Jumpstarting my Software Developer career with Grayce

Grayce ‘Women in Tech’ Scholar, Nina Espiritu shares her journey to become a Software Developer.

Hi, my name is Nina, and I was born and raised in the Philippines. I moved to the UK as a teenager where I completed my education. It was here where I realised I had a love for learning but being ineligible for student finance, it was certainly going to be difficult to pursue higher education. Despite this, I was determined to continue my education and find a career path that I was passionate about.  

Discovering a career in tech 

Last year, I worked part-time as a Graphic Design Intern, allowing me to learn more about technology. I was introduced to website and mobile app development projects, which immediately piqued my interest. I then began learning website development through the FreeCodeCamp, Udemy and YouTube tutorials. My interest in coding and software development kept growing as I invested more time into my learning, and I came to the decision to take it further with a desire to turn this into a rewarding career. 

After thorough research, a coding bootcamp seemed to be the right step forward for me. I struggled to find the right bootcamp specific to my interests and financial situation. Fortunately, I came across the ‘Grayce Women in Tech’ scholarship for a 3-month Master Coding course. I took a chance and applied for it and was one of the successful candidates! 

Completing the coding bootcamp 

I completed the intensive coding bootcamp, developing my technical skills and learning the fundamentals of full-stack development along the way. I thoroughly enjoyed how the course was structured and enjoyed creating new coding projects every week. One of my favourites included the team project where we developed a full-stack web application for reviewing coffee shops, receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback from all!  

I have also gained essential soft skills in teamwork, communication, task management, and leadership. Grayce has greatly aided my development and progressions and invited me for an interview to join the Tech+ Development Programme. With the help of my Grayce mentor, Roisin Wherry, I did my best to prepare and was thrilled to be successful! 

Jumpstarting your career through Women in Tech 

Through the Grayce ‘Women in Tech’ scholarship, not only was I able to continue my education and follow my desired career path, but also build my self-confidence in order to achieve my goals and aspirations. Being a Grayce scholar has truly made a positive impact on my life and I am beyond grateful to Grayce for seeing my potential. This has been an incredible experience and I am excited to see what the future holds. 

I believe anyone with a desire to learn and thrive can get into tech. It doesn’t matter what your background is and what experience you may have, persistence is key. Networking and reaching out is a great step forward on your journey to joining an inclusive community. As someone from a minority background, I’m glad that everyone I have met has been very supportive of my journey and that there are companies such as Grayce and Code Nation who make it their mission to help people like me, kickstart their careers.

If you are interested in opportunities at Grayce, view and apply to our current vacancies here