Career coaching: Busayo

You graduated in 2021, can you tell us a bit more about what you are doing now (career related)?

I’m currently training to be a Software Engineer through the Bright Network Technical Academy. They are teaching us to be full stack developers, essentially by the end we will be able to create front and back end projects. I have learned a range of different programming languages such as Java and Javascript. I’ve become familiar with different frameworks, such as React and alongside this I’ve been improving my coding skills using Code First Girls. Bright Network is an organisation that helps students to improve their employability and I’ve been on a 12 week course that I hope will lead on to a job in the future. I have found it very intense and it has pushed and challenged me. 

Where were you in relation to your career planning/making applications before you graduated?

I didn’t have any job offers and I felt really confused. I didn’t know what I really wanted to do. I had some general ideas around teaching and technology but I didn’t know how to go about putting these ideas into action.  I studied sociology with criminology and I was very unsure as to whether it was even possible to transition into tech.  Although I enjoyed sociology I just wanted to do something different. My Dad and my little brother did coding and under lockdown I started teaching myself through reading things online. I found that I really liked it and this was something that really surprised me. I enjoyed solving problems technically and found it really satisfying. I am really glad that I tried something new!

We hear you have engaged in career coaching; what did you do, and how did it help?

Helen, my career coach and I talked through what I wanted to do in terms of my career and Helen was able to direct me to different resources about how to get into these different careers. Being able to read about the day to day life of a software engineer helped me to make a decision as to whether or not it was for me. She also told me about the Step into Tech programme which is run by the University of York and I’m currently half way through that. I’m learning different programming languages through Step into Tech alongside those I’m learning through Bright Network. Helen also really helped me prepare for my software interview for the internship phase of the programme. She helped me to increase my confidence and improve my ability to answer questions well in the interview. I think if I hadn’t engaged in career coaching and I’d just been on my own with it all my confidence to get into tech wouldn’t have grown so quickly. I might have just sat on my own doing a bit of coding. 

Would you recommend career coaching to other students and graduates?

Yes definitely! Just having someone to talk to helps you to come up with a plan and that really helps. Also if you are feeling confused then a career coach can provide you with guidance and help you to feel more confident.