Grateful heart

Hi Stranger,

How is life treating you?

Today’s article is not part of the Self-care series, but I promise that the next one will be.

It seems like with every article, this awesome community keeps growing and I am thankful to all of you for your constant support!

Lost inside my head would not exist without all of you!

I want this article to be only a celebration! I wanted to talk about something else too, but it can wait.

I also finished another short course and received my certificate, and I really enjoyed it and learned so many things.

So, I said two weeks ago that I might have some good news soon. I did not want to spoil it until I had a confirmation.

I wrote about the company named Code First Girls, and how I am completing some of their sponsored courses. Well, this company offers a lot more than this.

They organise 3 cohorts every year (if you are interested, applications for the autumn cohort open in May) and different companies will sponsor courses that last either 13 or 16 weeks, some with a job guarantee afterwards. These courses were called Nanodegree, but they just rebranded them, and they are called CFGdegree now.

It's a coding bootcamp, they don't select many people and of course, it's completely free.

You can apply for two companies at a time, they have data science, software development and since this year also full-stack.

I want to leave the U.K. soon so I avoided applying to companies that come with a job guarantee afterwards.

Honestly, I kept thinking if I should give it a go or not, I knew when they opened the applications yet I decided to apply two days before the deadline. I had no expectations, I just wanted to take it off of my mind saying that I applied. I considered two small companies offering software development and full-stack, and submitted the forms. I had to answer some basic questions at first, then write bigger answers for more important questions.

Later that day, they already sent me another email saying that they want to invite me to complete their technical assessment. I had to choose between JavaScript and Python. I chose JavaScript and that was not easy, it actually had many advanced concepts and I gave it my best. I spent quite some time on it, but I was successful!

Two days later, they invited me for a video interview. I wrote some answers for each question, practiced them out loud until I felt confident to take a video of myself and I submitted it.

Almost two weeks later, I received an email and they said that a new company joined right before the deadline, and it was offering more than I was looking for, with a job offer starting in September. The idea of giving up my plans to relocate made me feel a bit uneasy, but I couldn’t say no to such opportunity. I would have needed to pass two more stages, including an interview with the sponsoring company before knowing for sure if the spot is mine.

It is highly competitive and over 1600 candidates applied, I think they can only accept 100 people for each cohort.

Two days ago I received an email that this company decided to withdraw from sponsoring this course and I felt so disappointed! However, they also told to keep an eye on an email from them about the Nanodegree application process and the next steps.

Honestly, I was expecting another email just telling me to try again for the autumn cohort.

Hours later, I did receive something from them but not what I expected!

Code First Girls said they were sorry I narrowly missed on this opportunity sponsored by a certain company, but I have great potential, and they reviewed their education fund.

Basically, they decided that they will invest 10k in me, offering me the full-stack path!

I don’t think they even personally sponsored candidates before, so this is overwhelming! Although this does not come with a job guarantee afterwards, it’s just even better as I have the freedom to apply for whatever company I want!

I feel truly grateful that they could see my potential and didn’t want me to miss on this opportunity…

It still feels unreal, like damn, I got in!

I will have to drop the short course that starts at the end of this month but it’s okay, I will try to ask them if I can join at a later date. Seems like it might not be covered in the bootcamp, but I will learn it myself regardless if I cannot get that course again.

I signed the agreement two days ago so it’s official!!! I will start on the 23rd of May, two days after my birthday!

Frankly, I don’t think I could have received a better gift! I mean, I did this!

My heart is filled with gratitude right now, I am proud of myself for not giving up. Although I applied last minute and I didn’t even think that I will pass, I was the top choice for the other company too…

After completing this bootcamp, I will also become one of their instructors. I don't think I am great at teaching but I enjoy helping others.

It feels like a dream honestly, it’s hard to comprehend how I even reached this point! I didn’t even consider this path until the very end of 2020, and I was reluctant, thought it might not be for me.

If someone told me some time ago that I will consider this as a career, I would have laughed.

It felt like something unattainable for me, and I never tried it, had no chances to learn anything related to this in my home country.

I just wanted to learn some new skills out of curiosity and then I ended up liking it. I wish I had spent more time studying last year but I will cut myself some slack, I was not well and I was still finishing my law certificate and working at a law firm.

Now this is my priority, and I think I finally found something that can bring me the same joy that psychology does.

I want to thank my boyfriend for believing in me from the very beginning! He told me straightaway that this is certainly something that I can learn and become very good at it!

He is my biggest supporter, and he is my inspiration. I truly admire him.

There is also a woman that inspires me, showing me that women do belong in tech and they can learn anything. We are good friends and I am sure our friendship will only blossom.

I also have my best friends always supporting me, and they get more excited about everything than I do. I honestly couldn't have asked for better people in my life!

Your life changes for the better when you surround yourself with awesome and genuine people!

Don't let anyone tell you that you are not good enough for something! Explore new things and don't let fear and misconceptions stop you for becoming your authentic self! Growth is uncomfortable, but it only happens outside your comfort zone!

Believe in your own potential, before anyone else! I know it's hard, but take a leap of faith in yourself! Don't settle for things that don't make you happy! For me, the idea of having a career that I despise was just something that I cannot even imagine. I am a nonconformist and I am proud of myself!

I am passionate, I am dedicated, I am capable of doing anything, but I refuse to follow a path that does not align with my vision, values, and dreams!

Let the Universe enlighten your path!

Take care of yourself!

Don't forget to dance if you can: https://youtu.be/T76C9nuc5lQ