We're pleased to announce one of the winners of SwitchUp's gift card giveaway, Martin Sion!
Martin is a graduate of Le Wagon, who is also persuing a business degree at Neoma Business School. Because of his interest in coding, and wish to bolster his business education, Martin selected Le Wagon after multiple friends recommended their programs. With help from Le Wagon, Martin is hoping to break into freelance work or be hired by a dynamic company.
We sat down with Martin to learn more about his experience at Le Wagon, and his advice for students considering enrolling in a bootcamp!
Tell me about your background. What was your educational experience before joining Le Wagon?
Prior to enrolling, I had just finished my third year of international business (Cesem program) at Neoma Business School.
What made you decide to take a gap year and learn to code?
I wanted to take a break from business and I had been interested in learning to code for quite a long time. I had tried to learn on my own with online information.
Why did you decide to attend Le Wagon? What were your goals for the program?
I found that learning code on my own was very challenging, especially at the beginning. I decided to enroll at Le Wagon because I needed a push.
There are an increasing number of available bootcamps. Why did you decide to choose this program over others?
Once I started talking with people about my plans to attend a bootcamp, I began hearing great things about Le Wagon’s programs so I decided to look into it. The time commitment of the program turned out to be ideal for me as well. It allowed me to continue finishing my business study simultaneously.
For you, what were the pros and cons of attending a bootcamp?
Excluding the financial implications, I didn't see any cons. The boot camp was stimulating, and I enjoyed completing team projects with the guidance of teachers. Overall, I really enjoyed my time there.
Tell me a little bit about the course structure. What did you like best about the environment and teaching style?
You start with class in the morning 1 to 2 hour, then you code with a teammate nearly all day before correcting an exo with the teacher.
So it's mostly practice, I really enjoyed that as it is for me the best way to learn. And much more interesting than just theory.
How did this program prepare you for real-world coding challenges?
You learn to do a website from nothing with a team in real condition with a limited time. They teach you the main thing that you need to know if you want to do an interview and test.And you can present you're project in front of profession that can get an interest in you before meeting them at a special event. Without speaking about the network that you can access by entering the wagon.
What challenges did you overcome to get where you are?
As I'm still studying I didn't try to find a work, but the formation was quite challenging in a good way.
Didn't see it as an obstacle to overcome.
Tell us about what’s next. How do you plan to use your newfound skills as you build your career?
I'm planning to reinforce my skills during my business year by learning new languages on the web and maybe joining 42 (coding school) next year. At this time, I don’t have an exact final goal but I’m interested in both freelance work and joining a dynamic company.
What advice do you have for people who are interested in attending a bootcamp?
It will probably be a very intense and exhausting experience, but you will learn if you really like code. And you will leave with real skills!
Are you a bootcamp student or alum? You could be our next giveaway winner! Write a review of your program, and you'll be entered to win an Amazon gift card.
