Get to know Donna-Mari van Schalkwyk, who is a Junior Developer/ Trainee at Auto & General. We sat down with her to learn about how her experience with the She Codes Plus program has helped her on her career journey.
When asked how her tech journey began, Donna-Mari shared that she stumbled upon She Codes on Linkedin, after searching for a career change from early child care. “I took a leap of faith and signed up.”
Donna-Mari was drawn to a career in tech as it was something exciting and different, where she felt like she could challenge herself.
“Coding has a fascinating concept, a lot like building Lego, I thoroughly enjoy creating and designing through the process of coding,” she shared.
Donna-Mari realised that a successful career change was possible thanks to Alison Killen, one of her mentors who inspired her with her story.
When we asked Donna-Mari what life has been like as a developer, she admitted that committing to such a drastic career change has been full-on but rewarding, sharing the following.
“I have unlocked a passion and it is exciting to explore, learn and practice my skills at work in a supportive team and also at home in my own time.”
Transitioning from the teacher to the student means Donna-Mari is constantly learning on the job, and the Angular project she is currently working on is rapidly accelerating these skills.
Donna-Mari believes she will never stop learning in the tech field, and her next steps are to complete company training so she can join the team as a software developer on a full-time basis.
We asked Donna-Mari if she had any advice for someone considering a career change in the tech industry, and she believes She Codes is a great place to start!
“You will learn programming theory and that is a transferable skill to learning other languages. With the support of a cohort and mentors, it is absolutely possible to make a career change,” she concluded.
To find out more about She Codes Plus, and stay involved in upcoming opportunities, make sure you sign up to our mailing list here and follow us on socials!