’t find a single negative review or comment online. After speaking with Ali Crandall and learning all about Juno firsthand, I felt I had made the right decision to try to pivot my career into tech.
I started the Web Development course at Juno and immediately fell in love. I have always been a problem-solver and the curriculum fit right into my interests in puzzles and games. The most amazing thing is the environment that the instructors created. I had never experienced such a welcoming and supportive place where I felt represented and heard; I didn’t even think such a place really existed. This sealed my decision to continue into the JavaScript course and Web Development Bootcamp and to do my best to prepare for a brand-new career as a front-end developer.
The community we developed as students, instructors, and mentors was integral to my success. We laughed a lot together and cried together, in sadness, frustration, but also in the joys of our accomplishments. I looked forward every morning to starting class with my cohort and miss them now that we have all gone on our separate paths.
After Bootcamp ended, the job-hunt was daunting but Juno supplied us with ample resources and support. I applied at a company that I had been a fan of for years, never thinking I would get a call back, but ended up accepting an offer. Six months after my first day at Juno, I was employed in a new and exciting career, with a higher salary in a fun and progressive workplace that values diversity and inclusion, and because of Pathways to Tech and Juno College, I am excited and hopeful for the future.
Feeling stuck at your job?
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