>>>
>>> IS
>>> IS NEVER TOO LATE TO PICK UP A NEW SKILL AND SOMETIMES IT
CAN BE A LIFE CHANGER.
ONE WOMAN AFTER A LIFETIME AND
THE WORK PLACE DECIDED TO PUMP
UP HER SKILLS AT A CODING BOOT
CAMP.
CAMP.
CAMP. >>
CAMP. >> I LIKED PROJECT MANAGEMENT
AND I HAD DONE A LOT OF WORK TO
GET THERE. I HAD CERTIFICATIONS
AND AN MBA. SO, IT WAS KIND OF
A CAREER GOAL OF MINE.
IT IS HIGH STRESS AND SO, YOU
KNOW, THAT WAS ONE OF THE
THINGS THAT AFTER ABOUT SIX
YEARS, THAT AND THE FACT I WAS
COMMUTING 90 MINUTES EACH WAY.
YEAH, [ LAUGHTER ].
>> SO, HOW DO YOU FIND YOURSELF
AT A CODING BOOT CAMP?
>> YEAH, IT WAS INTERESTING.
SO, I STARTED IN SOFTWARE
DEVELOPMENT AND I GOT MY
COMPUTER SCIENCE DEGREE IN 1984.
AND I WORKED IN THE DEFENSE
INDUSTRY WRITING SOFTWARE AND I
DID SOME OTHER WORK IN THE
SOFTWARE INDUSTRY.
SOFTWARE INDUSTRY. THEN, I WAS AN ENTREPRENEUR AND
I WENT INTO PROJECT MANAGEMENT.
ALL OF THE OTHER STUFF THAT
CIRCLED AROUND THE SOFTWARE
INDUSTRY.
INDUSTRY.
INDUSTRY. I GOT TO A POINT WHERE I
REALIZED I DIDN'T WANT TO
CONTINUE WITH PROJECT MANAGEMENT
. I THOUGHT WHAT I WOULD REALLY
LIKE TO DO IS TO GET BACK TO
CODING.
CODING.
CODING. I
CODING. I ENJOYED WRITING SOFTWARE AND
CODE.
CODE.
CODE. I
CODE. I STARTED LOOKING AROUND TO
FINDING THE SHORTEST PATH TO
GET BACK TO DOING THAT. THE
THING WAS THAT STARTING AROUND
THE LATE 1990S AND AROUND 2000,
THE INDUSTRY TOOK THIS JUMP AND
VEERED COMPLETELY TOWARD WEB
DEVELOPMENT. I HAD MISSED THAT
ENTIRELY BECAUSE OF THE CAREER
PATH I HAD TAKEN. SO, THE
SKILLS FOR WEB DEVELOPMENT, I
DID NOT HAVE. I HAD
FUNDAMENTALS IN COMPUTER
SCIENCE AND I UNDERSTOOD
DATABASES AND THAT SORT OF THING
. WHEN IT CAME TO KNOWING HOW
TO CONNECT -- YOU KNOW WHEN I
WOULD BRING SOMETHING UP IN
CHROME OR INTERNET EXPLORER, OR
OR WHATEVER, HOW THAT GOT TO
THE SERVER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF
THE COUNTRY OR THE OTHER SIDE
OF THE WORLD, I HAD NO IDEA.
SO, I LOOKED AT MY OPTIONS. I
GOT ONLINE AND DID A LOT OF
RESEARCH AND I LOOKED AT BOOT
CAMPS AND DEGREES LIKE GOING
BACK TO GET A MASTERS IN
COMPUTER SCIENCE OR SOMETHING
LIKE THAT.
LIKE THAT. I FOUND ANOTHER DEGREE WOULD BE
3-6 TIMES THE COST OF A BOOT
CAMP.
CAMP.
CAMP. THE
CAMP. THE BOOT CAMP SEEMED HONED TO
THE SKILLS I NEEDED.
>> YOU JUST NEEDED AN UPDATE.
YOU HAD ALL OF THE PIECES AND
EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH PEOPLE
AND MANAGING PROJECTS SO IT
GAVE YOU THE OTHER BUILDING
BLOCK THAT YOU NEEDED, IS THAT
CORRECT?
CORRECT?
CORRECT? >> THAT IS IT. THAT IS MY
EXPERIENCE.
EXPERIENCE. IT WAS INTERESTING TO ME TO
FIND DIFFERENT PEOPLE THERE
WITH NO CODING BACKGROUND
WHATSOEVER. BUT THEY COULD JUMP
IN WITH THE WAY THE PROGRAM IS
DESIGNED. IT REALLY FOCUSES ON
THE WEB DEVELOPMENT SKILLS AND
HE GETS YOU UP AND GOING IN
THAT 14 WEEK PERIOD.
>> 14 WEEKS, WHAT WAS IT LIKE
TO BE IN THAT INTENSE LEARNING
ENVIRONMENT?
