JS / Front-end Short Track Course

One day, while feeling unfulfilled at my old job, a friend suggested I join her in the RS School program – the standard JS course, not the Short Track. I agreed, mostly to keep her company.
I completed the first stage and found it interesting; I learned a lot, and things were going well. I was spending what felt like 30 hours a day on layout tasks (especially that tricky zoo website!). The second stage began. I passed the interview, but the very next day, my mentor disappeared without a trace, which was unfortunate. So, I didn't complete my first attempt.
A year later, I decided to enroll again. I figured, why not? My job was dull, I wasn't feeling challenged, the IT field was growing, salaries were higher, and I genuinely enjoyed building websites. I joined again, and the first stage felt much easier this time around.
Towards the end of the first stage (if I remember correctly), I saw an announcement for applications to the Short Track (ST). I was sure I wouldn't get in, as I wasn't even in the top 100, probably not even the top 200. But, just for practice, I decided to solve the test tasks and submit them.
A few weeks passed, and then I saw someone tagged me in the Announcements chat. I was absolutely stunned to see my name on the list of those who passed the test and were selected for an interview. I checked the message at least 10 times before I could believe it!
Then came the interview, and honestly, I thought I bombed it. I felt I answered poorly, was nervous, and, to put it mildly, made a fool of myself. Yet, a week later, I saw I was tagged in the Announcements again – I had been selected for the ST program!
I didn't know whether to be ecstatic or terrified! On one hand, it was amazing – a program specifically designed to prepare candidates for EPAM. But on the other hand, I knew it would be incredibly challenging. And that's how I got into the ST.
To make things more intense, I was juggling this demanding program with my full-time job and English lessons – my English level was around A2 at best back then. The ST period was the most intense marathon of my life: lectures three times a week, plus homework, my job, and the English tutor.
After the program finished in early July, I had my interview and received an offer right on my birthday! Within 15 minutes of getting the job offer notification, I was signing my resignation letter at my old job!

Hi everyone, my name is Masha and I’d like to share my story about studying at RS School and looking for a job in Poland afterwards. Before joining the course, I had a technical background and knew the basics of HTML and CSS, but I had no experience with JavaScript. I started my learning journey at the end of 2021 with Stage 0, followed by Stage 1 and 2. I’m very grateful to my mentor, Zhenya, for all the support and knowledge he shared. I managed to land an internship fairly quickly, but unfortunately, the job market started to decline, and I wasn’t able to get a full-time developer position. I spent a long time searching for my first job — I sent out hundreds of CVs and went through several interviews. Thanks to the strong foundation I got at RS School, I passed technical interviews without much trouble. The rejections were usually due to my low level of English or my legal status. I kept working on both my technical skills (taking courses in AWS, Node.js) and my self-presentation. In the summer of 2024, I decided to take the Angular course at RS School, as I realized that a modern developer should be familiar with multiple frameworks. It wasn’t easy — there were many new principles and concepts to learn. Once again, I was lucky to have a great mentor, Igor, who explained complex topics in a very accessible way. I had a strong ranking, and the organizers recommended me to EPAM. After a couple of interviews, I joined my first project, where I’ve now been working for six months. My journey from the beginning of my studies to landing my first full-time contract took almost 3 years. I didn’t expect the job search to take that long. But during the learning process, I became so passionate about programming that I couldn’t even think about giving it up. So if you truly love coding, don’t be afraid of the challenges our field is facing today. Keep learning, keep working hard, keep gaining experience — and everything will work out.

My story with the course is quite a textbook case. Due to a lack of knowledge and understanding of the intricacies of web development, I spent a long time looking for a job and failed one interview after another. Then, in 2024, I found the RS School courses through EPAM's self-study portal. I enrolled in the main front-end course. After successfully completing Stage-1 of the course, I faced a choice: continue to Stage-2 or take the 'fateful' Short Track course. The second option offered a real chance to get into EPAM Campus, so the choice was easy. The same cannot be said about the course itself. The workload was significant, and I spent 30 or more hours per week studying materials, completing assignments, and participating in lectures and online sessions. The topics were extensive and sometimes complex, but that's how 'steel is forged'. With each topic I mastered, imposter syndrome receded. The question 'Maybe this isn't for me?' was replaced by confidence in my abilities. The course filled the exact gaps that had prevented me from getting my first offer. And that offer wasn't long in coming. After completing the Short Track, the interview at EPAM Campus was surprisingly easy. As a result, I and almost everyone in my group received invitations. If you're wondering whether it's worth it — it definitely is. Intensive work always pays off with confidence in interviews.

I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the organizers, coordinators, and mentors at The Rolling Scopes School for the invaluable knowledge you provide to students completely free of charge.
For me, your school became a real opportunity to return to the IT field after a break of more than 10 years. Thanks to you, I was able to believe in myself, not give up, and ultimately achieve my dream—getting a job at EPAM.
The training requires a lot of commitment: the program is truly intensive, involves a lot of independent work, and takes up a significant amount of time, so this journey was not easy.
It was also very important for me to become part of the community: during my training, I met wonderful people—students just as motivated as I was—and we supported each other every step of the way. This mutual support helped me not to give up during the most difficult moments.
Today I work at EPAM and am very proud of myself. But I know for sure that without your school, this would not have happened.
Thank you for giving people the chance to start a new chapter in their lives and believe in themselves.

My story starts in 2020, during the pandemic. I was a university teacher working on my PhD in Folklore Studies. When COVID-19 hit my city, Kayseri in Turkey, everything stopped. We couldn't leave our homes except once a day for groceries. All my classes moved online.
For the first time in years, I had time to think about what I really wanted.
I had always been curious about technology and coding, but I never had the chance to try it. Now, stuck at home, I thought: "Why not now?"
I signed up for a web development bootcamp. I had no idea if I would be good at it. But something amazing happened – I loved it! In just six months, I became the best student in my class. I couldn't believe it. I realized: I can actually do this.
That feeling changed everything.
I started learning more. I joined RS School's free online courses, and this is where my journey truly transformed. The students and mentors at RS School gave me so much motivation. Everyone was supportive and encouraging. The atmosphere was incredible – people from different countries, all learning together, helping each other succeed. My mentors believed in me and pushed me to be better. That community made me feel like I wasn't alone in this journey. I studied every day, sometimes late into the night. My hard work paid off – I was chosen for a special bootcamp at Kayseri Technopark. Only 10 students got in, and I was one of them.
After finishing that program, a company offered me an internship. Then another company offered me a real job!
But I didn't stop there. While working full-time, I kept studying. I got into RS School's advanced ShortTrack program – one of their hardest courses. It was exhausting, but I finished it.
Then came the big moment: Epam accepted me. They put me on a project right away. I had made it into one of the world's top tech companies.
But here's what I didn't tell you: This journey wasn't easy.
During this time, I got pregnant. I gave birth to my baby. I was learning to code, working, and taking care of a newborn – all at the same time. There were nights I cried from exhaustion. There were days I wanted to give up.
My husband kept me going. When I said "I can't do this," he said "Yes, you can." When I wanted to quit, he reminded me why I started.
And I'm so glad I didn't give up.
Today, I work as a developer at Epam. I went from studying folklore to building modern software. I changed my entire career while raising a baby.
If you're reading this and thinking about making a change – whether it's learning to code or anything else – I want you to know: It's possible. It won't be easy. You'll want to quit. But if you keep going, even when it's hard, you can create the life you dream of.
I did it. And so can you.