• Home
  • Why Attend
    • For Financial Institutions
    • For Fintech/Tech
    • For Talent
    • Our DNA
    • Contact
  • 2019 Highlights
    • Gallery
    • TOP 400+ FIs
    • Speakers
    • Festival Guide
      • 2019 Agenda
      • Download
      • Live Music
      • Craft Beer
      • Welcome Stage
      • Fintech Stories Stage
      • Strategy Stage
      • Build Stage
      • AITECHTalents – Discovery Day
      • RegTECHTalents – Discovery Day
    • Fintech Stories
    • Secret Shopper
  • Steer Co.
  • Partners
  • Prospectus
  • Insight
    • Awesome Stuff
    • FinTech Of The Week
    • Video Interviews
    • Video Testimonials
    • The Platform
    • Subscribe
  • Get Involved
  • Register

Fintech Talents

Fintech Talents

Kallyas is an ultra-premium, responsive theme built for today websites.

T (212) 555 55 00
Email: sales@yourwebsite.com

Your Company LTD
Street nr 100, 4536534, Chicago, US

  • Home
  • Why Attend
    • For Financial Institutions
    • For Fintech/Tech
    • For Talent
    • Our DNA
    • Contact
  • 2019 Highlights
    • Gallery
    • TOP 400+ FIs
    • Speakers
    • Festival Guide
      • 2019 Agenda
      • Download
      • Live Music
      • Craft Beer
      • Welcome Stage
      • Fintech Stories Stage
      • Strategy Stage
      • Build Stage
      • AITECHTalents – Discovery Day
      • RegTECHTalents – Discovery Day
    • Fintech Stories
    • Secret Shopper
  • Steer Co.
  • Partners
  • Prospectus
  • Insight
    • Awesome Stuff
    • FinTech Of The Week
    • Video Interviews
    • Video Testimonials
    • The Platform
    • Subscribe
  • Get Involved
  • Register

Content

STAY TUNED
  • Tweet
  • Share 0
  • LinkedIn 0

How a Hackathon Got Me My Dream Job

by Our Community / Wednesday 24 October 2018 / Published in Diversity, Employment, Featured, Fintech, Innovation, Start-ups, Talent

 

The above Twitter exchange caught the eye of Makers Academy. We caught up with Funmi Adewodu to hear her side of the story, which she has written below. You can follow her journey here.

How it started

​I​ ​never​ ​really​ ​imagined​ ​I​ ​would​ ​be​ ​excited​ ​about​ ​banking​ ​until​ ​I​ ​came​ ​across Starling Bank.​

​I​ ​fell​ ​in​ ​love​ ​with​ ​their​ ​whole​ ​customer​ ​experience​ ​and​ ​this​ ​really​ ​got​ ​me interested​ ​in​ ​the​ ​company.​ ​

I​ ​really​ ​liked​ ​their​ ​approach​ ​towards​ ​building​ ​a​ ​bank. It reflects​ ​the​ ​innovation​ ​of​ ​the​ ​current​ ​times​ ​and​ ​also​ ​meets​ ​the​ ​needs​ ​of​ ​people​ ​for building​ ​a​ ​healthier​ ​financial​ ​life.​ ​

What​ ​also​ ​appealed​ ​to​ ​me​ ​is​ ​their​ ​​Passport​ ​to Starling​ ​programme​​ ​which​ ​allows​ ​their employees​ ​to​ ​truly​ ​explore​ ​their passion​ ​and​ ​drive​ ​their​ ​careers.

Before Starling…

​I​ ​was​ ​working​ ​in​ ​Accounting​ ​and​ ​looking​ ​to eventually​ ​make​ ​a​ ​career-switch​ ​to​ ​Software​ ​Development. ​​I​​ was teaching myself to code.

I took a web development course was with Code ​​First Girls​​ ​and​ ​I​ ​had​ ​also​ ​already​ ​secured​ ​a​ ​place​ ​on​ ​the​ ​Makers​ ​course.

​​I ​​was ​​not ​​actively ​​looking​ ​for ​​a job at the time but I pursued​ ​my​ ​interests​ ​in​ ​coding​ ​and​ ​things​ ​really​ ​started​ ​falling​ ​into​ ​place​ ​for​ ​me.

​​I​ ​was​ ​really​ ​interested​ ​in​ ​attending​ ​Starling’s​ ​hackathon​ ​but​ ​I​ ​remember​ ​feeling​ ​like​ ​I did​ ​not​ ​have​ ​enough​ ​experience​ ​coding​ ​yet.​ ​

A lucky invitation

Fortunately​ ​a​ ​friend​ ​contacted​ ​me​ ​around the​ ​same​ ​time​ ​and​ ​said​ ​she​ ​had​ ​signed​ ​up​ ​for​ ​the​ ​same​ ​hackathon​ ​and​ ​she​ ​wanted to​ ​join​ ​her​ ​team — and​ ​of​ ​course​ ​I​ ​said​ ​yes!

