How I Landed My First Job as a Software Engineer

A Personal Journey by James Kelly

The Beginning: From Business Degree to Hello World

If you had told me two years ago that I’d be writing software for a living, I probably would’ve laughed and brushed it off. At the time, I had just completed a business degree and was on the path to entering the corporate world. Tech? That was for the “math geniuses” and “coding prodigies,” not for someone like me who hadn’t written a line of code in his life.

But the pandemic changed everything. Like many people, I found myself with more time than I knew what to do with. I started browsing around for things to learn, and I stumbled on a coding platform called FreeCodeCamp. I thought, “Why not? Let me try a few lessons.” The first few hours were frustrating, but when I built my first functional web page using basic HTML and CSS, I felt a rush I hadn’t felt in years.

That little spark of curiosity turned into an unexpected passion and ultimately, into a career.

Going Solo: Self-Taught Foundations

In the beginning, I committed to self-learning. I dived deep into free platforms like The Odin Project, YouTube tutorials, and of course, FreeCodeCamp. I taught myself HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. I built small projects a personal portfolio, a basic calculator, and a to-do list app.

Learning on my own taught me how to be resourceful, how to problem-solve, and how to keep going even when I hit a wall. But after a few months, I began to feel stuck. I could follow tutorials and recreate projects, but I didn’t know how to break out of that “tutorial trap” and start building things independently.

What I really needed was structure. A curriculum that would challenge me, guidance from mentors, and a community of peers to learn and grow with. I was ready to take it to the next level.

Discovering Moringa: A Turning Point

That’s when I found Moringa Tech School, and everything changed.

After some research and reading glowing testimonials from past students, I enrolled in Moringa’s full-stack software development bootcamp. It was an intense, immersive experience that pushed me to grow every single day. From the first week, it was clear: this was not just about learning to code it was about learning to think like a developer.

We jumped straight into building things. Real things. Apps that worked. APIs that connected. Interfaces that users could actually click and interact with. It wasn’t easy, but it was incredibly rewarding.

What really stood out was the balance between technical training and career preparation. I wasn’t just learning syntax and frameworks I was learning how to collaborate in teams, manage projects using Agile principles, write clean and maintainable code, and present my work with confidence.

Building My Portfolio: My Secret Weapon

Moringa encouraged us to build a portfolio early on. By the time I graduated, I had three solid projects under my belt:

• A task manager app with full CRUD operations using React and Flask.
• A RESTful API for a digital bookstore, built with Django and PostgreSQL
• A weather dashboard using a third-party API to fetch real-time data

I hosted everything on GitHub, deployed the apps on Netlify and Render, and documented each project with clear README files and code explanations.

Having a portfolio made all the difference. When I started applying for jobs, I could point to actual, working projects and say, “I built this.”

The Job Hunt: A Rollercoaster of Emotions

After finishing the bootcamp, I started sending out job applications. And let me tell you—it was rough at first.

I applied to 30+ roles in the first two months. Many companies didn’t respond. A few sent polite rejections. Some ghosted me completely. I started doubting myself, wondering if I was really cut out for this.

But with each rejection, I improved. I refined my resume. I added more detail to my LinkedIn. I practiced mock interviews with Moringa mentors. And most importantly, I kept building. I stayed active on GitHub. I contributed to small open-source projects. I joined dev communities online and asked for feedback.

Then one day, a fellow Moringa alum posted about an opening for a junior developer at a company called SwiftTech. I reached out, sent my portfolio, and was invited to interview.

Landing the Job: From Bootcamp Grad to Software Engineer

The interview process at SwiftTech was surprisingly human. Yes, there were technical questions—like building a simple API and walking through some JavaScript logic—but what they really wanted to see was how I thought, how I communicated, and how I solved problems under pressure.

Thanks to Moringa’s soft skills training, I was ready. I explained my projects clearly, asked thoughtful questions, and shared how I’d approached real-world challenges during bootcamp. A week later, I got the email that I had successfully secured the Junior SE role.

What I Learned (and What You Should Know)

Looking back, here are some of the biggest lessons I learned on this journey:

• You don’t need a computer science degree to break into tech. What you need are real-world skills and a strong portfolio.
• Structured learning accelerates your growth. Bootcamps like Moringa give you a framework, mentorship, and momentum that’s hard to replicate on your own.
• Soft skills matter. Communication, teamwork, and problem-solving are just as important as technical ability.
• Rejection is not failure. Every “no” brought me closer to a “yes.” Learn from them. Keep showing up.
• Your network is powerful. The opportunity at SwiftTech came through a connection in the Moringa community. Don’t underestimate the power of relationships.

Final Thoughts: From Dream to Reality

I’m still learning every day. I still get stuck sometimes. But now, I’m surrounded by a team that supports me, working on real software used by real people.

Breaking into tech wasn’t easy, but it was absolutely worth it. I went from zero experience to a full-time job in under a year, thanks to focused learning, community support, and a bootcamp that actually cares about student success.

If you’re considering a career in tech, my advice is simple:
Start. Build. Keep going.
And if you’re looking for a structured, skills-first approach to help you get there faster, check out Moringa School. It worked for me, and it could work for you too.