Vânia Costa: financing career change and reskilling

In a world increasingly dependent on technology, acquiring the necessary digital skills seems like the right choice to make - even if changing careers is risky. Vânia used to work in marketing for a machinery company within the mould-making industry near Porto (Portugal). She didn’t mind her job but she just didn’t find it fulfilling enough and wanted a change: her true passion has always been programming. Taking a leap of faith, in early 2021 she left behind her job and enrolled in a programming bootcamp.

Changing careers

When asked about the course, Vânia says embarking into new studies was really intense, spending 10 to 12 hours online every day for more than three months. The course was very demanding but she enjoyed every minute of it. After the bootcamp, students had the opportunity to get several job interviews with companies, and ultimately she had three job offers within only two weeks. “It is a completely different world”, she explains. “But it’s what I love doing”. Vânia is now enjoying teaching herself different programming languages, working out how to develop software and often designs websites also for friends and family.

EU support for reskilling

The bootcamp came with a price tag, but Vânia was able to rely on an EU-guaranteed financial support from the José Neves Foundation (ISA FJN) backed by the EIF. “I knew I had to take a loan for my studies, but this type of financing designed to support access to education, I felt much safer. I knew I didn’t have to start repaying until I got a stable job...so this gave me peace of mind and encouraged me to pursue my ambitions.”

Risk? Yes, everything is risky. But I don’t think anyone’s too old to change careers! ”

- Vânia Costa, full-stack developer

A risk worth taking

Completing the bootcamp and jumping into a new field - from marketing to IT programming - was, in Vânia eyes, the right decision. Underlining the central importance of this skillset in the digital ages, she says “Everything today is dependent on technology. This may sound weird, but in a few years’ time, I think most jobs will be like mine. This is the future, no doubt about it."