During the pandemic, TechUP ran a programme of Skills Bootcamps in Data Engineering and Software Development to help retrain people at this difficult time. We have caught up with one of the bootcamp alumnae, Nisha Rai, to see what she thought of her learning experience and how her professional career has developed since.
Hello, my name is Nisha Rai and I work as a Software Engineer at The Very Group (TVG). I joined the company as a career-returner while completing my Data Engineering Skills Bootcamp with TechUP in 2022.
On the TechUP course, I received all the support I could hope for from everyone in my cohort. My mentor, Hilary Strong, helped me to gradually grow my confidence, particularly around HR interview rounds. I learned a great deal about the topics on the curriculum, including Python programming, Machine Learning, and Artificial Intelligence and their importance in today’s world. Even though I haven’t had the opportunity to use everything I was introduced to – indirectly, all this knowledge has helped me in my new job.
All the modules on TechUP Skills Bootcamps were carefully designed, taking into account that many learners were coming back into work after a career gap, had various backgrounds, or might not have been up to date with modern tech requirements. The industry guest speaker webinars that accompanied the course were run by experts in the field who discussed their experience and the work they were doing. Even on the last day, someone from the industry was invited to inform and encourage us to apply for their internships, which I feel was a fantastic idea and should be done more often.
One thing to bear in mind about the bootcamp is that it was a self-learning course. Anyone thinking about joining a similar programme should be prepared to be disciplined and fastidious. It is worth it though, as this kind of opportunity can do wonders for your development! We were provided with full courses from various providers which allowed us to apply new skills at our own pace, including learning many of them from scratch. If anyone got stuck at any point, help was always available – whether it was during weekly tutor sessions or from fellow participants.
Having had a considerable gap in my résumé, I started looking for jobs while still on the programme. I was freshly out of another course where I had learned certain technical skills, including some programming languages. I was desperately looking for a workplace where I could apply it – sadly, with no results. On the bright side, I got a place on the TechUP programme! Since my first learning experience focused on software development, this time I wanted to develop my skills in data engineering, to broaden my horizons and strengthen my skills and CV. I was delighted to be offered a place.
Starting off the course with Prof. Sue Black’s sharing her life story, her struggles and career trajectory, was incredibly motivating and forced me to think positively. Sometimes difficult things happen in life so you can enjoy the good things when they do eventually materialize.
Initiatives like TechUP should be supported because they enable people to acquire new skills and provide a community where you can meet like-minded peers who are often in a similar situation. You can share and discuss your experiences without fear of getting judged.
Our cohort was very helpful in terms of assisting each other and Johanna Waite, the Programme Manager, continues to send us latest job opportunities. I’m still in touch with people I met on the course.
Since graduating, I haven’t been able to get involved with TechUP as much as I would like to due to my current work-life balance and all the skills I feel I need to develop before starting mentoring others. It is something that is on my agenda though – to give back to the community in the future and support new learners on their journeys (back) into tech.
Right now, I’m fortunate enough to be part of a company where I get full support and encouragement. From my engineering manager to my colleagues, they all have helped me understand all the nitty-gritty of the business, as well as the coding part of my role. I’m allowed to express myself and make mistakes, and I get the chance to improve my work without feeling humiliated. We’ve even had sessions from women’s returner teams, which were very insightful, as they stressed the importance of drawing up a strategy for restarting our careers.
One of my strengths I’m proud of is that I love challenging myself to keep learning new things and that I’m ready to put in all the hard work that is needed to achieve that
I’m still on a steep learning curve, where there are lots of possibilities to improve and a long way to go. But – as the saying goes about a journey of thousand miles beginning with a single step – I have started moving forward. I hope my story will help those who are still hesitating to take the first step.
I’m really thankful to all the people I met on my journey to restart my career and over the course of the TechUP programme. Every one of them really helped to shape me the way I am today. Even all my unsuccessful interviews and the feedback I received was very important, as this is what revealed what I still need to work on.
Believe me, you just need one shot to overturn all your failed attempts. So keep your head up and remember one thing: never neglect yourself and your loved ones! Because they are your biggest strength and will stick with you through thick and thin.