How I Broke Into Tech
Tags: watercooler, blog, writing
Published: 2020-03-15 21:27:45

---
title: How I Broke Into Tech
published: true
description: A positive message for women over 35 that want to change careers & get into the tech industry. 
tags: #watercooler #blog #writing
cover_image: https://unsplash.com/photos/0VGG7cqTwCo
---
  Photo by Rodion Kutsaev on Unsplash
#Who
 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. 
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 Karma"></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.
#What
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.
#When
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.
#Where
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 & 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.

This is my very first post on Dev.to and so any tips and feedback would be greatly appreciated!