Curious about what it’s like to be a learner at Kenzie? Alumnus Cramer Grimes gives us a peek into his journey and shares advice for navigating the program in this learner blog.
Why did I come to Kenzie? I’m often asked this question.
I did my undergraduate and graduate studies in Applied Mathematics with a minor in Computer Science, but I was never able to manifest those skills into a developer job.
I would hear things like:
“Math people make great developers.”
“Employers will jump at hiring you.”
“The transition is easy.”
Turns out, it wasn’t as simple as that.
I have spent so much time learning particular programming languages, reading XYZ books, doing lists and lists of ‘problems,’ enrolling in a number of online classes. But I never really got anywhere.
It’s really easy to find stories of people who have degrees and/or studied programming for years, yet they have no luck getting job interviews. I was definitely in this boat. Looking at my background, I was confused as to why I was having such difficulty. I would think, “Hadn’t I done the work?” In frustration, I would ponder, “What more do I need to do?!”
I was slowly coming to the conclusion that I was doing something wrong but had no idea what it was or how to make the change. I was slowly giving up.
Enter Kenzie.
I didn’t sign up for Kenzie to “learn how to code.” I didn’t sign up to “learn a particular programming technology.” I probably could have gotten a job eventually on my own.
I bought into Kenzie to fill in the “gaps” of what I was doing “wrong.” I was surrendering to Kenzie to help me right my ship. I wanted to know:
● This is how you create a portfolio
● This is what you can expect in a workday
● This is how you can present yourself to a prospective employer
● This is a job we think fits you
● Here is an interesting project to stretch your skills
● Here are things to investigate on your own
● Here is support from fellow learners
● Here is support from alumni
For someone with degrees and previous coding experience, these were the things which ultimately led me to sign up for Kenzie. Knowing then what I know now, I would do it all over again, no questions asked.
Ready to jumpstart your career in tech? Learn more about our programs, or check out our free beginner’s coding program Kenzie Free.
