Birmingham graduate lands top tech job at BBC
A graduate from the University of Birmingham 's Coding Boot Camp has landed a top job at the BBC.
Kayle Patton enrolled on the Boot Camp in September 2021 and has gone on to join the BBC as a junior software engineer.
Working in a small team of five at the BBC, Kayle, 30, is working on the broadcasting corporation 's iPlayer and Sounds team.
Having always had a passion for tech, Kayle first enrolled at the coding Boot Camp at the University of Birmingham in the winter of 2020.
However, on the way to becoming a first-time mum, Kayle decided to postpone the course, which she then started in autumn 2021.
Kayle (pictured) said: “The help was phenomenal and lecturers and tutors are very aware of your personal life as well. I had a one month old baby when I started. So my instructor was aware of that - sometimes life was really hectic for me and he was understanding of that. ”
Prior to the coding Boot Camp, Kayle worked in education programming for an art museum in Dallas, Texas, and in autumn 2020 moved with her husband to Birmingham, UK.
She added: “We started right at the beginning - HTML, CSS. I went into the course knowing nothing about development so it really did start from the beginning which was great.
“Towards half way into the course, that 's when career services comes in. They make sure you 're getting enough support with CVs, portfolios, interviews and making sure you 're ready to start your career. ”
In 2019, University of Birmingham launched their Boot Camps under two umbrellas - Data Analytics and Coding.
It has since welcomed over 300 students from around the West Midlands on its 24 week intensive courses.
The courses offer virtual and in person classes and are open to everyone, including those without a technology background or high grades.
As well as being a new mum while doing an intensive Coding Boot Camp, Kayle was also on a short term visa which meant her new role would likely have to include a sponsorship in a couple of years, which she found many small companies didn 't offer.
Through the help she received during teaching and skills development, Kayle was connected to a BBC employee.
Kayle explained: “My instructor connected me to a recruiter at the BBC which was super instrumental in me getting my job because I was told about assessment centres which isn 't a public thing on the website.
“It was a different way of applying for a role than through an application.
“Without the connections I made throughout the course, I wouldn 't have the job that I have now.
“It 's not just the content you learn - it 's the connections and relationships you build with experts too. ”