Anais walked into Ironhack with a background in international relations, food service and a whole lot of traveling. Her serious case of wanderlust led her to pursue a career that would allow her to work from anywhere in the world, so she decided to become a developer. Anais is a Miami Beach native and an advocate for fashion and sustainability. She told us a few things about her memorable Ironhack experience.
When and why did you decide to join Ironhack?
I decided to join Ironhack by chance. I knew I wanted to learn to code, but it just always felt like I didn’t have time to commit to a bootcamp. Then one day an opportunity sort of fell through, and I found myself with money saved and an indefinite amount of free time. I realized, if I don’t do it now, I will never do it. So, that was it!
What was the best part of your bootcamp experience?
The people. The community that Ironhack creates was the best part. Really, there are tons of great things about it – the teaching, the feeling of accomplishment when the final project finally comes together, the patience and support the instructors constantly provide, all the fun activities we did aside from coding, but none of it would have been the same without the rest of the cohort. I made some pretty incredible friendships and met some really cool people. All of us still keep in touch, and we all know that we are part of Ironhack forever. That was by far the best part of my experience.
Could you tell us a little bit about your web app?
I am a bit obsessed with fashion, but I am also extremely conscious of the power that my choices have. I wanted to create a way for people to find brands that were environmentally and ethically sustainable, and I also wanted to make it easy to figure out where you could shop for these brands near you. I ended up creating a web app that curated ethically and sustainably made clothing, including the brands that manufactured them and the stores that sold them near you.
The final project was a lot of fun to work on, it’s the part in the bootcamp where all the elements you’ve learned finally come together and you understand how they interact with each other.
It’s also the time where you might have a total breakdown because you think you’ll never get it done, but then “AHA!” there you go, after many sleepless nights and obsessing over tiny details you do something you never thought you could, especially two months earlier.
It’s a pretty incredible feeling. Most importantly, one of the biggest reason I chose Ironhack is the fact that we get to do our own projects. The process helps you realize what you’re good at, improve at what you’re not good at and figure out what elements of web development you really love!
Now that you’ve graduated from Ironhack, would you recommend it to anyone?
I absolutely would recommend it to anyone and everyone who wants a comprehensive way to learn to code. I actually suggested to my brother that he join Ironhack, knowing he would find the same fulfillment that I did. He’s now part of an Ironhack cohort, and that makes me so happy. So yes, I would recommend it, even to family!
What kind of professional opportunities did you have after graduating from Ironhack?
One of the best parts of Ironhack is the amount of support they provide post-cohort. Ironhack helped me find several different opportunities, guided me with interview and resume suggestions, and helped me find a job that I really love and is aligned with what I want to do in life. At the end of the day, that’s a motive for many of us who join Ironhack. We learn new skills because we want to make a change in our careers and our lives. Ironhack really helps us do this, so long as we put in the work, of course. Half of it is just showing up.
Any advice for the new generation of Ironhackers?
Every single time you think you don’t get it, and you want to just throw your hands up, walk out, and say “forget all of this…” you’re just about there. It wouldn’t be worth it without some of that frustration, and it makes the learning process more meaningful.
Aside from advice, I commend anyone for doing something that is worthwhile and will only help you in your future endeavours. You’ve gone ahead and invested your time in something that can only benefit you. So congrats! And finally, for your final projects, if you aren’t quite sure what to work on, my mentor Muhan said something great to me during my decision making process that stuck with me (and is good advice for anything in life). He said, “Anais, when everything goes to hell and breaks, and you feel like the whole project needs to be scrapped, what are you going to stick with and work through? Because that’s the project you should pick”. Thank you for that Muhan! Words I continue to apply to my life and live by when I have a difficult choice to make!
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