A strong motivation might drive you to the most significant transformations in your life. John realized he needed a change and strived for a different future, which resulted in a humble but winning offer that has made a career change in his life, bringing him into tech.
Tell us your story; what did you do before QA? What was the point when you decided to make a career switch?
I’m from the East Coast—Georgia. I worked at a Home Depot, usually on night shifts, driving forklifts, lifting lumber, moving cement bags, and doing other blue-collar work. My supervisors and managers liked me, but things didn’t add up. I shared a rented room and searched for a separate apartment but realized I couldn’t afford it at my then-current pay rate. I decided I was not going to do that job for long and caught myself googling careers in software at some point.
So you’ve learned about Careerist while surfing the net, right?
I bumped into a software testing advertisement and disregarded it for two or three months. Then I went back to software testing, and while looking for other software programs, Careerist popped up, and I signed up. I took the option of just paying everything in advance, but you can split it up depending on what you want.
Do you have any degree?
No, I dropped out.
Just like the most prominent billionaires. When did you join the training? How long did it take from the moment of entering the training to the point you found a job in tech?
It was September 2021. So I went through the program in September and an internship in October. Indeed, it could have been shorter, but I took the whole month. In November, I worked with my career coach, practiced the interview questions you provided us, and then started applying after Thanksgiving. In three weeks, I got the job offer.
Well, your case is rather an exception. On average, it takes up to six weeks before you get the first calls. So it was just around three weeks of the job search for you?
Yes, three-and-a-half weeks of the job search. Maybe it was timing or something else, but I only sent out 187 job applications. Even with this small number of applications, I still had six or seven companies trying to interview me, and I found it challenging to handle and stopped applying.
Wow, that’s a rare case as usually it takes between two and four months, although exceptions happen. Perhaps you convinced them with your smile!
In fact, Careerist’s instructions were easy to follow. The program itself is no lie: you just need to do the interview packet, study the questions, and rehearse with your career coach. All the tutorials are short, and they are broken down into manageable sections.
Did you have any moments of hesitation during the training?
When I got to the Job Application Service (JAS), I thought it wouldn’t work, but it actually did. It’s important not to psyche yourself out and dive into learning Python or JavaScript since they are not a “must.” I learned that companies write a lot on the position descriptions, and they do not often need that much expertise. The hardest part is to accept that you know more than enough to find your position.
How were your interviews?
The first couple of interviews were a bit shaky, but that was just until I gained more confidence—there’s no point doubting or psyching yourself out because of nasty emails or another “no.”
Can you share a bit about your salary range?
They got me cheap at $60,000, but I accepted it based on my situation. It’s a paid internship. I’m actually trying to apply to other places since I’m balancing two different testing areas within my company. My value has gone up throughout the last couple of months.
Do you remember any interview questions?
Most of the questions were from the packet. I was just asked basic ones on black-box and UI testing. There were also a couple more questions on functional testing.
Do you work hard in tech now? How do you feel about your workload?
For our company, it’s all built-in software. We also use a lot of Excel to the point where it’s making that difficult to test. That’s actually what has me thinking of moving to a different company. It’s a big insurance company with great expertise but age-old methods that often turn into a mess.
Did you have any other opportunities?
There was one possible job offer from a sort of streaming company, and the requirements were mobile testing with all the testing tools you introduced to us. It’s the exact same stuff.
Is there anything you would like to share with your peers?
In October, I left my previous job at Home Depot and transitioned to a new mindset. That’s the thing I definitely wouldn’t advise you to do. Again, everyone is in a different position, but you really need to follow the program steps and maybe do a little research.
Thanks for sharing your story with us. You busted the myth of needing a tech background for this position and won our hearts with your dedication to your dream. We are happy you’ve made it into tech and are sure you will get a bigger salary with your next position. Trust us, it’s just the beginning of your journey in tech.