1. What is your background – work and education experience? And how long have you been living in Sweden?
I’m an editor, proofreader and translator with BA in the Portuguese Language. I’m doing jobs related to these specifications since 2010, but I worked as a teacher too. I have been living in Sweden for about a year and a half.

2. Why did you apply for the pilot Beginner Software Developer course at SmartCoding?
I wanted to change career and was looking for ways to learn how to program. Also, I am looking for a job that will be less freelance. I have received a suggestion from a friend at The Newbie Guide of Sweden that
SmartCoding would be perfect for me 🙂

3. How is it going with the new knowledge, what have you learnt so far and what is the goal?
I’m progressing and feeling that I found a new passion! I didn’t expect to like to program this much, haha. I have learnt how
to look into problems from a different angle and how to think thoroughly at each step of a solution. I have learnt a new
mindset. At the moment, we are programming with C, mainly to understand the basics and how to build a solid foundation in programming aspects.

4. What can you tell about the group participants, atmosphere, teacher?
I found amazing people in just one place. It feels like a new family, I’m very comfortable. They are all supportive, open and
thrilled to progress and learn. I don’t feel misplaced at all! <3

5. What is the added value, if there is any, of his course?
This course is highly valuable. The proposal to have a place where women with similar struggles can gather, learn and evolve is amazing. To receive help to find a new career path and have the company alongside is my main achievement with SmartCoding.

6. What would you say to other women to motivate them to start learning programming?
Programming is everywhere nowadays. You can use it to do everything. Even if at your main job people don’t use it directly, learning the “programming mentality” will help you with building solutions to daily problems.

Natalle