How Kensi Made a Career Change Into Software Development

A solo trip across Asia was what first made Kensi Ranasinghe question whether her career was really taking her where she wanted to go. That moment of reflection led her to make a career change into software development, and she completed the Full-Stack Software Developer
Skills Bootcamp with Code Institute to get there. Today she works as a Freelance Junior Developer, putting her skills to use on real client projects, and runs hackathons through an online community group, work that keeps building the same problem-solving muscles she now relies on with clients.

Business Administration Professional Becomes a Freelance Junior Developer

Before enrolling, Kensi’s experience in Business Administration, Finance and Adult Education had already given her problem-solving, attention to detail and communication skills. The programme built on these strengths with a technical foundation in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Python, Django and PostgreSQL, alongside Git and GitHub and a full development lifecycle from planning to deployment.

Four weeks into the course, she built and deployed her first project — a mental health website created with HTML and CSS. She describes it as the moment she first felt like a developer. Every so often she still opens it back up, struck by how few files of code there are compared to the projects she works on now. It stands as a reminder of how far she has come and why it matters to trust in your own abilities.

Career Change Into Tech With No Coding Experience — Is It Possible?

Yes. Kensi had no coding background before starting the programme. The structured, self-paced format let her build technical knowledge step by step through demonstrations, drop-in tutor sessions and hands-on projects. Six months of career support after completing the course, covering CV development, interview preparation, GitHub and LinkedIn profiles and networking, helped her translate that learning into a real career change into software development. She went on to work as a Freelance Junior Developer and to get involved in running hackathons through an online community group.

How Support From Code Institute Shaped Kensi’s Career Change

Self-doubt did creep in along the way. At one low point, a problem Kensi thought had broken her project turned out to have a simple fix, shown to her in minutes during a tutor drop-in session. Moments like that, backed by day to day guidance from her Learning Facilitator, demonstrations from Subject Matter Experts and a wider learner community to ask questions in, turned panic into perspective. Group projects and hackathons added a realistic feel of working in a development team, and that sense of being supported through her own career change into software development is part of why she now wants to support others as a Learning Facilitator.

“Developers come from all different backgrounds and what matters most is being motivated, resilient and willing to keep learning.”

Kensi Ranasinghe, Freelance Junior Developer

Kensi’s story shows that a career change into software development is achievable without prior coding experience, given the right structure and support. From her first HTML and CSS project to her current work as a Freelance Junior Developer, she has built both the technical skills and the confidence to keep progressing, and now looks ahead to a future helping others do the same.

Could a Skills Bootcamp Change Your Career?

Code Institute’s funded Skills Bootcamps are designed for people ready to build real, practical skills in full stack web development. If you want to move into tech or take your existing career in a new direction, find out what the programme involves.

Start your path today with our free 5-Step Coding Challenge →