National Coding Week began in 2014 and has been celebrated every third Monday in September since. The aim of the week is to raise awareness for both adults and children to learn digital skills for personal and professional development.
At Locate a Locum we are extremely lucky to have a team of 16 skilled developers who continue to build innovative products and solutions for our valued clients. To mark National Coding Week we asked some of the team about their experience in coding and what advice they would give anyone starting out in their own coding careers.
Ashleigh Donaghy-Bell Full Stack Developer
What does your coding journey look like?
My journey is a bit more unconventional than most! I studied at Queen's University Belfast, but I actually have a Zoology degree and a postgrad diploma in Conservation Management. My degree did contain a module on the programming language R, which I really enjoyed, that was my first taste of anything to do with code, and is what started my interest really.
The job market wasn't great when I graduated, so I decided to bide my time and got a job working as a Logistics Coordinator for a fashion company, but I didn't enjoy this as much as I thought, it wasn't very engaging.
So in my spare time, I taught myself how to code. I had the goal to get out of logistics and work as a developer. I knew nothing about code or if it was even possible to get a job without a computer-related degree. But I decided to try it out of interest after my encounter with R previously, and as a way to get a more engaging and challenging job than I was.
Fast forward about a year, I got my first dev job and haven't looked back since, I love my job now!
What do you love about coding?
I love that the job is never dull, no two days are ever the same, whether you're building a brand new feature to make our users' lives easier, or whether you're tinkering around fixing and streamlining existing work. I really enjoy the ever-evolving nature of code as well, the fact that you're never done learning, and I love our team spirit.
I'm personally most interested in the psychology behind how our users interact with our website and how we can use that to positively impact the business. Because of this, I like to work closely with our UX team and focus on our front-end code, building what our users interact with on our website, I think it's fascinating!
What advice would you give to anyone starting out?
My journey is proof that you don't need a degree to work in this field, which I found so unbelievable and amazing at the time. It's something anyone can do if you put your mind to it, and from my experience anyway, I've found employers look for people who have the right mindset and drive more than anything.
There are so many free resources online where you can learn to code, so if anyone out there is thinking about it, just start, and keep going. Don't get disheartened by how much there is to learn, because the thing is, you'll never be done learning, and that's one of the things I love about it.
Dr Barry Herbert - Full Stack Developer
What does your coding journey look like?
I got into computing and software development specifically because of my interest in mathematics. Maths was my favourite subject at school and the logic, structure and design principles of software development were something I felt suited my abilities and skills. I studied BSc Computing at Ulster Uni, Coleraine and proceeded to do my PhD in the same faculty.
What do you love about coding?
I love the fact that technology, as it evolves, forces us as developers to do the same. It means you are constantly challenged to push forward and leads to a huge variety in projects and applications of those new technologies as they are adopted into your company's software infrastructure.
What advice would you give to anyone starting out?
I would say the biggest thing is to think of the bigger picture, never think of anything you learn as only applicable to one computing language or application. Once you realise the same critical thinking and problem solving can be applied in multiple scenarios, the language you learn becomes secondary to your ability to think about how you leverage any language you choose to fulfil your project goals.
"If anyone out there is thinking about it, just start, and keep going. Don't get disheartened by how much there is to learn, because the thing is, you'll never be done learning, and that's one of the things I love about it." - Ashleigh Donaghy-Bell
Conor McKillop - Full Stack Developer
What does your coding journey look like?
I studied the Professional Software Development conversion course at the University of Ulster. Before this, I had been studying to be a history teacher so quite the change. I got into it as I had already studied ICT at A level and enjoyed that so thought this would be the best move after deciding teaching wasn't for me. Plus, the software industry was really starting to take off at the time and there were loads of opportunities available.
What do you love about coding?
I love the problem-solving side of it. It can be a real challenge at times but when you figure something out it feels great! I also just enjoy the idea of building things that loads of people end up using on a daily basis. The industry is constantly changing also so you're always learning which keeps things from getting boring.
What advice would you give to anyone starting out?
Advice for someone starting out would be to focus on the basic fundamentals and nail those down first rather than starting out trying to learn the many languages and frameworks out there.
Jona Siri - Lead Full Stack Developer
What does your coding journey look like?
I got into coding by accident. I was a consultant for an FDI firm and ended up falling into the “IT Guy” role by fixing wee issues around the office. That sparked a desire to learn more, and I signed up for QUB’s Software Conversion course, and the rest is history.
What do you love about coding?
It’s a fantastic career which offers so much opportunity for personal development and learning (with so many free resources out there allowing you to learn as you work), as well as lots of work perks such as remote work, flexible working and generous salaries!
What advice would you give to anyone starting out?
I would tell new starts to get as involved as possible in the different areas of their software stack/lifecycle! The more you know the more valuable you are, and don’t stop asking questions (whatever stage of your career you are in!).
Resources for learning more
It's incredible to hear from members of our team and their varied experiences within the coding industry. One thing that remains consistent throughout their journeys is their passion for the industry and their work! If you're interested in learning more about coding, the National Coding Week website offers fantastic resources and you can find them here.