Jeslyn went from boring career path to exciting and lucrative job as .NET Developer
On the eve of a 26th birthday, most find themselves still searching for the career that feels (and pays) just right. Thanks to Sabio, Jeslyn however is already a successful .NET developer with nowhere to go but up. Yet, this clear path wasn’t always so laid out for her, like many at a younger age she was simply looking for a “good profession,” and getting by working in corporate marketing.
“I got my masters, and I was going into a health profession, which to be honest, I wasn’t interested in personally. And that’s pretty much when I realized within my first year that I was doing well, but really not enjoying the classes or observations as much.”
It was lucky circumstance that just at that time a friend of hers was getting into coding and they both discovered Sabio. “Literally a week from discovering it, I dropped out of my masters and went full fledged with Sabio.”
When asked why she put her eggs all in the Sabio basket, Jeslyn had an immediate response. “Because they seemed, …just to put it bluntly, the most legitimate. I even have friends who went to other bootcamps, and I heard from them that the graduates from the bootcamps were the ones teach there, unlike Sabio which has actual industry professional. I also appreciated how they showed their stats, they had amazing reviews online where everyone repeatedly said, ‘trust in the system,” and ‘within X amount of time you’ll get there. There was just a foundation and support that spoke for itself. I looked at other schools, but Sabio set such a high standard, no where else came close.”
Like many who attend Sabio, Jeslyn knew nothing about coding in the beginning. The day pre-work started was the first time she saw code, but that didn’t stop her from reaching all of her goals. “That’s highly because of Sabio’s curriculum and their diligence, and just the whole framework. The whole process really helped me. Prework, getting a mixture of the difference language, as well as the cohort which had such intense immersiveness. All of those things together is really what helped solidify the education for me.”
Jeslyn felt especially lucky with her “amazing cohort.” They were a constant backbone of support as she found her footing in the world of coding. “Everyone was so sweet and helpful, even though I’m actually kind of an introvert. You’d think being on the same table with the same 14 people for ten hours a day would be a lot for me, but it really wasn’t. We helped each other and it was always a positive experience. Just the bonding with my other cohort mates while being inspired by them as well, it helped a lot.”
After graduation, (and even during,) Jeslyn hit the ground running by applying for as many jobs as she could. “I just did it the Sabio way, a ton of carpet bombing, as much interview practice as possible. I did exactly what they said and I think that’s what helped really nail it for me because especially after the first few interviews I felt really confident. So by my interview for the job I have now, I already had the confidence that I was going to get it.”
Jeslyn now works at IAPMO Group. and loves it. “It was crazy because I literally interviewed at 9AM that morning and at 3PM got the job offer.” As she currently flourishes at her job she remarks that the work environment is almost exactly like the environment at cohort. “I think that was a big thing. A lot of people can teach themselves to code online, but what Sabio is able to give you is not only a quicker path to this, but they’re also able to give you the critique for it. I’m not just copying and pasting something from stack overflows, I know how to follow team standards, meet conventions, things like that.”
She also attributes a lot of her success to Sabio’s teaching methods and her instructor Mike McGranahan specifically. “He taught us without ever actually giving the answers away, which I think is huge. They’re giving you the technique and skill set that you’re actually going to apply later on. As you get into more intense environments, you have to rely on yourself. Mike really helped prepare us for that. He was always kind of abstract, always with little hints, small stepping stones that get you there. I feel like that helps so much with learning how to stand out in the really world. I really can’t rave about him enough. He was so amazing.”
Jeslyn also attributed her tenacity to never give up from the Sabio communities constant support. “When I was first getting rejections, I was feeling kind of down, then Liliana Monge (Sabio’s Co-Founder and CEO,) connected me to other Sabio grads who either just recently graduated or just landed a job. Talking with them was so helpful, just sharing our experiences together, made me realize I wasn’t alone, also hearing their tips. The community that Sabio provides is invaluable. It was because of those connections and pep talks I was about to set myself back up and find the determination that eventually got me this great job.”
Her love and support for the community continues to grow every day, “I mean the community that they make is just phenomenal, because we’re all on the same page, this is all somewhat new to us, and we all just jumped into the page of 70 hours a week coding sessions and everyone is so there for each other.”
If you’re interested in coding and/or joining Sabio, Jeslyn says “Just do it,” plain and simple. “A lot of people I feel are really hesitant, because it definitely can be a lot. And from someone who completely understands that, but who also went full-fledged into it and now is seeing the immense benefit of it, you literally just have to trust the process, it actually works. Just do go and do it. It will work for you.”
Ultimately for Jeslyn, she feels Sabio stands out because, “it’s evident they care about their Sabio fellows. And that really apparent through the instructors. The community. The whole package is really composed nicely. It can be intimidating, it can be intense, but the results of it are incredible. Here I am 9 months later as a .NET developer and I didn’t even know what HTML was last summer.”
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Written by Sassy Mohen