"My daughter also wants to learn programming now."

For a coffee with... Riitta! We chatted with the cheerfully motivated Riitta, who completed the Web Development Bootcamp with us. She tells us in her testimonial that she wanted to change careers and be able to work remotely in the future - with her new job as a junior developer, she has found her dream job! As a mother of 3, in this testimonial Riitta talks about her challenges at the bootcamp and how she also got her kids excited about programming.

Why did you join neue fische?

I had been toying with the idea of a professional reorientation for a while and in this context I informed myself about various IT bootcamp providers. Overall, it was the best package on the market 😊 At neue fische, the content structure as well as the execution of the courses convinced me and the other testimonials were also very positive. It was important to me that you didn't have to plan a long preparation time in self-study before the bootcamp and that you could really start from scratch and still learn all the learning content during the course. The fact that I could attend the bootcamp remotely was also very important to me. What else? That you had a loan laptop available or that neue fische took over the organization towards the employment agency. All plus points!

Would you share your biggest challenge with us in this testimonial?

It was making the decision to attend the bootcamp 😊 Or in other words: To dare - so radically and intensively - to completely reorient myself. From then on I was fully motivated and 100% behind my plan.

What did you like most about the bootcamp?

The people: Coaches, fellow students and everyone who accompanied us. Without a good team, this achievement is not possible.

How was your start on the job?

My very first application was a hit. I picked my employer of choice and applied, but didn't expect everything to happen so quickly. I was put on an equal footing with other junior developers right from the start, was integrated into projects and get the support I need. At the same time, I feel that I can also contribute to the success of the projects with my work.

It would not be a bulletproof testimonial without a personal highlight moment in or after the bootcamp, so what was yours?

Bergfest - that is, the only time we saw each other in person. Or also the moment when I realized I could pull off the bootcamp. Or that I had survived the first few days of remotely setting up the laptops. I actually enjoyed the whole bootcamp so immensely, I can't say what I enjoyed more than anything. I loved being immersed in this world that was completely new to me.

How was it working with the other students?

Super! We got along as a team from the beginning and supported each other in our learning.
How did the bootcamp work for you as a mom of 3 and do you have any tips for other parents?

I would never have been able to do the bootcamp without the remote participation option. It also worked in my favor that my kids are a little older (9, 10, 12) and were used to me working in a home office. My husband was also able to work a lot in the home office at the time. It was still a challenge because when other students were on break or off work, I was: cooking, taking care of homework, driving a parent's cab, and so on. Once I even had to organize an urgent visit to the doctor when the youngest had an accident at school and the wound had to be stitched up. I was pretty tired after the bootcamp, because the combination of everyday family life and constantly learning new things takes a lot of energy.

And are your children interested in programming now?

The older two are actually so interested that I've started teaching them myself. My daughter also attended Girls Day at neue fische. By the way, this was an initiative of mine at neue fische. She found the day so great that she definitely wants to continue learning programming.