Beyond the Bootcamp: How Simone Hill Rewrote Her Career Code

The world of fashion media may seem like an unlikely launchpad for a tech career. But for Simone Hill, the road from styling stories to shipping software was paved with passion, persistence, and 15 weeks of intensive coding education.

Today, Simone is helping architect the digital future of one of the world‘s most iconic fashion brands as a front-end engineer at Vogue. Her journey from editorial assistant to software developer is a masterclass in the transferable skills and tenacity needed to execute a successful career pivot.

Stitching Together a New Skill Set

Simone‘s fascination with digital platforms first emerged in her role at XO Group, the parent company of wedding brands The Knot and The Bump. As an assistant editor writing about nuptial style and decor, she found herself increasingly intrigued by the technologies powering the company‘s content and e-commerce offerings.

"I loved the idea of building the tools and platforms that people use every day to make their lives easier or richer," Simone recalls. "But with no coding background, I had no idea where to begin."

So in 2016, she took a leap of faith and enrolled in the full stack web development program at the Programming School. It was a daunting undertaking for someone with a liberal arts background. But as Simone quickly discovered, the storytelling techniques she honed as a journalist had more in common with programming than met the eye.

"Writing and coding both require you to break down complex ideas into clear, logical steps," she explains. "You have to think through the user experience and craft a narrative, whether that‘s with words or with JavaScript functions."

Over the course of the immersive 15-week bootcamp, Simone built a solid foundation in front-end and back-end web development technologies. Her curriculum included:

• HTML, CSS & JavaScript
• Ruby & Ruby on Rails
• SQL databases
• Git & GitHub
• Test-driven development

But more than just coding syntax, Simone developed the problem-solving strategies and computational thinking needed to tackle novel challenges. Through hands-on labs and projects, she learned how to break down complex specs into manageable chunks, Google for the right resources, and debug pesky errors.

Some of her standout projects included a Ruby CLI app for discovering new fashion brands, a Rails e-commerce site for vintage clothing, and a JavaScript game inspired by Fashion Week. These portfolio pieces not only demonstrated her technical abilities, but also incorporated her editorial eye and knack for engaging user experiences.

"Simone brought such a unique perspective to the program," notes Programming School instructor Beth Smith. "She was able to leverage her storytelling and research skills in ways that made her projects really stand out. It goes to show that there‘s no one cookie cutter background for success in engineering."

Tailoring Tech for Media Brands

After graduating from Programming School, Simone knew she wanted to combine her newfound software development skills with her passion for fashion and lifestyle content. She found her ideal fit as a junior front-end engineer at Vogue, working on the web team responsible for the brand‘s digital presence.

It was a fortuitous time to make the transition into fashion media. In recent years, the industry has been undergoing a digital transformation, with publishers evolving into technology companies in their own right. Vogue parent company Condé Nast has invested heavily in its engineering organization, nearly doubling its technology team since 2016.

Within this landscape of rapid innovation, the boundaries between content and code are blurring. Simone‘s hybrid skill set allows her to collaborate closely with stakeholders across edit, product, and design to bring engaging new features to life.

"My background in editorial has been immensely valuable in my work as an engineer," she notes. "I‘m able to anticipate the needs of our content team and suggest technical solutions that will help them tell more immersive stories."

Some of the projects Simone has contributed to include:

• Developing a custom CMS for producing shoppable content
• Improving site performance and accessibility
• Experimenting with new formats like 360 video and AR try-ons
• Integrating third-party APIs for reviews, personalization, and more

As the media business becomes increasingly engineering-driven, Simone sees ample opportunities for tech talent to make an impact. Vogue may not be the first name that comes to mind when you think of cutting-edge technology. But in 2015 the brand launched Vogue Runway, which quickly became the top destination for fashion week photos and reviews. Its app has been called the "IMDB of fashion."

Other leading fashion publishers are similarly stepping up their tech investments. Refinery29 has a 25-person engineering team building out new products and revenue streams. Elle.com is doubling down on search and affiliate optimization. The Business of Fashion recently hired its first VP of Engineering to scale up its data and subscription offerings.

