ed2go Success Story: Becoming a Full Stack Developer

ed2go Success Story: Becoming a Full Stack Developer

Marc M. was hired as a full stack developer a year after he started learning web development, thanks to an ed2go course.

By the time Marc finished Full Stack Software Developer, a 600-hour course developed by Code Institute, Europe’s only universally accredited coding bootcamp, he had a ‘Diploma in Software Development’ and a GitHub portfolio that helped him land his new position.

An Uncertain Career Transition

Marc’s career change started in 2017, when a restructure left him without a job after more than a decade with his employer.

At a crossroads, Marc asked himself: did he want to find a new job by sticking with what he knew or take a chance and go in a different direction?

“You have to factor all these things in,” Marc said. “Will this work? Am I going to be able to support my family?”

He played with the idea of becoming a web developer. As one of the fastest growing professions, it seemed like an ideal career based on his previous years as a systems engineer.

In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects demand for web developers to grow by 14.9 percent over the next ten years.

But the web development field has a high barrier of entry. Primarily, recruiters want to see previous experience as a developer. Marc realized he needed a portfolio, so he decided to dedicate a year to learning web development and building a portfolio.

Tapping Into WIOA-Funding

The first step to his goal was finding the right training.

Marc went to the Golden Sierra Workforce Investment Board, which serves California’s Sacramento Valley area, to see what his options were. Golden Sierra’s Job Training program provides continuing education funding for job seekers in career transition – this was just what Marc needed for his big career move.

He told his case manager that he wanted to go into programming. Their response? ‘We can help you out.’

Golden Sierra connected Marc to California State University San Bernardino, who partner with ed2go to offer the online Full Stack Developer course.

The University had the course listed on the Eligible Training Provider List, so Golden Sierra was able to fully cover the cost with Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) funding.

“That’s how I found this course,” he said.

A Year of Web Developer Training

To master the “full-stack,” Marc had to learn front end and backend web development, database framework, and agile methodology.

First, he learned HTML5 and CSS3 to build an interactive, user-centric front-end webpage. He then studied JavaScript, Python, MySQL, MongoDB, and Django to build a backend framework.

As he completed milestones in the course, Marc developed an online GitHub portfolio that showcased his different languages and industry-required skills.

“Recruiters want to see your code,” Marc said. “The course really helps show what type of developer you are.”

Taking His Skills to the Job Market

Next came the job search and dozens of interviews.

“When you put all your information out there, whether it’s your LinkedIn profile or your portfolio website,” Marc said, “you can’t help wondering if the interviewers do their research?”

As it turns out, Marc’s new boss did do her research.

Marc’s background as a systems engineer caught her eye, but she wanted to know more about his Diploma in Software Development.

The interviewers, now Marc’s boss and colleagues, pulled up his portfolio in the middle of the interview to critique his code and understanding of user functionality.

“I guess my portfolio was really appealing,” Marc said. “It showed that I can do what I say I can do on my resume.”

That was enough to hire him.

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