Steven Dawson | Code Student Testimonial

We catch up with Learning People graduate Steven Dawson who changed career from being a Teacher to a Software Engineer and now a Software Developer… 

 

 

Tell us why you enquired with Learning People

I was a teacher at the time so this has been a complete career change. I just wanted to see what was possible to do and if I was able to make a change in my life and make it easier and better for my kids. I was bored of what I was doing and the general day to day of teaching and I wanted to be able to pick and choose when I work and have more freedom.

 

Were there any specific skills you were looking to gain or develop by enrolling with Learning People?

I had been told about some of the different languages you should learn to get into coding – and at the time I was mainly searching for Python and JavaScript training.

 

Was there a particular reason you chose to enrol with Learning People, and did you speak to any other educators or training providers?

I spoke to a few different providers and some of them were based in the United States but they were a lot more expensive than Learning People and I wasn’t able to get the same level of support with them because of the time difference. 

 

Tell us what the career consultation phone call was like for you

I can tell you exactly where I was when I had my career consultation, I was on the beach, having a coffee.

And I remember asking, is it possible for me to do, is it suitable for me, is it something I’d like? And will I be able to get a job – which was the biggest thing for me. Because at that time I was coming out of a permanent job with a pretty good salary – and was thinking, will I actually be able to do this and get a job at the end of it. 

But I was assured that there are lots of jobs and plenty of options, which really talked me into doing it.

 

 

Tell us about your experience of learning online using our system

The different systems I used were really straightforward and any questions that I had were answered quickly.

 

How did you get on with the coding projects?

The hardest part was coming up with the concept and the idea of what to do. But once I’d done that the projects were the most enjoyable part of the training because you can actually see something coming together and coming to life using all the skills you’ve learnt.  

 

Tell us about your experience of working with our Career Services team

For me, this was the best part of the course, having the guidance from Robin in Career Services. 

Knowing how to sell myself in a job interview was priceless. I worked quite closely with Robin on lots of things and she was amazing. 

 

How did enrolling with Learning People affect your career?

It put me in a position where I can be seen as a viable option for a company to employ me – it gave me the skills to be employable in a completely different industry from what I’ve been used to. 

 

Tell us about your new job

I now work for the Department for Work and Pensions. I work 3 days at home and 2 in the office and I can pick and choose which days I do where, which fits very nicely around my home life. 

I’m working on projects at the minute where I’m learning lots. They encourage you to work for 20 minutes at a time with breaks in between. So if I’m getting a brain freeze, I can just take a break for a bit, go for a cycle, walk the dog, come back to it and work again. So it’s a much nicer pace of work. 

 

What has been the best part of your Learning People experience?

The best part was the communication with Robyn and getting myself in a position to do the job and believe in myself.

Before that I was very sceptical of my abilities and whether I would be good enough to be employed. Robyn definitely gave me that confidence to be able to get out there and do it. 

 

How has your life changed from enrolling to right now

It’s changed massively. Rather than having to be out of the house at 7:00 in the morning and not getting back until 4.30 – some days I can get up at seven and don’t have to leave the house until a quarter to nine when I drop the kids off at school. 

I can work at home, in a nice, comfortable environment. There’s so much less stress. It’s unbelievable. My whole wellbeing has improved with the career change.

 

What advice would you give to somebody who is thinking about enrolling with Learning People?

First piece of advice would be to get in touch with Learning People. My advice would then be to keep in touch with Learning People for the continued advice and guidance – because you will get the advice that you need. Ask questions because they will be answered – and the jobs are there.