He had no technical background or experience, but shared a knack for technology and the desire to learn. His story is a real-life examples of the fact that anyone can give this field a try, regardless of education or previous work experience.
Mike, welcome. Thank you for joining us. How are you?
I've been waiting to do this for so long. It's funny; as I've been going through graduate meetings, I’ve envisioned myself being here to be able to share my story because this whole process has been such a journey.
That's really inspiring! So, tell us a little bit about yourself.
I was living in Maryland when I started this journey, but I live in Charlotte, North Carolina now. I've worked for Verizon and AT&T, and I've worked as a contractor for Google and Samsung too, selling their products. I eventually got tired of the sales part, and I also moved to North Carolina to be closer to my daughter. So I was at a point in my life where I needed to change quickly; I needed more flexibility. I was looking for jobs in tech that didn't require me to code. It was either on YouTube or Facebook where I saw one of your videos about quality control, so I decided to sign up for your training. It was really easy, and I continued to work while taking the course. If I couldn't watch a video while it was live, I would watch the replay and take notes, so I stayed on track with my studies that way. I started in February and finished in March. After that, I had some family matters so I had to move—which means I didn't start looking for a job until June 30th. So it took four months, and through JAS, I submitted 2,400 applications on LinkedIn and Glassdoor.
I interviewed with five different companies. For one of these companies—a nonprofit—I went through three stages. They asked me situational questions to understand who I am, and I think my personality stood out because I smiled and was friendly. I also interviewed at two other companies at the same time. One turned me down because they wanted an employee with more experience, but it didn’t upset me because the company where I work now appreciates me. When asked for payment at this current company, I said I wanted something between $70k and $80k; they offered me $85k. So I just got my HP laptop and work phone and started working as a tester for them.
Congratulations! We’re very happy for you. So you didn't have any testing experience before you got the job?
In fact, my resume shows that I have no technical experience, no college degree, or anything like that. I started college but I didn't finish. But I have a passion for technology and a customer focus, and I've used that in many of my interviews. But no, I don't have any serious technical experience.
So you had five companies that interviewed you. How many job offers did you receive?
I only received one job offer; I stopped looking as soon as I got it. There are a lot of vacancies out there, and the more you apply, the more opportunities you have to find a job. So I listened to your advice and followed the steps, and here I am.
Right, and we’re glad you were able to see results that way! It could be two weeks, one month, two months, three months, or four months, but the method works. Now Mike, can you share your interview experience with these different companies? Did they ask you the same questions?
It’s clear that they all started with standard questions for me to tell more about myself. Your lessons helped me answer all the questions.
Is your new job remote?
Yes, my work is entirely remote.
Amazing! A full-time, remote job—wow. When did you get the offer?
I received the job offer on October 28th. My devices just arrived on Tuesday, so I set everything up and I'm starting on Monday.
Great, we’re so happy for you. How long was your active job search?
The search lasted from June 30th to the end of October. So it was four months.
How long did you have to think about accepting the offer?
I had nothing to think about. I believed in the company and really wanted to finally get to work. I was excited, especially since they offered me $5,000 more than what I asked for. I also liked everyone on the team with whom I communicated.
Mike, do you have any final advice for your fellow students?
Of course. Follow the steps and trust that they’ll work. Go through all the course information and study the material to help you answer the interview questions. In addition, make the most of your career coach, who will always offer you guidance. Trust this training, because it’s offered by professionals who know what they’re doing.
We love that advice, because we created Careerist to be different from other boot camps—only focusing on sharing the information you need to land a great job. Mike, thanks so much for sharing your story with us. It’s truly inspiring.
Thank you!