Sabio Graduate Alan's Story: How He Landed a Software Developer Job in 2 Weeks
Alan is “Living Proof” that the Program Works – A Job 2 Weeks After Graduation, No Degree Necessary.
Alan spent 14 years in the military as a critical care flight paramedic. He always had an interest in coding so after his years of service, he decided to see if he could get a job in tech.
Some google searching led him to Sabio and he enrolled in the program. But like any coding bootcamp, no matter which way you slice it, it’s a tough ride. To manage the high workload in his cohort, Alan had a way for staying productive: “My thing was I like to just switch to another portion of the project because there's always like two or three things you could be working on. So I just changed my outlook and started working on something else and then, Oh crap, that's how I need to fix that bug. And then I'll just bounce back and forth like a rabbit or something.”
Changing gears is one way to stay efficient. But sometimes, the stress of a problem can just be too much. In this case, Alan recommends taking a step back and, as he jokes, there are several ways to do it. “I'm not sure how everyone else blows off stress. I just go over here and kick the walls for a little bit, but I come back to it after I've calmed down and here it goes.”
The job search process can be just as demanding. Fortunately for Alan, it wasn’t as protracted as for others. He had offers coming in after two weeks thanks partly to the volume he was putting out. “I kind of threw my name into everything. Senior to entry. I didn't really care. I don't know how many applications I put in. I stopped keeping track. But my rejection email folder is over 300.” As he advises, you shouldn’t get hung up on what the job is and whether or not you want it. That kind of reflection is better spent once you have a response from the company. “When they're going to interview you, then you can start making your decisions.”
A wide net is not the only piece of advice he has for job-seekers. Of high importance is also staying on top of your coding skills lest you forget things that’ll come up in the interview. “Stay coding guys, because the technical interview will come and you're going to be like, Oh man, I knew this, but I don't remember because I worried too much about my job interviews.” And as he reminded listeners, you do NOT need a college degree to become a software developer. “Not having a degree did not hinder the process of finding a job at all.”
Of course, if you have security clearance from your military days, this will make the job search easier. “They're looking for .NET developers like it's going out of style.” A high supply of these listings can be found on clearancejobs.com. Even though Alan did have clearance, he ended up getting a normal job anyways.
His offers ranged from $75k to $90k a year but he ultimately chose something in the middle because he really liked the small size of the company and his opportunity for growth there. Now, working fully remote on the East Coast but on West Coast hours, he has the mornings to himself and enjoys a great work-life balance.
Alan was hired by:
SimX 