Coding software from scratch isn’t just for the boys.
That’s what one Glaswegian woman realised after quitting her job as a primary school teacher to pursue what she once thought was a “geeky guys job”.
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Jessica Gilbert had suffered from burnout after being in the classroom for five years with little free time.
She would often spend her evenings and weekends preparing lessons, and even had to dip into her personal funds to help buy resources for the children.
“I could never unwind from it,” she told the BBC.
Gilbert explained she “had no idea” about jobs in tech until she saw an advert on Instagram for a free eight week course on coding by Code First Girls.
“I didn’t have science or maths at school so I didn’t think I could manage to code – I thought that those doors in STEM were closed,” the 28-year old said.
“To be honest I didn’t even really know what a software engineer was.
“I assumed it was a geeky, guys job – I certainly didn’t know any other women in these roles that I could look at as a role model or inspiration.”
After the eight-week course, Gilbert went on to build her knowledge around coding and software engineering.
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She managed to squeeze night coding classes into her week while she was still teaching.
It was “tough but worth it”, she says.
Now Gilbert works full-time as a junior software engineer at Sky Betting & Gaming.
While she currently doesn’t make as much money as she did in teaching, her earning potential is far greater.
After handing in her resignation, Gilbert joined a Facebook group called “Life after teaching”.
It turns out she’s not the only teacher looking to change careers after suffering burnout.
“I previously discounted coding as something for computer scientists or geniuses,” she adds.
“But if you are good at communicating and problem solving – a job in tech can be for you.”
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