Even though the fear of being inadequate can still persist, Supriya believes that she and her fellow graduates are quite the opposite. Had they not started their careers in different fields, these apprentices may not have had such a smooth transition into the coding roles they have now. It helped me to think, ‘this is actually attainable - I won’t just be the old non-CS guy!” As Giri said, “Most people were older and had some experience and wanted to pivot into a new career. Everyone came in at the same time, like a high school class, and this helped to create a feeling of community.

Jessie, Giri, and Supriya all learned and worked alongside a richly varied group of people: writers, artists, teachers, photographers, salespeople etc. Indeed, the Ignite Apprenticeship is no place for imposter syndrome. Because once I try, I realize, ‘I can do this!’” But the biggest thing was and is getting over the initial feeling of being terrified and just trying.

“I always thought I wanted to do research! I hadn’t done much with computers, and I don’t think I’m naturally good at coding. “I took no computer classes in college either,” said Jessie. During the bootcamp, my thought process was, ‘I’ll just do this and worst case scenario I learn a new skill, but best case scenario, I start a new career.’”īut starting a new career, especially when you’ve spent most of your life preparing for something else, is easier said than done. “When someone I knew randomly mentioned this coding bootcamp they were taking, I looked into it and took some free online classes, then I started at a bootcamp in San Francisco. “I was always good with computers but never took a class,” Giri said. While traveling, he realized a crucial (and scary) truth: he didn’t actually want to be a doctor. And Giri, who had always planned on going into medicine, decided to take a year off after college graduation before going to med school. She became bored with the repetitive work and started to code for fun during her lunch breaks. Meanwhile, Jessie completed her undergraduate degree in micro and molecular biology and immediately moved into her field.

This eventually led her to enroll in a coding bootcamp. Supriya studied biology in college, but during her last two years, took classes that explored the intersection between biology and coding. Left: Jessie Engstrom | Center: Giri Kalra | Right: Supriya DublishĪll three of these coders experienced unique journeys outside of computer science while on their way to the Ignite program.

Dropbox careers after college