The boom in fashion-tech startups is also fueling demand for digital talent. Companies like StitchFix, Rent the Runway, Farfetch, and Glossier have redefined the way products are discovered, personalized, and purchased. Investment is flowing into innovative new models like AI-powered styling (Finery), peer-to-peer rental (Tulerie), and virtual clothing try-on (Zeekit). CB Insights tracked over 60 deals worth $1.2B in fashion tech in 2021 alone.

For developers with an eye for style, there‘s never been a more exciting time to code couture. "The creativity and craftsmanship that goes into designing beautiful garments has so many parallels with architecting elegant digital products," reflects Simone. "It‘s all about starting with a vision, iterating on the details, and delivering something that makes people feel and look their best."

Continuing Education Never Goes Out of Style

Four years into her software engineering career, Simone‘s appetite for learning has only grown. She makes a point to experiment with new technologies both at work and through side projects. Recently she‘s been dabbling in data visualization using D3.js to analyze fashion show trends over time.

Her advice for bootcamp grads looking to break into tech: don‘t stop building. "The field moves so quickly that your education can‘t end after 15 weeks," she warns. "Employers want to see that you have a sustained commitment to the craft beyond the curriculum."

To keep leveling up, Simone recommends:

• Contributing to open source projects on GitHub
• Participating in hackathons and coding challenges
• Attending tech talks and conferences (virtually counts!)
• Finding a mentor in your desired industry
• Writing tutorials to solidify your own understanding

She also stresses the importance of community, especially for those from underrepresented backgrounds in tech. "It can be isolating to feel like you‘re the only one with your story," Simone says. "But there are so many incredible organizations supporting diversity in the industry, like Black Girls Code, Techqueria, and Women Who Code. Tap into those networks for encouragement, resources, and visibility."

Looking ahead, Simone has her sights set on merging her technical and editorial expertise in an even bigger way. Her ultimate goal is to drive digital innovation as a product leader at a fashion or lifestyle brand.

"Learning full stack development was so empowering because it gave me the tools to execute on ideas end-to-end," she reflects. "But I‘ve realized my zone of genius is really at the intersection of content, customer needs, and technology. I want to define the vision for delightful products and rally teams around bringing them to market."

As the media and retail industries continue to collide, that combination of skills will be in high demand. By 2025, McKinsey projects that digital will account for 50% of fashion and luxury revenues, up from 33% in 2021. As brands become tech companies in their own right, they‘ll need cross-functional leaders who can bridge the gap between bits and business.

For Simone, the future of fashion is coded in creativity. "Technology is now the engine powering every part of the industry, from design to merchandising to marketing," she says. "It‘s less about ‘fashion tech‘ as a separate category, and more about digital innovation being essential for survival."

So while her days of writing about weddings may be behind her, Simone remains committed to crafting stories—now with stylesheets and scripts as her medium. Hers is a tale of transformation that offers hope to anyone daydreaming of a daring career makeover.

"For a long time I told myself I was a words person, not a numbers person," she admits. "But through this journey I‘ve discovered that I‘m capable of so much more than I imagined. If I could go back and tell my younger self one thing, it would be: don‘t let your degree define you. It‘s never too late to rewrite your story."

Resources

Inspired to follow in Simone‘s footsteps? Here are some helpful resources to get you started:

• [Programming School Software Engineering Bootcamp](https://flatironschool.com/career-courses/coding-bootcamp)
• [freeCodeCamp Responsive Web Design Certification](https://www.freecodecamp.org/learn/responsive-web-design/)
• [100 Days of Code Challenge](https://www.100daysofcode.com/)
• [CodeNewbie Community](https://community.codenewbie.org/)
• [Codecademy Pro Skill Paths](https://www.codecademy.com/pro/skills-paths/)
• [Scrimba Frontend Developer Career Path](https://scrimba.com/learn/frontend)
• [Frontend Masters Bootcamp](https://frontendmasters.com/bootcamp/)
• [Full Stack Open Course](https://fullstackopen.com/en/)
• [/r/LearnProgramming Wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/learnprogramming/wiki/faq)