After over two years of working toward my goal of switching careers, I am happy to say that I have finally found a job as a Software Engineer. I’m so excited that I thought I would share my journey for anyone who may find it interesting.
After graduating high school, I went straight to college. Like many others at that age, I had no idea what I wanted to do. I ended up majoring in Psychology, not because I was interested in it as a career, but because I didn’t know what else to do. At the same time, I started working at a hotel. It started as a part-time job to get through college, but once I graduated, I ended up staying there for a number of years. I wasn’t really passionate about the job, but I became comfortable. I liked my coworkers, and I got a promotion to a management position. I still had not discovered what I wanted to do with my life, so until I did, I figured I would stay where I was.
Fast-forward a few years to 2020, and the pandemic hit. The hotel industry was of course severely impacted. My hotel shut down for over a year, and I was furloughed. With way too much spare time, I spent the first couple of months just playing video games. At some point, I started feeling the need to be productive. No one knew how long the hotel industry would be affected, and I needed to pick up a new skill. I had always been interested in trying to learn to code, but never gave it a shot. Now, I had no excuse.
I began by taking Harvard’s free CS50 introductory course. I pretty much fell in love with it from the first assignment. I found coding so rewarding, and felt like it played to skills. I always liked puzzle and logic games, and this felt similar. I began researching how to switch careers, and had to decide if I wanted to enroll in a bootcamp or go back to college. By this time, many people were saying that it was no longer as easy to get a job just from a bootcamp. Additionally, bootcamps are usually full-time, and I knew I would need to go back to work at some point. After doing more research, I found OSU’s post-bacc program. This was perfect for someone in my situation, since I could progress at my own pace. I applied, got accepted, and begin my classes in January of 2021.
Shortly after starting school, my hotel opened back up. I came back to my management position for a few months, but after a while I realized I needed to work less hours in order to balance my coursework. I demoted myself back to working at the front desk and cut my hours. I think this decision was a key part of my career change, as it symbolized my dedication. I was fortunate enough to be able to do this financially, which I realize is a privileged position to be in.
In the fall of 2021, I began applying to internships for summer 2022. I had taken my Data Structures class, and was taking Algorithms at the time. In addition, I spent a significant amount of time practicing Leetcode problems. I can’t say that this was my favorite activity. I would have much rather studied things that would be more applicable to the job. Nevertheless, this was part of the process and I slogged through. After months of this, I managed to get 2 offers from FAANG companies. If you had told me a few months prior that I would be getting offers from these type of companies, I wouldn’t have believed it. It seemed so unattainable. But with a combination of luck and preparation, I somehow pulled it off.
I was extremely nervous before starting the internship. I had no idea what to expect, and Imposter Syndrome was hitting hard. It ended up being a great experience though. I learned a ton and successfully finished my project. This proved to me that I was on the right path. Unfortunately, as I mentioned in a previous post, I did not receive a return offer due the economic climate. This was crushing, and some tough months were to follow.
The new grad job search would last 5 months, and was much more difficult than the internship search. While part of this was due to the increased competition, a lot of it had to do with the anxiety I was causing for myself. The stakes were much higher this time around, and it felt like I might not find anything. I wish I could go back and tell myself to relax, and that everything would work out. But in the moment, it is hard to reason with yourself.
After months of being rejected or ghosted by companies, I finally received an offer at a great place. When I received the news, it felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. All the time I put in these past couple of years have finally paid off. I cannot wait to begin my career, and to finally have some free time again!
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