CodeSpace Case Study
From shy retail worker to confident software developer.
Kopo's Story
After learning to code, Kopo transitioned from an unfulfilling retail job to a thriving tech career. With support from CodeSpace, she gained the skills and confidence to land a developer internship, which quickly led to a promotion. Now working as a Junior Web Developer, she’s thriving in a supportive team and is excited about her future in the industry.
Life before learning to code
Before learning to code, I was an electrical engineering student, but I decided to quit because it is difficult to find work in the sector. While I decided what I wanted to do, I found a job in the retail industry. It was the worst year and a half of my life. I could not see my full potential in the retail industry, and my manager was very discouraging.
"My life has changed since learning to code."
Where coding has taken me
I am officially a Junior Web Developer at a fantastic company! I started as an intern developer, but after just 8 months I received a promotion.
I have great colleagues who help me learn and a wonderful manager who checks in with me on a regular basis. I've only gotten good feedback so far.
When I started as an intern, I worked with content management systems like WordPress. Now, I manage the backend and frontend logic of our CMS systems, and I'm learning new languages like Python, PHP, and SQL. I'm lucky that I learned most of the things I needed to know at CodeSpace and only needed to learn the company's internal systems when I started. It's been 4 months into the role, and I am enjoying the challenges that come every day.
Now that I have a new job in tech, I have left home for the first time and live in Joburg. I've had to adapt to my new and busier environment. I learned to go to town, catch taxis, and even speak Zulu.
The tech industry has been so encouraging. It has been great to see so many female coders I can aspire to be like.
In the future, I hope to work remotely for international companies and study further.
How I landed my first job in tech
I joined a Slack community channel called ZA Tech and came across a junior developer role. I reached out to the person who posted it and it was actually the co-founder. I sent through an email that afternoon and by the next morning I was invited to an interview. I took a taxi from my home in Rustenburg to Johannesburg for the interview.
"I am officially a Junior Web Developer at a fantastic company! I started as an intern developer, but after just 8 months I received a promotion."
The interview was not tech-related. They just wanted to find out more about me as a person. I was really surprised that there weren’t more technical questions. During the interview, it already felt like I had the job! Afterwards I was introduced to the team. I was offered the role of intern.
I joined the team as a permanent intern so that I could take the year to upskill and grow in the company.
My coding learning journey
I was scrolling through Facebook and came across the ad about learning to code at Bafokeng Code Lab where students in Phokeng have the opportunity to do CodeSpace’s Software Development course fully sponsored by Royal Impact. I realised that the tech industry was one where I could grow, improve my earning potential and even work internationally. I applied and was asked to write a few tests after which I was selected to be a part of the program.
My life has changed since learning to code. Before CodeSpace, I was afraid of speaking in front of people but through my experience of explaining my code during my coaching sessions, I slowly came out of my shell. This skill now helps me contribute in meetings and speak up for myself.
Takeaways
- Learning to code equips you with both hard technical skills and soft skills such as effective communication.
- The tech industry offers great opportunities for continuous growth and upskilling.
- Know your worth and look for careers that offer you growth opportunities.