As part of our Brisbane Plus cohort, Shelley shares her journey through the six month program below, including what her favourite parts have been, how her career path has been impacted and more! Check it out.
How did your tech journey begin?
I have always been interested in technology but my tech journey didn’t really begin until I landed my current role. I had worked in Hospital Pharmacy for the past 25 years and was lucky enough to get a position with my current employer Citadel Health as a Clinical Applications Specialist looking after the CHARM Oncology Software program. I help our clients with level 2 and clinical help desk issues and provide specialised training on the product. In the past 3 years working at Citadel I have been working alongside developers and testers and have become fascinated at all the intricacies of the code that makes up our program. I always want to know more about how things work and really wanted to understand what the technical teams were talking about when they would suggest fixes and improvements.
How will She Codes Plus impact your career path?
She Codes Plus has opened up a whole new world to me. I had hoped to understand coding enough to make me better at my job. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I would be able to create the projects I have. I always thought coding was only for people who excelled at maths and that I was too old to learn how to code. Now I know that this is not true!
What has been your favourite thing about She Codes Plus so far?
I have to pick 2 things! My favourite project has been the crowdfunding app we just completed. I love all of the intricacies involved in getting the front end to communicate with the back end and display everything correctly. My favourite experience was the Master Class day. Hearing from so many people who excel and are passionate about the industry was so inspiring!
What does success look like for you/what’s next after She Codes Plus?
I feel like I am at the beginning of a whole new career for me. I am planning on furthering my coding skills by continuing to create my own projects and I would also like to continue with some formal studies of some sort. My goal is to eventually transition across to a more technical role to take advantage of all my newfound skills.
Do you have any advice you’d like to share to prospective/future She Coders?
Just say yes! Don’t let self doubt stop you from having a go. I could never have imagined I was capable of the things I have now achieved with She Codes Plus. Don’t be scared to take the first step, the rest will all fall into place! There is so much support and help if you need it.
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