A career shift during the pandemic: Discover how Ladun transitioned from law to software development through the TechSwitch bootcamp, and landing a role at Softwire.
The pandemic gave us all pause for thought.
What do I want to do? Am I happy in my current job? Do I need to expand my skill set?
And these questions were being asked by people all over the world. Regardless of industry, background, or stage of career.
We had a sit-down with Ladun, who acted on those thoughts and ended up broadening her skill set in an entirely new industry. And landing a role at Softwire, the software development company behind TechSwitch.
The journey from lawyer to software developer
As a politics undergraduate, Ladun wanted to work in the not-for-profit sector. She went on to study for three years to become a lawyer – and she passed the bar with flying colours. She enjoyed it, but the hours were overwhelming and she realised that she wanted to combine policy work with operational delivery.
“Before the pandemic hit, I was volunteering for an organisation that was setting up a dev agency to work with disparate communities. But it moved slowly. The technical expertise simply wasn’t there. And I didn’t want to rely on my people skills to overcome obstacles, I wanted the technical knowledge to solve problems myself – and completely understand from the ground up.”
After making this decision, Ladun – being a strategic and efficient person – looked around at a few different tech courses and bootcamps, before settling on TechSwitch.
“As soon as I met Sasha from TechSwitch, I knew straight away this was the right course for me. For one thing, she was relaxed and I could tell that everyone was respected. But more importantly, when I explained to her what I wanted to do – collect intelligence and learn specific software dev skills – she instantly knew how to handle it.”
To kick things off, Ladun was encouraged to join TechSwitch and see if she liked it. Then after training she could move back to operational delivery if that’s what she still wanted.
A world of opportunities
Ladun threw herself into the TechSwitch bootcamp, learning from the ground up.
“The best thing about TechSwitch is that they truly capture how to train someone to do the job. It’s hard to get the balance between learning the technical and the product management side, but they perfectly achieve it. So while you’re learning the tech side, you’re also learning how to manage clients and all that comes with it.”
Ladun found that she was learning everything from design to code to project review, so she could go straight into project work and be productive from day one.
A surprising offer
At the end of the three months with TechSwitch, Ladun was offered a role at Softwire, the software development company behind TechSwitch.
Initially she was given a broader role in development but has now moved fully into software development, with deeper involvement in client work.
“I was pleasantly surprised to be offered the role at Softwire. I knew from the start that TechSwitch strive to secure you a role after the course, but I never expected to start working for the company behind them. And I’ve gone from strength to strength, as I’m learning new skills every day. And best of all, I just feel like I’m broadening my past skill sets and still using them – everything comes into play.”
It’s a win-win all round.
Flexible and adaptable as the world is changing
"TechSwitch was an opportunity that is rare in the tech industry: an opportunity to explore a completely new discipline in a majority women and majority WOC learning environment. It was exciting, engaging and a fantastic foundation for a career in programming."
TechSwitchers know that the industry is always changing. And opportunities are the key to moving your life in the direction you want it to go, just like Ladun.
