Learner Testimonial — Skills Bootcamps in IT Support Engineer

Skills Bootcamps are intensive study programmes that help people reskill into the tech industry. Our recent graduate, Sarah Alozie, told us about her experience changing careers and getting the confidence to do it all!

Sarah studied Psychology at university and went into a recruitment career in the training and development sector. Realizing it wasn’t for her, she took a leave of absence to figure out what to do. Part of it was due to the pandemic. 

“Covid made me think about doing things that made me happy and made me want to work from home more. I came across an article about turning your hobby into a career; this made me think, ‘What do I really enjoy doing?’

“The company I used to work for was really small, so, even though I was admin, I used to do everything! When I was in the office, colleagues would always ask me to look into network connections, sort out the printer, stuff like that, so I thought, maybe I’d be good at it?”

Sarah came across Firebrand Skills Bootcamps on social media. “I recognised some of the certifications that come with the bootcamps, like CompTIA. Honestly, I didn’t know which area to go into, so I thought Tech Support would be a good way to test the waters.

“For the same reason, I chose Skills Bootcamps over an Apprenticeship or another qualification. Having already done a degree, I didn’t want to do another until I was 100% sure which area I wanted to go into. The bootcamp was short enough to help make my mind up, and intensive enough to have a proper understanding if I wanted to take it further, so I chose the Skills Bootcamp in IT Support Engineer.” 

“The first few weeks I was quite nervous. I had zero IT experience and felt very insecure – some of the guys were building their own computers! It also felt very male-dominated, there was just me and two other ladies. By the end of week two, I was the only one left. I went to my Success Coach, Raff Graham, and said, ‘I’m the only woman left, are you sure I should continue?’

“Raff was amazing. He always finds time to talk to you, even if he’s really busy; he’s able to listen to you and soothe your fears. He helped me realise I actually did enjoy what I was learning and he encouraged me to stay on. It was only due to his kind words and continued support that I felt empowered enough to see my certification through to the end. He was amazing; I can’t speak highly enough of the support he gave me.

“Having really good teachers with engaging teaching methods also helped. One guy in our cohort was very vocal, always the first one to answer; our instructors encouraged everyone to express themselves. Our CompTIA instructor, Harpreet Gill, always made sure to include me in the group conversation; he helped me come out of my shell and made the lessons fun!”

Staying on the course was a winning strategy for Sarah, as she soon found a topic she liked. “Taking the Azure Fundamentals class with Chimezie Okure helped me realise I really like Cloud Computing – that’s where my passion lies.”

Around this time, Sarah was also applying for jobs. The Firebrand recruitment team sent her opportunities connected to her interests; one of them was the chance to train in Cloud Engineering with Digital Futures.

“The post-certification Firebrand recruitment team were amazing and are part of the reason why I was able to secure the role I have today. After the bootcamp finished I received career support, webinar invites, job opportunities… I applied for a graduate TDP programme with Nationwide, Cloud Analyst. I wasn’t sure I met the requirements, one of which is a STEM degree. I was lucky though, as my Psychology degree is classified as a BS, not a BA; the recruitment team said, ‘Give it a go, you never know what happens!’

“While waiting to hear from Nationwide, I took a second Skills Bootcamp in Amazon Web Services (AWS) Cloud Practitioner and AWS Solutions Architect Associate. It included lessons in Python, Terraform, and Linux.

“Looking back, I now understand that we typically see more men on Hardware bootcamps; moving into Cloud, I encountered more women, whilst Data and Software Engineering have a nice mix. It’s easy to feel intimidated as a woman, which is why it’s so important to encourage each other.” Sarah is involved with several initiatives to encourage women to enter IT, such as Code First Girls, Girls Who Code, and Women in IT.

When the time came, Nationwide invited Sarah for an interview.

“I went through a virtual interview, then a virtual assessment day with group and individual assessments. For my one-to-one interview, I spoke to a Solutions Architect. A lot of my fellow applicants had an IT background, but the skills I’ve learned did shine through!

“That’s what amazing about Firebrand – you not only teach certifications but also soft skills – how to conduct yourself, what to say… For someone like me who had been out of work for a while, it was nice to get that refresher course on the soft skills you need to be employable.”

Sarah is starting her role soon. “Having a Psychology degree is a great transferrable skill! I’d love to be a Cloud Architect within a business environment, understanding what the client needs, helping businesses structure their IT… With the advent of AI, I’d love to help clients incorporate AI in their businesses… Let’s see what the future brings!”

So, would Sarah recommend Skills Bootcamps in IT?

“Definitely! I tried to do it on my own first, a five-day online programme, but it 100% matters to have a teacher like you would in a real classroom – plus, all the support Firebrand provides. Why not give it a go?”

Thank you for your feedback, Sarah!