The latest articles on DEV Community by April Chilldres (@aprilchills). https://dev.to/aprilchills https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F273011%2F59fcf4e7-f888-4cbb-8123-67903a085863.jpeg https://dev.to/aprilchills en April Chilldres Sun, 15 Mar 2020 21:27:45 +0000 https://dev.to/aprilchills/how-i-broke-into-tech-5212 https://dev.to/aprilchills/how-i-broke-into-tech-5212 <p>Photo by Rodion Kutsaev on Unsplash</p> <h1> Who </h1> <p>As a 40-year-old, single mom, working a dead-end job in Healthcare office administration, I was living an unfulfilled life. The monotonous routine of working a nine to five job, doing the same repetitive work daily had me yearning for something more, something greater. I’ve always had such a passion for computer technology and being creative, so I began my search online. <br> During my breaks working in the office, I would scroll through social media, and I happened to be scrolling through Instagram one day, passing the time. I came across a <a href="Career%20Karma"></a> post and read about how anyone with any background could break into the tech world. So, naturally, I downloaded the app and was instantly hooked. The 21-day challenge became my new obsession and was the first app I would open every morning.</p> <h1> What </h1> <p>Upon completion of the 21-day challenge, doors began to open. I started joining squads and researching every Featured Bootcamp. At first, I learned about Lambda, and I started some of the pre coursework. At that time, I had no intention of quitting my day job for a Bootcamp and figured I would just do something part-time, or self-paced, Still, at that point, I wasn’t quite sure about the whole idea of a 3-4 month Bootcamp. I also learned about other programs like Thinkful, Botegga, and General Assembly, and each time I would find information about another program, I would begin any free courses available.</p> <h1> When </h1> <p>About a month later in July 2019, I was super focused on learning how to code, I found Kenzie Academy, and saw that they had a UI/UX Design Engineering program, which truly sparked my interest in a way like no other. I applied, completed the assessments, and was accepted! When I got my letter of acceptance from Chok Ooi, I knew, this was it. I was finally going to start a career I am passionate about. So, in August 2019 I gave my two-week notice at my office job and have never looked back.</p> <h1> Where </h1> <p>The UI/UX Design Engineering program began in October 2019 - UX5 cohort and I have learned so much and met so many amazing people! Never in a million years did I imagine the tech community would be so welcoming and friendly! I have grown to love and respect each person at Kenzie Academy and am so grateful for the opportunity to learn there. The program is a full-time, immersive program where the first half is spent learning UX and the second half is learning about UI Engineering. It is a Monday through Friday program and that did sound scary at first, but it has become manageable for me &amp; my daughter. At Kenzie, you are surrounded by people you may consider family as I do and because of that, I not only have learned how to accept support, but how to be a supportive person for those who need it.</p> <p>This is my very first post on Dev.to and so any tips and feedback would be greatly appreciated!</p> watercooler blog writing