Claudia Got the High Paying Remote Job She Wanted After Graduating from Sabio Coding Bootcamp

Claudia:

I graduated in June and I was pretty much set on getting a remote job. Like, with this job, I'm going to be in Mexico for six weeks. Once again, I'm just working remotely, so it doesn't matter. I'm Claudia Diaz. I graduated in June. Previous to me transitioning to the coding bootcamp, I was working at Sabio as a Program Director for RebootLA, which is a program that was funded by the city where we had people who were formerly incarcerated and put them through the program to turn them into software engineers. And I also had a consulting business on the side. It was actually the program that I was managing that led me to do the Sabio Coding Bootcamp. And then I did it, and I graduated. After a couple of months of unemployment, I landed a job at 3PL Systems Inc, where we develop software for brokers in the transportation management industry.

Q: How much coding did you know before Sabio?

Claudia:

I was in the 17 week program. Before the 17 week program started, I had done a little bit on Code Academy on HTML and CSS. And I had actually gotten started on the JavaScript coursework. On day one, I was like, let me update my computer, and I lost everything. So I basically had to do everything on steroids from like, day one. It was really interesting. I think it was good to reinforce the concept. It happened, so I learned from it.

Q: What was your search process like?

Claudia:

It was really hard. I was getting interviews, at the interviews that I was getting, I was failing them, and embarrassingly so. So what I did around week four, I told my buddy, hey, you want to do stand up with me every day. And then after we do stand up, do a data structure and algo problem. And so that's what we did. That really helped me. I started getting better at the data structure and algorithms. And then someone posted on the jobs channel, "oh, this guy is looking for a new junior software engineer" and "send him your resume". And I was like, cool, I'll just sent my resume out. And he reached out. And then the second round interview, I got sent home with a technical test, which was also data structure and algorithms, but two of them I had seen before. Sent it back ASAP. And they liked it like me, I got an offer and I took it. It was remote. That was the other thing. I needed to have a remote job because I often travel and so that was the one that non negotiable I had, and it was perfect and that level, and I accepted it. I feel good. I'm in a learning position and I'm learning.

Q: How easy was it to get a remote job?

Claudia:

I pretty much just for any application and for everything I used, I used my LA address. And I was pretty much set on getting a remote job. Like with this job, I'm going to be in Mexico for six weeks. When I was at Sabio, they also had a remote policy only, so I was also working at some time from Mexico. I think if you're just looking to be in like a country for four to five weeks and then going to somewhere else you can get away with just getting a US remote job.

Q: What is your salary range at your new job?

Claudia:

My salary range was 75k to 85k. And I was okay with that along if it was a remote job. And I ended up getting this job offer at an entry level role for 75k with all the benefits and stuff, but I ended up being okay with that decision because I need experience and that first year in the door that's what's gonna give me. My goal for the end of the year is to lose my junior title and to be close to 100k.