The beauty industry was anything but pretty for Jeanette Adelson. After landing in the cosmetics world following a string of service industry jobs, Adelson found herself overworked and underpaid. “I’d been looking for a way out for a long time, but nothing seemed like an obvious answer,” Adelson said. “Even with coding, I knew I was taking risks. But I also knew I had to keep taking risks if I wanted to win eventually.”

When a coworker left to take a role at General Assembly Austin, Adelson saw her opportunity. She enrolled in GA’s full-time Web Development Immersive and found a program that not only gave her a comprehensive web development background, but also surrounded her with inspiring educators and supportive classmates. Beyond key programming skills — like JavaScript, APIs, and responsive web design — WDI also focused on creating connections between students and prospective companies, as well as networking. Adelson left the 12-week program feeling prepared to not just do the job, but to find a role, nail both standard and technical interviews, and get hired.

And she did. Armed with the experience of WDI, Adelson went on to become a technical success manager at Bazaarvoice, a software company specializing in content solutions. There, she helps clients grow their businesses by turning user-generated content into engagement and sales.

She attributes her newfound career success to GA’s comprehensive curriculum, which she says gave her “a good understanding of how the internet works, from start to finish.” But beyond empowering Adelson to excel at her job, GA also helped her find a role that she’s excited to fill every day: “I love the work I do and the people I work with, and I enjoy helping clients understand the software better. That can be rewarding.”

You can love your work, too. Whether you want to start a new career, advance your your current role with coding skills, or be empowered to pursue your passions, there’s an option for you.