Data Analyst to Automation Support Engineer

I was working as a Data Analyst in the oil/gas industry for a pipeline integrity company.

I found it difficult to work for a company in a dying/antiquated industry which lacked meaningful career advancements. I enjoyed the work but I didn’t see myself in the position long-term.

I thoroughly researched tech boot camps in the industry and ended up selecting Coding Temple because of their glowing reviews. I read post after post from CT alumni sharing a very similar experience. Everyone said their instructors sincerely cared about their well being and worked their butt’s off for their students.

The sheer volume of the course material was extremely heavy and difficult. I’d like to think I succeeded in the program for two major reasons: I worked harder than I ever have in my life and I communicated my needs/emotions with CT staff. I came very close to quitting the very first week. I called my instructor (Kevin) and told him I thought I made a huge mistake and the boot camp wasn’t for me and I wasn’t smart enough. Kevin helped talk me off the ledge and encouraged me to continue by reminding me that it’s supposed to be difficult… it’s a boot camp! Thank you again Kevin! I’m not sure other tech boot camps have instructors like Coding Temple.

Coding Temple taught me many different languages and frameworks but most importantly they taught me how to learn. It sounds cliche but the course is set up in a way that teaches its students how to find answers on their own. The course really sets you up to succeed in the real world.

Google, YouTube, stack overflow, W3, my other classmates (shout out to Dylan K and everyone else), and instructors (Dylan S and Kevin).

The course was incredibly difficult but the job search is just as hard.I can’t imagine navigating the job search in this industry without Coding Temple’s expertise and resources. Marlene helped me write an incredible resume that was revised over and over with the help of CT’s technical alumni staff (shout-out to Sam). She also gave me LinkedIn advice and helped me create a meaningful digital presence online. Anytime I had an interview scheduled I would have a mock interview with the technical alumni staff. Prior to the mock interview they would review the job posting and craft unique questions that I would likely encounter in the interview. I had countless interviews and I can tell you that Coding Temple did a fantastic job at predicting questions. The position I was eventually hired for required 5 interviews and a take home technical assessment and presentation. I worked with Coding Temple through every step of this gruelling process. This means I had 5 technical interview prep sessions with experienced software engineers! I’m not sure I would have been as successful as I was without Coding Temple as a resource.

I literally have a new career! I’m currently working as a Robotics Automation Support Engineer where I work on robots that automate medical laboratory processes. I love my new job and find the work interesting, challenging, and meaningful. I’m trying to be a sponge and learn anything and everything. I’d like to eventually become a Senior Robotics Engineer and would like to eventually manage a team of other engineers.

I didn’t expect Coding Temple’s staff to care as much as they did. They’re willing to put forth the same effort as their students. On a few different occasions I was up well past midnight working through the course material. I was stumped and sent my instructor(Kevin) a question expecting to wake up to a reply the next day. To my surprise he responded almost immediately and jumped on the phone with me to work through my questions. I had the same experience working with Marlene after graduation. I received a short notice job interview and didn’t have my resume completed. She jumped on the phone with me and helped get the resume edited and sent to the prospective employer.

Work hard. Ask as many questions as you can. Tell your instructors how you’re feeling, especially if you’re struggling. Be vulnerable (it’s okay). Open up about what you’re confused about. Get to know your fellow students. They’re a great resource and they make the course far more enjoyable.