I can’t imagine taking a better path

After working as an English teacher for ten years, I came to the conclusion that I’d achieved all I could in that role. I have several friends who work in IT and I’d never heard them complain about their jobs. I offered up my thoughts about changing careers to discussion with them and they gave me the green light. They’d known me and my capabilities since high school and they claimed that, if I was determined and underwent the right training, I’d cope. So I gave it a go and took a course in Java programming. It lasted a year and determination really did turn out to be crucial to completing it. Only a few of us had the grit to get through it… eighteen people started out on the course, but just six of us made it to the end. Then I came across the MakoLab Careers page and one of the job offers there included a connected car boot camp. Hand on heart, I can now say that I’m glad I wound up here, because it’s allowed me to see how much I know and how much I have to learn.

It’s a kind of internship that’s intended to take three months, more or less. The first two months involve developing a project in line with the guidelines, working under the supervision of a mentor… in other words, an experienced programmer who provides regular feedback. There’s also a database of training courses you can take, as well as a source where you can find reliable information. The whole thing is grounded in learning through experience. That doesn’t only mean writing code, but also exploring new ideas and concepts, good practice and tools. During the second stage of the boot camp, in other words, the third month, you work independently… with no daily feedback from the mentor. There’s one project task, which is planned for the entire month and interspersed with weekly demonstrations of progress. It mirrors the pattern of work on projects, but it’s carried out under safe conditions because it’s still boot camp, so you can make mistakes and learn from them.

I’m working on a commercial project now, but I’m still ‘implementing’ myself… finding out about the project and getting to know the team. It’s definitely already on a different scale to what I was doing at the boot camp. There are so many layers and nooks and crannies. I’m exploring as I go and then trying to bring them all together into a meaningful whole. I’m still learning the vital terminology connected with the project, the new tools and what the people on the team say to me. One plus is that, thanks to the boot camp, I’m already partially ‘implemented’ as regards how we work at MakoLab.

I’m walking, talking confirmation of the fact that there are no limits when it comes to your education, although a background in the field is certainly very useful. Before someone actually joins MakoLab, they do need some basic skills and knowledge, of course. Boot camp helps you systemise everything and also to develop. I’d recommend it to people who want to learn and aren’t afraid to ask questions… and also to those who are looking for interesting projects to work on. And if someone’s keen on brand names, then MakoLab really does collaborate with some seriously major international players.

At the moment, I’m treating my previous profession as a hobby and doing some teaching after hours. IT is fairly sedentary work, which is new to me, so after eight hours of sitting, I try to get myself moving in any way I can. I most often go cycling and play football. I’m planning to take part in the Bieg Piastów cross-country ski race. Maybe not the full fifty kilometres… not yet… but fifteen, perhaps. Apart from all that, I’ve always been interested in music. A long, long time ago, I used to strum an electric guitar, but that never turned into serious playing. Now, I’m mainly a listener, often at live concerts.