Growing up in Louisiana, Mustafa Nofal had an affinity for familiarity. He attended Louisiana State University (LSU), fished, built race cars, and hunted – all fun hobbies, or as he puts it, “country boy stuff.” After graduating from LSU with a major in Kinesiology, he was slightly unsure of where his career path was headed.
“Originally, I applied to medical school. I didn’t get in. During my journey of applying, a friend had told me about Revature and how they train you on coding and that I didn’t need prior experience to apply. So, I thought the worst they can say is no.”
When he got the call for an interview with Revature, he was surprised, especially because he had just accepted a different job offer. “I actually got a job around the same time when I got the call for the interview. I had to quit my job, but also, at the same time, I got accepted into a chiropractic school and a pharmacy school.”
Torn by four possible career routes, Mustafa discovered his path – a coding career. Even though he initially had no idea what coding was, he still was driven to learn. “I strongly believe you have to do something for the right reasons, and that’s why I chose to go with Revature.”
Upon learning that Revature offered employer-paid training, corporate housing, and the promise of an entirely new skill set within three months, Mustafa had his doubts. “At first, I was skeptical. I was like this is 50% real. Then when I got accepted into Revature, I was like ok, so it’s 75% real. Even when I stepped into the apartment in Tampa, Florida, I was in disbelief. I was like, this is 90% real. It wasn’t until I stepped inside the classroom – that’s when I fully believed.”
It wasn’t too good to be true, Mustafa accomplished his goal of learning how to code within three months while also advancing skills he didn’t expect to, “Revature helped me with time management, dedication, and focus. You can’t finish the program without learning those traits. I also learned how to network. Networking helped me, especially when I would ask my teammates if they could teach me something I didn’t know.”
After becoming a software developer with Revature, Mustafa landed a career with an industry-leading IT company. What are his future goals to transform the tech world? “I want to make a difference. I have plans of eventually going into machine learning and AI. I’ve wanted to integrate my medicine background somehow. So, I really want to incorporate machine learning with prosthetics because right now, they’re pretty rigid with movement. Like a robotic hand either grabs or releases. I want to work to create more fluid motion so that the more you use the robotic limb, the more it learns how to move smoother.”
What’s Mustafa’s advice for those considering Revature? “Get ready to study, study, study. It’s only three months or two and a half depending on if you’re in the ten-week batch. Take it as a vacation to change your life. I wish I knew of Revature sooner. This place is awesome, and if you have any interest in coming, choose revature. It changed my life. I’m forever grateful to Revature for the opportunity. And I can truly say I’m happy with my life.”
Mustafa’s goal to kickstart his career by utilizing his knowledge from school and Revature is truly inspirational. We’re excited to see how he impacts the tech world and look forward to future innovations that will transform lives for the better.
If you’re interested in starting your career in technology but unsure if you need prior coding experience for a fulfilling tech career. Mustafa is living proof that you can learn an entirely new skillset no matter your background. Get a jumpstart online with our RevaturePro program, or apply now to join the Revature team.