| Name | Elizabeth Kennard |
| Role | App Support Technician |
| Course | Full-Stack Software Developer Skills Bootcamp, Code Institute |
| Skills Gained | Full stack development fundamentals, coding basics, agile methodology, hackathon collaboration |
| Key Achievement | Secured a tech role within weeks of completing the bootcamp, after over a decade in a completely different sector |
Within weeks of completing Code Institute’s Full-Stack Software Developer Skills Bootcamp, Elizabeth Kennard swapped over a decade in commercial archaeology for a new role as an app support technician. She had never written a line of code before starting, and used the course to find out honestly whether a career change into tech with no experience was something she could actually pull off. It was.
Can You Change Career Into Tech With No Coding Experience?
Yes, and Elizabeth’s story is proof of it. After more than ten years working in commercial archaeology, she had grown curious about technology but had no background in it at all. She joined the bootcamp simply to test her own interest and ability, with no guarantee it would lead anywhere. That willingness to take a genuine, honest run at something unfamiliar is what eventually opened the door to a new career.
The course covered the fundamentals of full stack development, including the coding basics needed to build working applications, and introduced her to agile methodology, which she describes as one of the biggest boosts to her progress.
What Was the Biggest Challenge in Learning to Code From Scratch?
The steepest challenge was starting from a position with no prior technical background, while many of the other learners around her had already worked on their own projects or come from related jobs. Elizabeth pushed through by taking the material one step at a time, using every resource on offer and leaning heavily on the live sessions to keep pace.
How Did the Bootcamp Help Elizabeth Land a Tech Job So Quickly?
The hands on nature of the course, especially the hackathons, gave her a portfolio of real projects to point to and the confidence to start applying for roles straight away.
“Within weeks of finishing the course I secured myself a job in the tech sector as an app support technician in a software company. The advice, guidance and interview prep help from the careers team were instrumental in my career change.”
Since finishing the course, Elizabeth has kept building outside of work too. She has created her own health and weight tracking tools, which she and her family now use, and says there is nothing quite like taking an idea all the way through to something finished and working.
Elizabeth’s advice to anyone weighing up a similar career change into tech with no experience is simple: take it one day at a time, and don’t expect to understand everything straight away. Her own path, from a career in archaeology to a tech role within weeks of graduating, shows what’s possible when you give yourself the chance to try.
Ready to Find Out If Coding Is Right For You?
If you’re weighing up a career change into tech with no experience of your own, Code Institute’s Free 5-Day Coding Challenge is a low pressure way to try coding for yourself before committing to a full programme.
