Coding Heroes: A day at the Delivery Hero Tech Academy

Since its launch in September 2021, the Delivery Hero Tech Academy has seen its first cohort of students engage in rigorous but exciting challenges as they dive headfirst into the world of technology.
As they near the end of their time at the Academy, we checked in with one of the students to see what her day actually looks like and what she is learning! Read on to gather insights into a day in the life of a Delivery Hero Tech Academy student.

My name is Angela Bickmore and I am enrolled in the Delivery Hero Tech Academy as part of the Java programming language cohort. I attended the Academy from September 2021 to June 2022 and I am going to walk you through what a typical day at the Academy looks like.

Angela Bickmore, Delivery Hero Tech Academy student

The day to day

A day at the Delivery Hero Tech Academy starts promptly at 9 every morning on Zoom. We start by greeting our teachers and classmates before quickly going through our Slack messages to see if there are any updates from classmates, Delivery Hero, or Digital Career Institute.

Most days we get some general updates and announcements from our teachers first thing in the morning. Then we dive straight into learning, group discussions, and 1:1s, depending on the structure of the module. If we start a new module, our instructors give extensive introductions with slide decks that have been prepared to give us an overview of the information and theory of that module. Being able to learn in conjunction with a team and delve deep into discussions has been enriching to the experience, as it not only helps build community but also helps you develop the skills to articulate what you are learning. This exchange with other students has built confidence in newly acquired skills, and reiterating the learning has helped the knowledge fully sink in.

After theory sessions, we go through practical examples of the new topic, which we code ourselves so that we can get a sense of how the theory actually relates to the objects, packages, methods, and statements within the code. Sometimes we code along with the instructors, but sometimes we get a written exercise that we complete on our own or in groups. This requires us to log into Github, view the prompt, clone a repository or create a fresh project on our IDEs, then start the brainstorming and the coding exercise.

Although we have all encountered tasks that we could not complete on our own, it was nice to know that we can always chat with our classmates on Zoom or Slack and check in with them. This practical experience of applying the theory to a practical challenge has been vital in understanding the learned material. It prepares you for the future because not only are you given the tools to learn, but also the tools to confidently practice in a safe environment so you can master the craft.

I have to say, I really enjoyed these sessions with my classmates so much. Bouncing ideas off each other and learning together as a group was really fulfilling and inspiring.

By the end of the day, my classmates and I have covered multiple new topics and have been exposed to a plethora of new ideas, frameworks, concepts, libraries, and tools. I have to admit that on certain days I felt a bit overwhelmed after class, but always in a positive and inspiring way.

As my time at the Academy wraps, I am excited to embark on my next adventure, which will be an internship at Delivery Hero. I am going to miss my classmates and the routine we have developed over the last eight months but I am looking forward to the new challenges that the internship will bring.

Being Inspired

My time at the Delivery Hero Tech Academy was an amazing experience and I enjoyed it very much. I have learned a lot of new and exciting things about coding and backend engineering concepts. The biggest learning for me took place whenever we had the chance to work in groups. Being able to connect with others and learn from them in a nurturing environment has been key to not being afraid to ask questions, and really focusing on the skills we were taught.

I did have a lot of questions about many topics in the very beginning, but after learning various foundational skills and starting to build something real, I started to see the pieces coming together. It was awesome to experiment and see where concepts connect with one another. Things become more tangible and of course, I became more motivated to find even more answers and fill knowledge gaps.

The very interactive setup of the sessions was a huge win for the team. It made the exchange and giving and receiving feedback easy and fun, and helped a lot in sharing ideas, discussing hurdles, and asking all kinds of questions.

The Delivery Hero Tech Academy has broadened my horizon as a technical professional by providing the training, a structured learning plan, great support, and a wonderful community. As someone who has dabbled in all kinds of different work, the cohort-based sense of community was crucial. I've always felt massively supported by managers, organizers, contributing engineers, instructors, and fellow students. The people made all the difference.

Overall, the experience has been amazing and if I could do it all over again, I would.

Find out more about the Delivery Hero Tech Academy by clicking here.