How a Carpenter Upgraded His Life With Coding Bootcamp, Eleven Fifty Academy Alumni Success Story

How a Carpenter Upgraded His Life With Coding Bootcamp

May 16, 2019

Sometimes in life you need to hop on a rollercoaster for a little adventure. For Nate Deisler that rollercoaster was Eleven Fifty Academy. Ups, downs, rapid turns, fast-paced—but instead of getting off the ride where he started, he was catapulted into a new career. Since finishing the program, Nate has settled in as a Junior Developer at Well Done Marketing, a company that checked off many of his desired work culture attributes, including an opportunity to work with talented developers, flexibility, and some hang out time with Bo, the Chief Office Dog. The JavaScript Bootcamp grad is no stranger to building things by hand. His years prior to learning how to code were spent as a carpenter at Indiana Wesleyan University. But trading in a hammer for a laptop had been on his mind thanks to friends in the field, including Jon Huer, Eleven Fifty Academy’s Chief Learning Officer, who introduced him to the program. “[He] supported me in changing occupations and transitioning myself into a better situation. If it weren't for his support, and some other friends’ encouragement, I might not have done it,” Nate said. “I was ready for a change and this came at just the right time.” Read on to get the full scoop on Nate’s Eleven Fifty Academy experience and the ride to making the career switch.

What sparked your interest in a career transition?

I had a myriad of friends who were programmers and I thought I might like doing it too. I tried many home tutorials and self-study, but never really knew what to do or where to go with it all and was discouraged along the way. Then I had a pretty bad work accident at my previous job. The accident served as a catalyst to me ultimately changing my career. So I chose to code and it seemed to fit me.

Why coding?

At first, I liked the logic and the math-like thinking behind coding and the way it's structured. It's the way my brain seems to run. But the more I thought about it, deep down I'm a problem solver. And coding seems to fit me there.

Take us back to day one—how were you feeling?

Nervous. I quit my job and questioned, "what am I doing?!" I remember not knowing where to sit, and because I was early, I tested out many different seats to see which one felt right. It was pointless because I ended up moving several times during the class.

What was the best part of your Eleven Fifty experience?

The support, the numerous amount of people you meet, the friends and perspectives you gain, and the teachers. Shout out to Alex, Autumn, Ing, Tyler, and Zach! Plus, the dopamine rush when you solve a difficult morning challenge.

The hardest?

Imposter syndrome and networking. Most of us seem like introverts.

How was your job search experience?

Daunting. It had been seven years since my last job interview. I was really out of practice. But the more you do it, the better you get at remembering how to answer a question that best represents you. Prior to applying, I made sure all my projects were up to date and viewable by an employer. Then I submitted three to four applications a week. I spent time tracking them while following up on ones I thought might be a good fit, all while doing practice interviews and tending to my resume.

What’s it like transitioning from Eleven Fifty to working as a new developer?

At Eleven Fifty you are locked into a coding bootcamp. It kind of becomes your life. It is a culture (and sometimes like a religion.) You join and it becomes hard to let go and divorce that immersive learning style. But they do a great job setting you up to learn on your own and how to fail gracefully. Being a new developer is daunting, especially working under such knowledgeable people, and I have to constantly remind myself this is what I do now. Thank you to Nate for sharing his experience! Want to make your own transition? Our team members are waiting to help! Talk to an advisor or sign up to join us at one of our FREE Intro to Coding courses.

Related Articles

Blog Categories