​I​ ​was​ ​excited​ ​about​ ​the​ ​serendipity​ ​of​ ​the​ ​whole​ ​thing​ ​and​ ​it​ ​felt​ ​like​ ​I​ ​was​ ​in​ ​the​ ​right place​ ​at​ ​the​ ​right​ ​time.

After​ ​the​ ​hackathon,​ ​I​ ​told​ ​them​ ​about my​ ​interest​ ​in​ ​coding​ ​and​ ​that I was​ ​keen​ ​to​ ​learn more​ ​about​ ​the​ ​opportunities​ ​at​ ​Starling.​ ​

Through​ ​that​, ​I​ ​was​ ​able​ ​to​ ​stand​ ​out​ ​and they​ ​invited​ ​me​ ​for​ ​further​ ​discussions​ ​a​ ​few​ ​weeks​ ​after.​ ​

I​ ​was​ ​then​ ​invited​ ​back​ ​for an​ ​interview​ ​which​ ​involved​ ​a​ ​pair​ ​programming​ ​exercise​ ​and​ ​some​ ​logic​ ​exercises.

In​ ​the​ ​end​ ​they​ ​offered​ ​a​ ​job​ ​as​ ​a​ ​Software​ ​Engineer​ ​at​ ​the​ ​company.

Advice for other Makers

It’s​ ​easy​ ​to​ ​get​ ​overwhelmed​ ​whilst​ ​on​ ​the​ ​course​ ​at​ ​Makers​.​ A ​lot​ ​of​ ​students always​ ​feel​ ​like​ ​they’re​ ​not​ ​learning​ ​enough​ ​or​ ​afraid​ ​that​ ​they​ ​won’t​ ​be​ ​good​ ​enough for​ ​a​ ​job​ ​by​ ​the​ ​end​ ​of​ ​the​ ​course.

My​ ​main​ ​advice​ ​to​ ​other​ ​job-seekers​ ​is​:

Don’t​ ​be​ ​afraid​ ​about​ ​putting yourself​ ​out​ ​there​ ​and​ ​to​ ​really​ ​aim​ ​for​ ​whatever​ ​company​ ​that​ ​interests​ ​you.​ ​It’s​ ​not always​ ​easy​ ​to​ ​believe​ ​in​ ​yourself​ ​but​ ​the​ ​truth​ ​is​ that ​going​ ​through​ ​Makers​ ​really​ ​gives you​ ​the​ ​skills​ ​you​ ​need​ ​to​ ​work​ ​as​ ​a​ ​developer​. ​Given​ ​the​ ​right​ ​environment​ ​to grow​ ​your​ ​skills​, ​it​ ​becomes​ ​so​ ​easy​ ​to​ ​pick​ ​up new​ ​languages and frameworks​ ​because Makers​ ​has​ ​given​ ​you​ ​that​ ​solid​ ​foundation​ ​of​ ​learning​ ​how​ ​to​ ​learn.

  • Be patient with yourself.
  • Be kind to yourself.
  • Surround​ ​yourself​ ​with supportive​ ​people​.​ ​
  • Don’t​ ​be​ ​afraid​ ​to​ ​say yes​ ​to​ ​new​ ​opportunities.

It​ ​can​ ​be​ ​quite​ ​daunting​ ​being​ ​a​ ​tech​ ​newbie​. Getting​ ​familiar​ ​with​ ​the​ ​Tech community​ ​here​ ​in​ ​London​ ​by​ ​attending​ ​meetups and events,​ ​speaking​ ​to​ ​other​ ​people about​ ​my​ ​interests​ ​and​ ​putting​ ​myself​ ​out​ ​there​ ​really​ ​helped​ ​me​ ​along​ ​the​ ​way​ ​and​ ​I would​ ​highly​ ​recommend​ ​doing​ ​the​ ​same.

Reflections on Makers

At​ ​the​ ​beginning​ ​of​ ​my​ ​career​ ​change​ ​journey​ ​I​ ​really​ ​had​ ​no​ ​idea​ ​that​ ​I​ ​would​ ​be where​ ​I​ ​am​ ​now.​ ​​ ​I​ ​have​ ​no​ ​regrets​ ​about​ ​pursuing​ ​my​ ​dream​ ​to​ ​become​ ​a​ ​software developer​ ​and​ ​choosing​ ​to​ ​go​ ​through​ ​Makers​ ​so​ ​I​ ​wouldn’t​ ​really​ ​do​ ​anything differently.​ ​I​ ​now​ ​get​ ​to​ ​wake​ ​up​ ​to​ ​a​ ​great​ ​job​ ​doing​ ​what​ ​I​ ​love​ ​everyday.

