I remember being in 10th grade English class and taking a career aptitude test. Whatever range I scored based on interests and the type of questions asked, they provided a list of potential careers along with the salary. Out of the top ten careers listed, I zeroed in on computer systems analyst. I had no clue what it was, but I knew I wanted to do it (Accounting was also on the list, but it didn’t catch my attention like that fancy title of a computer systems analyst).
I went to college and majored in Management Information Systems (MIS), but there were only a few classes that really caught my attention: Intro to SQL, Business Systems Analysis, and Networking. Each course was supposed to help guide me toward my goal of not only graduating but becoming a Business Systems Analyst.
And on Saturday, December 18, 2010, I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in MIS.
However, when I graduated, I was lost y’all!
I had no clue where to start, didn’t help that I didn’t think to pursue internships! My resume was ugly as Celie and Nettie crying when Mister tossed Nettie out! Reality set in: had college really prepared me for the tech world? The classes give you a broad overview of what the technology field offers, but it’s kinda hard to hone in on just one specific thing.
I remember applying for job after job (help desk because I was just looking to get my foot in the door) and being rejected. It was either:
Thank you for applying. We decided to go with a candidate with more experience.
Let’s be real: how do you get experience if no one will give you a chance? Better yet, why call a job entry-level when they want three to five years of experience?
Or the worst thing ever, being ghosted by HR! Just not hearing anything from them folks!
That was crushing, not to mention I was dealing with the loss of my mother at the time. With each rejection, I felt like I’d made a mistake and maybe I wasn’t supposed to be in tech at all. It just wasn’t gonna happen.
I finally got a job six months after graduating, but it wasn’t in I.T.
I wound up working at Old Navy part-time. I worked my way up, did everything from restocking, working the floor, cashier, fitting room, and price team, and eventually became something like a supervisor.
It wasn’t what I wanted. The anxiety of the whole retail thing was awful. There were days I would get nauseous just thinking about having to work a mid-day shift on the weekend. The crowds, the mess, screaming kids, and rude customers were awful.
I felt stuck, I didn’t know what to do or how to even go about jump-starting my tech career. There was only so much self-study I could do, and I was convinced I needed to take a hands-on class to get more knowledge and understand things better. I just didn’t want to go about getting another degree because I questioned if it would really make a difference, especially if ya girl ain’t have experience!
Then two things happened: my cousin who is in IT helped me with my resume, and I ended up meeting a guy at Starbucks that also helped me with my resume.
Even though I didn’t have experience, he helped me take courses and projects from school and use it to my advantage. That’s when I got my first call from a recruiter. I was excited, I thought I had my foot in the door y’all, but that junt did not go well. I didn’t hear anything from him, but I ended up meeting with a new recruiter months later.
I really thought she was gonna help me out, especially when the meeting went well. I just knew I was gonna get a help desk position. Her name shoulda been Casper ‘cause she ghosted me! All the hope and excitement I’d gained disappeared quickly.
In the meantime, I kept working as a pricing specialist, I hated it, but I kept working. Then one day I heard an ad on the radio that was looking for individuals who had a degree or background in Information Technology and would like assistance with a career jumpstart in the tech industry.
Check out part 2 to find out what program I joined and how it opened door for me to finally step into tech.