I wanted hands-on training, not just theory. Kactii Academy's bootcamp had me writing real code and solving real problems early on — that's how the concepts truly stuck.
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The Python skills and problem-solving mindset I built at Kactii Academy translate directly into my full-stack work today. That foundation gave me the confidence to grow into a developer role and keep taking on more.
Where are you currently working and what is it that you do there?
I'm a Junior Developer at the NHS Business Services Authority in Newcastle Upon Tyne. I work on building and maintaining software that supports NHS services — the kind of work where getting things right really matters. Before this I was at Zoho as a Member Technical Staff, and I've done full-stack web development across a few roles along the way.
What does your typical day-to-day look like?
My days revolve around full-stack development — writing backend logic, working with APIs, and building features that solve real problems for the organization. I collaborate with my team on requirements and delivery, and a lot of the job is problem-solving: breaking a challenge down, writing clean code to address it, and making sure it holds up. Having solid programming fundamentals underneath all of that is what keeps me moving quickly and confidently.
Can you tell us a bit more about your education and career up to this point? How did you get where you are?
I did my Bachelor's in Computer Science in India, then went on to complete an MSc in Advanced Computer Science at Northumbria University in the UK. My career has spanned full-stack web development at Zoho and internships before it, and now the NHS. Programming — especially Python — has been a common thread throughout, so early on I wanted to make sure those fundamentals were genuinely strong. That's what brought me to Kactii Academy.
What was it that led you to study at Kactii Academy?
I wanted practical, hands-on training rather than just theory. It's one thing to read about programming concepts and another to actually build with them, and Kactii Academy's bootcamp was built around doing exactly that. I was writing real code and solving real problems from early on, which is how the concepts truly stuck for me.
What would you say was the highlight of your learning experience?
Building real confidence in Python. Going from understanding syntax to actually solving problems and building things with it was the turning point. That confidence carried over into everything — full-stack development, working with APIs, and reasoning through more complex engineering challenges.
What was the most challenging part of the learning experience?
Developing the discipline to write clean, well-structured code rather than just something that runs. Learning to think about readability and structure took practice, but it's made me a much stronger developer — it's a habit I carry into every project at the NHS now.
How has your Kactii Academy experience impacted your career?
It gave me a strong programming foundation that I still draw on daily. The Python skills and problem-solving mindset I built there translate directly into the full-stack development work I do now — writing backend logic, building features, and tackling problems methodically. That foundation gave me the confidence to grow into a developer role and keep taking on more.
What advice would you give to other professionals thinking about taking a Kactii Academy bootcamp?
Lean into the hands-on work — that's where the real value is. Don't just follow along passively; write the code, break things, and fix them yourself. If you want a genuinely strong programming foundation to launch or accelerate a career in software, Kactii Academy is a fast and practical way to build it.
