In this featured blog, Juno Bootcamp student Mandela Johnson reflects on his journey into tech, and advice for those thinking of doing the same.
My journey into tech began in the spring of 2019. A friend of mine, who’d graduated the Bootcamp at Juno College of Technology, and is now a web developer, told me about the “Intro to Web Development” Part-Time Course, and the Bootcamp at Juno. I declined to even think about it, many times, until one day I decided to give it a shot. That same spring in 2019, I enrolled, and quit. I guess I should tell ya’ll what got me to that point of wanting to try something new huh? Let’s rewind.
In September 2012 I started my undergraduate education in the Bachelor of Public Relations program and Humber College. I’d fallen in love with the field, and thought it was my forever career. During my time at Humber, I’d done an internship per summer break. Some I loved, and others, not so much. For me this was it, until the reality of my industry slowly kicked in upon graduation in 2017. People that looked like me, weren’t as welcome as I had thought. The field wasn’t as inclusive as I had hoped it would be. I thought I was the only one feeling like this, and unfortunately, I wasn’t alone. Like many others, I found myself underemployed, not the right “culture fit”, or made to feel like my work just wasn’t good enough. A story echoed by many of my Black peers.
When I found Juno in 2019, I really took to the teaching style, and coding seemed really interesting. Everyone was extremely welcoming and were so eager to help, not to mention, the very inclusive atmosphere at the college. It felt like home. Was this it? Would my journey into tech actually become a thing? Nope, because I quit. I told myself it (coding) was too hard, I just couldn’t Understand it, the concepts were impossible to grasp. I wasn’t smart enough. All of the excuses I told myself, as to why I couldn’t do it. At the time, I was right, not because it was true, but because I said so.
Fast forward to today, December 2022. I’m enrolled in the Part-Time Web Development Bootcamp at Juno College. My career switch in full swing. Is it hard? Absolutely. Is it doable? Of course! I say all that to say this. If there’s anybody thinking about making the switch into tech I have some advice...
-
It’ll be one of the hardest things you ever do, but DO NOT give up on yourself. If it was easy, everyone would be able to do it.
-
Yes you can. Read that again, as many times as you’d like.
-
Find a local community that has meet ups. Going through this journey with people on the same path makes a huge difference.
-
If you’re in Canada, consider Juno College. Their instructors are amazing, and the community at Juno is extremely inclusive, welcoming and helpful. They want to see you succeed by any means necessary.
What’s stopping you?
This blog was originally posted on Medium. Stay connected with Mandela here!
Explore Juno College's Web Development Bootcamp
Available in full-time and part-time formats, live online, you'll get the specialized skills, support, and community you need to break into tech.