One year ago I was employed as an attorney in Atlanta, GA. Since then I’ve quit my job, completed an immersive software engineering bootcamp, moved to Memphis, TN, become a father, and signed a contract to work as a software engineer at an amazing Blockchain Development firm in Memphis, TN.

I’ve already written about why I transitioned from law to software engineering. This post is my chance to thank everyone who supported me, share a few lessons I learned along the way, and dream about what comes next.

I Couldn’t Have Done It Alone

I am incredibly grateful to my family, friends, and colleagues who supported me throughout this transition. I could not have done it without them.

First, I want to thank my wife Farley Ezekiel. She was supportive every step of the way. Changing careers is a scary move, especially with a newborn on the way, but Farley believed in me and encouraged me to follow my dreams.

On top of that Farley gave me the most incredible gift I could ask for, the gift of fatherhood (just in time for Father’s Day).

Second, thank you to my mom and to parents-in-law. Farley and I could not have made the move to Memphis when we did without their support.

Third, thank you to all the amazing instructors and staff at Flatiron ( Tammy, Brit, Rob, Emily, Ronny, Tez, Garry, …), my cohort (Kwam, Andy, Kaeland, Will, Cory, Blair, Paris), and my career advisory Mitzi. Each of you inspired me to do better and gave me the skills to accomplish my goals.

Finally, thank you web3devs, for taking the chance on a bootcamp grad without a CS degree.

Lessons Learned

1. Try Before You Buy: before I enrolled in a software development bootcamp, I tried out Udemy courses, learning material from other bootcamps, Free Code Camp, and other (mostly) free sources. Ultimately I felt like I learned best using Flatiron’s platform so I went with them.
2. Invest in Relationships: The job I start on Monday was never posted. I got it because I developed meaningful relationships with software developers in my job market.
3. Don’t Be Afraid: there are lots of scary parts about starting a bootcamp or a career in software development. Will I be good at it? Will I fit in with the community? Will I like it? If you are really curious about programming and want to learn more, don’t let these doubts stop you.
4. Post Up: I think this is true no matter what field you are in - if you want to be successful you have to put in the work. This also applies to your personal relationships. Make time for your friends and family, especially when things get tough.

Looking Ahead

There are so many things I want to learn going forward. I am particularly interested in developing static sites, using serverless features like AWS lamda, and learning the Express framework.

I also hope to give back to the programming community and to Memphis. If you are just starting your journey in software development I would be happy to talk. Just reach out using one of the social media icons on this site.