ENVIRONMENT? >> IT WAS REALLY HARD WORK.
OF COURSE I HAD BEEN OUT OF
SCHOOL FOR A WHILE. I DID MY
MBA IN MY EARLY 50s BUT DID NOT
EXPECT TO GO BACK AND
ESPECIALLY NOT AT THAT LEVEL.
IT WAS 12 HOUR DAYS AND TO END
UP WITH THAT DEEP KNOWLEDGE AT
THE END, YOU HAD TO PUT IN A
LOT OF TIME.
SO, EVEN FAR MORE THAN THE MONEY
INVESTED, IT WAS THE TIME.
>> AND THE WORK INVOLVES, NO
DOUBT. YET, IT IS EXCITING TO
KNOW YOU CAN BE AT THIS PLACE
IN YOUR CAREER AND WITH ANOTHER
BUILDING BLOCK THAT YOU COULD
DO SOMETHING EVEN MORE EXCITING
AND FULFILLING.
AND FULFILLING. SO, WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW?
>> IN NOVEMBER I STARTED
WORKING FOR RAIN TREE AND I
RIGHT SOFTWARE TO ENABLE THINGS
LIKE FRAUD PROTECTION ON THE
BACKEND. SO WHEN WE DO
TRANSACTIONS ON OUR CREDIT CARDS
AND ANY OF THAT SORT OF
FINANCIAL TRANSACTION THAT
HAPPENS OVER THE WEB, THAT IS
THE THING WE ARE INVOLVED IN.
IT IS EXCITING AND I WORK ON A
TEAM THAT IS VERY DIVERSE AND
IT IS GREAT. I WORK REMOTE AND
ONE OF THE BIG DRIVERS FOR ME
IS THAT WE LIKE TO TRAVEL, MY
HUSBAND AND I. NOW, I HAVE A
CAREER WHERE I COULD WORK FROM
LITERALLY ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD
WHERE THERE IS A DECENT
INTERNET CONNECTION.
INTERNET CONNECTION. THAT IS WHERE I WANTED TO BE.
I FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, AT THIS
POINT IN MY LIFE, I WOULD STILL
LIKE TO WORK ANOTHER 5-10 YEARS
AND MAYBE 15.
JUST BECAUSE I LIKE STAYING IN
THE GAME AND I LIKE LEARNING.
>> Host: THAT MAKES SENSE.
BUT NOW YOU CAN BE A WORKING
NOMAD?
NOMAD?
NOMAD? >>
NOMAD? >> YES, I LIKE THAT TERM, THAT
IS EXACTLY WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO
BE. AT THE POINT WHERE WE HAVE
GRANDKIDS, IF WE DO, I WOULD
LIKE TO PICK UP AND MOVE MY
OFFICE FOR A FEW WEEKS OR A
MONTH AND MAYBE GO TO FRANCE. I
LOVE FRANCE AND I CAN WORK FROM
THERE.
THERE.
THERE. YEAH, IT IS IMPORTANT TO ME TO
HAVE THAT FLEXIBILITY.
>> Host: I HEAR THAT.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO ENCOURAGE
OTHERS? I KNOW IT IS INTENSE
AND NOT EASY TO DO, BUT
SOMETIMES WE FIND TECHNOLOGICAL
THINGS DAUNTING, BUT PEOPLE CAN
LEARN.
LEARN.
LEARN. >>
LEARN. >> ABSOLUTELY. WHAT I LOVING
CODING SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE
THAT'S WHAT I EXPERIENCED IS
THAT THE STAFF IS INVESTED IN
THE SUCCESS OF THE STUDENTS.
IT IS WORTH IT JUST TO TALK TO
THEM TO SEE.
IF ANYONE HAS INTEREST AT ALL IN
CODING BECAUSE THERE IS A NEED
FOR SOFTWARE ENGINEERS . IT IS
DAUNTING AND I WENT THROUGH A
LOT OF DOUBT.
IT IS INTERESTING BECAUSE IN MY
EXPERIENCING IN THE CLASS THAT
I WAS WITH, IT WAS
REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SOFTWARE
INDUSTRY WHICH IS A LOT OF
YOUNG PEOPLE. THEN THERE ARE
THE CAREER CHANGERS TOO.
WHAT I FOUND WAS KIND OF
EVERYBODY BRINGS THEIR OWN
SPECIAL SKILLS AND EVERYTHING.
AND JUST LIKE OUT IN THE WORLD
AND IN A SOFTWARE COMPANY, YOU
BAND TOGETHER WITH OTHER PEOPLE
TO SOLVE PROBLEMS.
TYPICALLY YOU ARE IN PAIRS OR A
GROUP.
GROUP.
GROUP. THE DIFFERENCES, YOU JUST KIND
OF FORGET ABOUT.
THE COMPANIES THAT ARE ON THE
FOREFRONT NOW ARE LOOKING TO
DIVERSIFY THEIR