The​ ​whole​ ​Makers​ ​experience​ ​was​ ​amazing​ ​and​ ​completely​ ​life​ ​changing.​ ​It​ ​has been​ ​the​ ​best​ ​form​ ​of​ ​education​ ​I​ ​have​ ​ever​ ​been​ ​through.​ ​I​ ​also​ ​got​ ​make​ ​to​ ​great friends​ ​along​ ​the​ ​way.

I​ ​would​ ​say​ ​a​ ​life​ ​lesson​ ​from​ ​my​ ​experience​ ​at​ ​Makers​ ​is​ ​knowing​ ​that​ ​I’m​ ​able​ ​to challenge​ ​myself​ ​and​ ​it’s​ ​possible​ ​for​ ​me​ ​achieve​ ​whatever​ ​I​ ​set​ ​my​ ​mind​ ​to.​ ​The emotional​ ​intelligence​ ​curriculum​ ​at​ ​Makers​ ​also​ ​gave​ ​me​ ​a​ ​sense​ ​of​ ​self​ ​awareness that​ ​I​ ​never​ ​really​ ​had​ ​before​ ​the​ ​course.

About Starling Bank

For those who haven’t heard of it, Starling Bank is one to watch. A fast-growing digital-only bank that describes itself as ‘a tech business with a banking licence’. Their vision is to give everyone in the world the opportunity to enjoy a healthy financial life.

We spoke to Hessie Coleman, Head of People Operations, about Funmi:

“People join Starling Bank because they’re excited about the product, which is making a difference to peoples’ lives. Also, as we’re a smaller team with a flexible flat structure, it means everyone can contribute and take responsibility straight away — they truly grow and develop with us.

We met Funmi at a Starling Bank Hackathon, prior to her Makers journey. Her enthusiasm for what we are doing and for learning and taking on new skills and experiences impressed us, and we kept in touch with her from then on.

We have all been really impressed with our Makers grads’ abilities and attitudes to learning; the focus on good feedback, always wanting to find out how things work and the speed at which they pick up new skills and slot straight into any team they go into is fantastic.”

  • Tweet
  • Share 0
  • LinkedIn 0

Tagged under: Hackathon, Makers Academy, Splash, Starling Bank, Talent

Recent Posts

  • 10 Steps to GDPR Compliance: Part 1

    A warm welcome to the second blog post from Kee...
  • Carbon Footprints, Content Creators, and Credentials – FTT Bookmark Issue 12

    Your weekly resource for noteworthy news, fasci...
  • Digital Builder: The age of the digital builder has arrived

    Tweet Share 0 LinkedIn 0...
  • ikigai: where wealth management and digital banking merge – FTT Chats ep 53

    Edgar de Picciotto and Maurizio Kaiser, the Co-...
  • The MacGyvers of community banking

    Another highlight from Fintech Talents North Am...

  • Tweet
  • Share 0
  • LinkedIn 0

  • Home
  • Virtual Experiences
    • FTT Digital Builder 2021
    • FTT Building Societies 2021
    • Fintech Talents Nordics 2021
    • FTT Open Finance 2021
    • FTT Identity 2021
    • FTT Lending 3.0 2022
    • Fintech Talents North America 2022
  • FTT Focus
    • Password protected: The door to digital life
    • The future of remote working
  • Hybrid Festivals
    • Fintech Talents London 2021
  • Fintech Engagement
    • FusionFabric.cloud
  • On-demand Content
    • Interviews
    • Opinion
    • Videos
    • Digital reports
  • VC INNOVATIONS – Accelerated Marketing
  • facebook
  • linkedin
  • youtube
  • twitter

GET IN TOUCH

T 0208 0045 517
Email: info@vcinnovations.co.uk

VC INNOVATIONS
21 Bloomsbury Square, London, WC1A 2NS

Open in Google Maps

QUICK LINKS

  • Home
  • Partners
  • About
  • Insight
  • Contact Us
  • Register

Connect with us

  • facebook
  • linkedin
  • youtube
  • twitter

RECENT POSTS

  • 10 Steps to GDPR Compliance: Part 1

    A warm welcome to the second blog post from Kee...
  • Carbon Footprints, Content Creators, and Credentials – FTT Bookmark Issue 12

    Your weekly resource for noteworthy news, fasci...
  • Digital Builder: The age of the digital builder has arrived

    Tweet Share 0 LinkedIn 0...
  • Privacy Policy
Fintech Talents

© FinTECHTalents 2021. All Rights Reserved.



TOP
Apply Now











This website uses cookies to give you the best experience. Agree by clicking the 'Accept' button. Read our Privacy Policy.