Ross Nichols

Ross Nichols was looking for a way to advance his tech career. When the pandemic came, he got some extra time and used it to upskill. With that, he enrolled in the Software Engineering Immersive Flex course at General Assembly. 

Keeping his day job, Ross worked hard to complete his coursework. He attended night classes on weekdays and spent his Saturdays at weekend classes. It all paid off in the end when he got a new role as a Senior Business Analyst at his workplace.

Tell us about your background. What were you doing before attending the program?

I’d been working in tech for a while and had started thinking about what the next step in my career would be, then COVID-19 hit. It quickly became apparent that it would be around a while, so I wanted to do something productive, like learning a new skill. I had been interested in coding in the past. Now, I had the time to devote to learning how to code.

What motivated you to explore a new career or upskill in your existing field, and why did you decide to pick this program?

Having an interest in moving into more technical roles, I wanted to invest in upskilling to make myself a more marketable candidate. I didn’t have a specific job title or function in mind, but I knew that coding would be helpful wherever my next role took me. I asked a few friends for their recommendations on bootcamps, and they recommended General Assembly.

What did you like about the program? Are there any highlights that stood out to you?

I loved my cohort. Everyone was super supportive, and I enjoyed learning alongside so many different types of people. One highlight that stands out was the social media app I built with a few classmates for our group project. 

It was more complex than anything we had attempted before. We discussed extensively what we wanted to achieve, marked milestones, and worked towards them. Ultimately, we were able to deploy our app by the deadline.

How did you fit the program into your schedule?

I found a way to work the program into my schedule and even the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions helped here because it freed up a lot of time. I was working full-time while attending bootcamp, though. So, I was thoughtful about maintaining my job while I completed my coursework alongside. I worked a full day three times weekly and joined the night class at General Assembly. Then, on Saturdays, I would stay in class all day. 

Can you give us any examples of projects that you worked on during the program?

General Assembly’s curriculum involved completing a project at the end of each unit. There were four such projects altogether—my first project involved [front end] development. I leverage DOM manipulation to build the user interface for a Deal or No Deal game.

My next project was to build a full stack application. I built a software application that uses a third-party API to fetch a random image that inspires users to write a blurb. In short, my goal was to get the user’s creative juices flowing. 

The third project is a group assignment, and my group and I built a social media application. Finally, my last task was translating my first project into a full-stack application.

Do you have any advice for someone considering this program?

Be kind to yourself. Learning to code is hard, so it’s okay if you don’t get everything right away. One of the best skills I learned at General Assembly was recognizing when I didn’t know something and figuring out the questions I needed to ask to get the answer I needed.

Did you find a job after the program?

I found a job at Salesforce a couple months after graduation.

How did the program support you in finding a job?

General Assembly built job search into the curriculum. We went over job search basics and developed our portfolios during the program. Once we qualified for post-course support, we met weekly with our career coach to discuss anything job-search-related.

Was the job search process different from what you expected?

There are so many engineering-related roles out there, and there is a standard application process. For instance, I knew that engineering interviews typically involve a technical challenge, but that could mean a coding challenge, a take-home assignment, or something else entirely.

How many companies did you interview with? How did you choose which one to work with?

I had about a couple of dozen interviews for different roles. I finally decided to move into a new role with my current company because I’d previously worked with the people on my new team. The position was more aligned with my career goals, and I was already familiar with the company.

How are the skills you gained from the course useful in your current career?

I work closely with engineers in my current role, so understanding how engineers work helps a lot. For instance, understanding what working in sprints means helps me communicate effectively to non-technical stakeholders. On the reverse, when I am not writing codes, I translate business requirements into something engineers can understand. That is a crucial part of the job.

What do you think is different about your life now versus before the program?

I’m much happier in my new role. It was fulfilling to learn a new skill that I can continue to build upon, but I also appreciate the free time I now get. I learned that it is essential to take a break often and that pushing through isn’t always the best path. I also became more confident in myself. I can say I learned how to code while working full-time.

What do you find fulfilling about your current line of work?

I like that my current role requires me to manage both technical and non-technical stakeholders while taking on projects that measurably improve productivity and efficiency. It’s a good challenge to work with a business partner to identify an area for improvement, then work with the engineering team to translate the business need into a technical solution.

What do you enjoy about working at your current company, are there any specific perks you enjoy?

The salary is decent, and the benefits are pretty good. Also, the job security is nice since [Salesforce] is an established company. My favorite perk, though, is volunteer time-off. I get 40 hours each year to spend volunteering my time. I used to volunteer abroad and build a vacation around that.

Do you have any job search advice for someone considering a career in your field?

Identify, [look for] the types of companies you want to work for and jobs you’re interested in, but stay flexible. Before hearing about my current role, I had been focusing my job search on other functions. Looking back, I’m glad I took the time to learn more about the role I eventually ended up taking.