Member Article

Carving a career in code

A former DevAcademy recruit, Lorena Bence, has landed her dream role at global IT provider, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE).

Having completed her journalism qualification, Lorena soon realised her interest and passion for the tech sector. After completing an intensive coding course with DevAcademy, a Newcastle based IT training and resource provider, she was offered a temporary analyst role within the company in December 2014. 12 months later, Lorena was offered the permanent role she had hoped for within the Demand & Portfolio Management team at HPE. She answered a few questions about her interests and career path…

When did you first become interested in technology?

I worked in the same building as a software company a few years ago and they would hold free coding sessions over the lunch hour. I thought they’d be interesting to try and the more I attended, the more I thought this is something I could do for a career. I got some books and found links to websites and became really interested in learning more about the different coding languages.

What was your first step towards a career in the tech sector?

I started an online course for front end developing thinking it’d be a good introduction to the sector for me and then I found out about the DevAcademy course and the fantastic opportunity it provided for people wanting to get in to IT.

How did you find out about the DevAcademy course?

A friend sent me a Facebook link and I thought it’d be a great step in the right direction. I was still in a recruitment role but wanted to make a career move.

Why did you apply for it?

I went to an information evening and spoke to one of the directors and asked lots of questions. I became really excited about the opportunity and the career on offer. To know I’d be given the skills and support to gain that foothold and catapult myself to success was an amazing feeling.

Is a career in the tech sector all you had hoped it would be?

Yes. I’m very happy with where I am and what I’ve achieved since I started. My goal was to become a permanent member of HPE and I have reached my goal and can set myself a new one.

What advice would you give to young people wanting to get into the tech sector?

Absolutely go for it! It is a challenging but rewarding career, with a million and one possibilities to develop any of your skills.

Lorena hopes to be qualified in Project Management in the next few years so as to progress in her career. We wish her all the best for the future and know she’ll have a wonderful career in IT.

*Applications for the next DevAcademy intake will open shortly. Interested applicants and companies can register their interest on the website or send a message through the contact form for more information. You can also follow DevAcademy on twitter @devacademyuk, Facebook and LinkedIn.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Rachel Peacock .