Betty Ourry is 43 years old and has four children. She also has 18 years of experience working in a tech company – many years of which she held the role of director. And when she saw an opportunity to pivot and deepen her technical knowledge, she turned to OpenClassrooms.
Here is her story.
The Backstory
After finishing her university studies, Betty worked at a manufacturing company making electronic equipment for the automobile and aeronautical industries. It’s a highly technical domain that’s often dominated by men.
Working her way up to company director, Betty was responsible for managing client relations, company strategy as well as managing 10 employees.
Searching for more ways to make an impact, she joined OpenClassrooms to work as a mentor.
“As I looked around the site, I saw that OpenClassrooms was looking for mentors in entrepreneurship. It really got my attention because it’s something I’ve been deeply involved with. I was elected to be a member of the regional Chamber of Commerce, as well as the President of an organization women’s empowerment organization. For a while now, I’ve wanted to help others develop their own projects or start-ups.”
She applied to become a mentor at OpenClassrooms and found the selection process both serious and professional. Helping students to complete their projects and achieve their goals was something she found very rewarding.
A change of career
Having liked what she saw ‘behind the scenes’ as a mentor, Betty decided to enroll in an OpenClassrooms program, herself.
“I really like the OpenClassrooms approach to learning, so I began studying mobile development. I noticed that programming languages were beginning to change and I needed to add this string to my bow.
“The web is something that is constantly evolving and developing. It’s a domain where women need to jump in and not feel an ounce of imposter syndrome. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that there are many women studying at OpenClassrooms.
With OpenClassrooms, she knew that she would be well looked after within a professional and organized structure, and that she would acquire skills useful within her career. She explains:
“I knew that I would be working within a structure that had many useful tools and supports. Like Workplace, for example, which gave me access to both students and mentors so we could discuss our projects together.
“The programs aren’t easy. You need to be really organized and proactive. Everything has been designed to make sure you learn new skills. Your knowledge is evaluated through your project work. That’s important because it shows that you’ve really understood the concepts that you’ve been taught and proves that you are ready to use them in a professional environment.”
Next steps
Betty is almost at the end of her program and is looking to find a role within a company that specializes in digital. She feels lucky that she’s now a specialist in a iOS Development, and knows that it will help her to keep going further in her career, to continue moving forward. She is committed to being a life-long student.
To learn more about the full range of OpenClassrooms programs come to our Paths page.
