There are a few types of blog posts on my website. Some of them are very easy to create and publish; usually, it's just a matter of an hour or two. There are posts I wanted to write, but somehow I never got a chance to, and this one, while you assume that it will be the easiest one for me, seems to be the most difficult.

I made my dream come true. I am now a software developer. But the funny thing is that this is so huge that it's difficult for me to write down everything that is in my head right now. So prepare for a rollercoaster. I will try to give you the structure and say everything I want.

I think it’s worth starting with the company I just joined. SortRefer is not just any company; it's a dynamic and innovative organisation at the forefront of the legal and financial sectors. Their commitment to providing value-added software solutions and delivering best-in-class customer service truly sets them apart.

Many of my friends call me the lucky one, and in this case, I've got to agree. Right after my initial interview, I knew that this was a place where I wanted to work, learn, and grow as a developer. After a couple of days and meeting the developer's team, I couldn't be happier. I felt included from day one, and the support I received was unbelievable.

Onboarding allows me to ask as many questions as I possibly can. I follow a well-prepared plan so I'm not stressed about what's next.

Have I mentioned yet where my new job is? It's a 14-minute walk from my home. It's hard to believe that for three months I've been applying for roles across the UK to end up working next to my home. And I just want to mention that this is an office-based position, which I love. And to all my junior developer friends, I cannot recommend it enough. Please, if you only have a chance to work from the office, trust me, you won't regret it.

I'm not going to lie; after seeing what kind of projects I will be involved in, I feel overwhelmed. But trust me, I didn't dream of becoming a software developer to have an easy life. I'm ready to learn, to struggle, and to make slow progress every day. I am also excited to get a chance to learn PHP and master MySQL. Having been surrounded by such amazing software engineers, I know it's just a matter of time if I put all the hard work into it.

Next, I would like to say a few words about my application process and give a big shout-out to Dan Massey, a recruiter from Searchability. During my job hunt, multiple recruiters or agencies would contact me, and then they would never get back to me. With Dan, it was just the opposite. I knew everything upfront, we stayed in touch every day, and it feels like we've become friends during this process. In a situation where job applications nowadays can take weeks and multiple stages of interviews, I am amazed to complete my application process within 2 weeks. It is another green flag that I'm joining a very special place.

Moving on, I would love to shout out to all my friends I've met during my journey.

Let me please start with School of Code. The 16 weeks of bootcamp I completed changed my life. I’ve not only learned and been well-prepared for a full-stack developer role, but I also learned how to work in a team, communicate, learn, and deal with imposter syndrome. Once you know how to learn and you have programming concepts, you can learn other languages much easier.

Next, I would like to thank all my friends from cohort 15. Meeting like-minded, motivated career changers made a huge impact. We suffered together, but we truly enjoyed it. Up to this day, we are in touch and support each other.

I would also love to mention Susanna, my dear friend I’ve met on LinkedIn. Her support, advice, and all kinds of help gave me the power to keep going when things got worse. Her passion and dedication drove my passion. She kept me motivated, and I think it's thanks to her that I am writing this blog right now. Susanna was a person that changed the way I see LinkedIn. After meeting her and her warm welcome reaction, I felt confident to contact other developers.

A big shoutout to David, the best tech lead I’ve met. Thank you for all your advice, for having me at my first-ever tech event, and for all your support. I would also thank James for having me on my first-ever Hackathon. I’ve learned a lot.

And to every other developer I've met through LinkedIn, thank you so much.

And last, but not least, I would like to thank my family who made it all possible and supported me for the last six months.

You will probably ask what's next. Is that my last blog post? Is my journey over now? I think that this is just the beginning. It looks like hard work starts now. There is a lot to learn. Things that I haven't learned during Bootcamp. I literally can't wait. I would like to keep writing blog posts about what it's like to become a developer.

I've got two priorities now. The first one is to become a valuable team member at my work, the best I can, and show my gratitude for the chance I've been given. So I plan to work hard. As soon as I feel confident to mentor other career changers, I would love to give back all the support that I received myself, and I hope to get involved in making tech diverse and open to everyone.

So please stay around, and I will see you shortly. Thank you so much for joining me during this journey.