From scaffolds to software: Jotham’s unexpected path to programming

Jotham Yelle worked as a labourer at a scaffolding company before transitioning to a career in tech. Newly married, he took the first job offering a decent wage. After studying audio engineering, he realized it wasn’t the dream he imagined, leaving him uncertain about his future. At his job, a costly web application issue arose and despite no programming experience, Jotham asked to fix it, driven by a “fake-it-till-you-make-it” mindset. Over six months, with the help of Google and Stack Overflow, he built an application and fell in love with programming. He decided to formalize his education quickly and enrolled in Lighthouse Labs’ Web Development Bootcamp.

What were you up to before Lighthouse Labs?

Before Lighthouse Labs, I was working as a labourer at a scaffolding company. I recently got married and picked the first job that gave me a decent wage. After studying audio engineering, I realized that the audio engineering dream might not have been as cool as it seemed at first. So I was in a bit of a limbo, uncertain of what direction to go.

What led you to want to take a Web Development Bootcamp, and why did you choose Lighthouse Labs?

There was a problem with a web application at my scaffolding job that was costing the company a lot of money. Long story short, I asked my boss to let me take a stab at it. I had never done any programming in my life up to that point, but decided it couldn’t be that hard (I lived by the fake-it-til-you-make philosophy my whole life).

Over the next 6 months, with a whole lot of Google and Stack Overflow, I built an application and fell in love with programming. I even started my first year of university but quickly concluded I could not wait for the degree, I loved programming too much; I needed to be doing this for a living today. I wanted work that was more meaningful and could help people at scale. When I looked up Lighthouse Labs and took a tour, I was instantly sold.

Tell us about your experience with the Web Development Bootcamp.

I loved the program, and it exceeded my expectations. I arrogantly thought that because I had taught myself so much online I would simply zip through the course and just wait for the job placement help to start. I was so wrong. The course was designed to challenge all levels, regardless of your starting point. And boy, I was challenged.

One of the greatest challenges was this feeling of imposter syndrome. Something that even my fake-it-till-you-make-it attitude couldn’t conquer. Everything I learned opened up 20 things I didn’t know - “Will I ever learn enough?”

I am so glad I faced that at Lighthouse Labs, because the actual field of work has been a menacing “while (true)” loop of confidence, then inadequacy, and back and forth. 10/10, would recommend it to a friend.

How did the Web Development Bootcamp impact your career?

This program is the reason I have the career I have now. It fast-tracked everything in exactly the way I had hoped it would. Two weeks before I had even graduated from Lighthouse Labs, I was hired at Adacado, where I was immediately gifted the greatest mentorship I could have ever wished for. Everyone I was working with was more experienced than I was and was simply better at programming than me.

Lighthouse Labs’ Web Development Bootcamp prepared me with knowledge, but also how to work in a team, stay organized, and continue learning. Three and a half years into my career, I was given the opportunity to run the very product that helped shape the way I view programming and applications in general. Now, five and a half years at Adacado later, I still look at Lighthouse Labs as the reason I’m able to do what I do.

Talk to us about your job! Explain a little of what you do now.

Since taking over as the head of product, I have been very focused on ways to help “the little guy”, aka. the small businesses. We’ve even gone as far as launching a new free tier so that SMBs and Shopify store owners are able to advertise for free. I build technology that helps people and businesses grow and it’s incredibly fulfilling to do so.

What do you appreciate most about your new career or what are you most hopeful for moving forward?

I love building helpful technology - it’s so freeing. When you realize that you can literally build your dreams/goals, you get a new perspective on things. I’m hopeful that more businesses and entrepreneurs will keep building software that helps/empowers people, rather than the tunnel-visioned focus on profit and shareholder value.

Adacado opens up advertising to everyone, in a way that is actually useful. I get to watch our customers grow their businesses on their own. That makes me hopeful for the future.

What’s next? Tell us about you and your future career goals.

There are about a billion things I find interesting in this life. I have so many projects on the go at all times, from writing to game development to businesses to music. My future career goals include figuring out what I want to be when I grow up.

What advice would you give someone who wants to transition into a tech career?

Do it today. But also, please please please, learn as much as you can on your own first. If you hate the process, if you feel the desire to bang your head against the wall every single time you get stuck on a problem, then you’re not going to enjoy Bootcamp or the career. But if you find yourself getting sucked in, and craving the solution, dreaming in “if”s and “else”s, then go all-in.

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Anything else you want to share?

Start working on a project that excites you. Get passionate about something and try to make it happen.

Sign up for the Web Development Bootcamp today

Ready to find a career in the Web Development market like Jotham?

At Lighthouse Labs, we're here to help you gain the skills for your next role. Our Web Development Bootcamp is the quickest way to launch a career in web development. We offer an online 12-week, immersive, full-time bootcamp, or a 30-week, flexible, part-time bootcamp option. The bootcamp includes on-demand mentorship and Career Services you can benefit from for LIFE. At the end of the bootcamp, you'll have the tools and skills to level up your resume and find a career in web development.

You can connect with Jotham on Linkedin or browse his site here.

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