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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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