Did I have a technical degree? Nope. I took a 12-week bootcamp, some IT classes, and gained a technical certificate. My Bachelors is in Sociology (check out my first post for more on this). I do plan to eventually return to school for a technical degree.

Did I learn how to code? While I did during the Generation USA program (reference my first post), and still practice in my spare time, it was not a strong requirement for the positions.

How long did it take me to transition? Honestly my goal was to obtain a full-time position within a year of completing the 12- week program, but I was flexible due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While I worked on developing technical skills, I still need to make money, so I spent 6 months as an Amazon Shopper and a food courier to maintain bills. Thankfully, now there are more opportunities for people to learn new skills while continuing to work full time. The Great Resignation is still upon us.

So, what exactly do you do in tech? My current position is a Technology Analyst. Find out more about this role here.

For anyone that is transitioning to tech from another field, here is my advice: 1. Make a list of positions that interest you so you can do further research. You can find at least five positions that stand out. Look at some job descriptions for these positions to see what is required, education and skill wise. Note the average salaries for these positions, and keep in mind that salaries can vary based on where you live. I am currently in Florida, so someone in another state may make more given the cost of living, taxes, etc. Consider these factors as you research.

2. Ask yourself, are these positions something you can transition to with your current skillset? What are the required skills? What skills are a plus?

3. Now, think about your personal preferences. Do you want to continue working in your current industry or pivot to something else? What is the work life balance like? Can I work 100% remote, or would I need to spend some days in person? Do I want to spend most of my days presenting in meetings and interacting with clients/stakeholders? Or, do I want to remain behind the scenes and work on something with minimal interruptions? There are positions out there for whatever you choose, and when you research, the process is not as stressful as you move along.

Through my successes, I had lots of rejections, whether they were for positions or educational programs. It was a big learning curve to adjust to various interviewing styles, various tips for resume building, and hearing hundreds of perspectives. Nevertheless, I was persistent. Being an introvert, it was a great effort to ask questions and network, yet I still kept my goals in mind. Today, I am still putting myself out there and meeting people, and I am comfortable with virtual settings given the current pandemic. I am also upskilling too, so that I can always be updated with the latest processes and technologies.

Finally, I hope my story inspires readers to go for what they want, and do not, I mean DO NOT, let anyone tell you it is not possible to get into another industry without certain credentials, especially tech. Keep focused on what you are going after, network along the way, and most importantly, give yourself grace. Everyone’s journey is going to be different, so do not worry if you see someone else getting a lot of wins. Your time will come.

I started this challenge June 7th, the same day I started an internship, and finished in time for the 4th of July weekend. I dedicated around 2–3 hours per day, 3 days a week for completing the activities after my internship. Of course, I left room to rest my brain and enjoy the outdoors.

In the Udacity course, I understood different cloud concepts such as monoliths and microservices, and architecture concepts which align to the many responsibilities of a Solutions Architect/Cloud Engineer/Developer role. Then, I got to practice how to package an application using Docker and store it in DockerHub. Next was how to bootstrap a cluster using k3s and deploy an application using Kubernetes. A Flask Application was used to install and make the necessary configurations.

This was a challenging course, especially because many steps depended on the OS used. Some activities I managed to complete on a Linux machine installed using WSL, but others I did on my computer locally. Looking back, it would have been better to seperate instructions based on the OS. Nevertheless, I have more experience with using different tools for cloud computing.

While working in case management, I learned a few aspects of computer and IT support from helping colleagues fix minor issues with their computers. Because I worked in the company’s IT building, technical support was just a walk up the stairs. Lots of ideas and collaboration took place, and it was the first time I heard about AWS and Azure. There, I knew that I wanted to pursue a career involving technology.

In September 2019, I enrolled in Generation USA, a 12-week intensive program in partnership with Amazon Web Services & Miami Dade College to become a Certified Cloud Support Practitioner. There, I developed knowledge on AWS cloud fundamentals including: EC2, S3, VPC, IAM and Databases, the Well Architected Framework and Cloud Adoption Framework, AWS Security and Networking best practices, coding with Python, HTML, CSS, and learning Linux OS. In November 2019, I received the AWS Cloud Practitioner Certification after passing the exam. Then in January 2020, I began an internship with Belle Fleur Technologies, an AWS Advanced Consulting partner.

Throughout the internship, I was introduced to the agile development environment as a Solutions Architect intern, where I explored various roles as part of the agile team. As a Product Owner, I helped to capture any requirements and features that customers envisioned for their projects, then communicate the requirements to the development team. At the same time, I learned the fundamentals of Data Analytics & Visualization with products such as AWS Glue, Amazon Athena, and Amazon QuickSight. In March 2020, I became certified as an AWS Solutions Architect Associate.

My learning did not stop there. As society shifted to more virtual settings in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, I was curious to further my cloud computing knowledge by learning Microsoft Azure at Miami Dade College. I also needed to refresh my coding skills, and participated in a JavaScript virtual study group with women students and technologists from all over the world. In August 2020, I was excited to have passed the Microsoft Azure Fundamentals certification.

Today, I am currently seeking full-time opportunities to work in the field of Cloud Computing, while creating data visualization projects in my spare time. My quest for knowledge continues as I am currently learning Salesforce Fundamentals. In the future, I hope to further my knowledge in Information Systems by completing a Master’s Degree. I’m looking for more resources pertaining to career changes to technology and if there are opportunities open for people with nontraditional backgrounds. Feel free to contact me with any tips!