Travon Bryant, an October 2022 graduate of the Amazon Career Choice Cybersecurity Engineering program, chose to change careers to improve his financial prospects.
He shares his student journey from Pharmacy Tech to Cybersecurity professional below.
Pharmaceutical Background
Travon began his career by earning an Associate of Science degree and spent the next 11 years as a pharmacy technician. But, a decade in, Travon’s priorities had changed, and he decided it was time to pivot.
“I chose to make the switch because the pharmacy wasn’t paying the bills,” he explained. “I wanted to get a good-paying job to be able to take care of my family.”
It was while working for Pillpack – a pharmaceutical management service acquired by Amazon in 2018 – that Travon learned about the Amazon Career Choice program. The program allows Amazon employees to receive technical training from partner institutions to pursue higher-paying career paths. While exploring the program, Travon settled on applying for the Amazon Career Choice Cybersecurity Bootcamp taught by Flatiron School.
“I was always interested in securing networks and the tools that were involved,” he said. “I needed a change, so when presented with the opportunity [to change careers], I took it.”
Bootcamp Experience
Travon was accepted into the Amazon Career Choice Cybersecurity program and enrolled with a cohort of fellow students from Amazon. The program ran for 32 weeks from February through October with the curriculum delivered online via live lectures. Students completed about 15 hours a week of classwork while continuing to work full-time, a logistical challenge for any new student. Despite the heavy workload, Travon found his coursework engaging.
“My favorite part [of the program] was the SIEM part,” he recalled. “It amazed me how the information could give us so much insight, which came in handy, as my current role utilizes Splunk for every case.”
Working In Cybersecurity
Upon graduating in October 2022 with a brand new Cybersecurity skillset, Travon quickly secured his first opportunity. As a STAR – Skilled Through Alternative Route – there can be an invisible barrier that comes for workers without a bachelor’s degree, but Travon had the skills to get hired in his new industry.
“My job search was brief. I had 3 interviews before getting a job at a bank in a rotational program where I rotate every 8 months to a new cybersecurity team.”
When we spoke with him in June 2023, he had only good things to say about working in his industry.
“I love my new field, it definitely lives up to my dream. I’m proud I’m in the field at a good company.”
As for his advice for other students, Travon recommends holding onto everything you learn while in class.
“Take lots of notes, you never know what you’ll learn in this bootcamp that your future cybersecurity job will utilize.”
Flatiron School Retraining Programs
Amazon’s Career Choice offers eligible Amazon employees like Travon Bryant the opportunity to pivot careers into higher-paying jobs through retraining. The program was created as a way to attract top talent as well as improve employee engagement and retention.
Following the initial cohort’s success, Amazon again selected Flatiron School to deliver Career Choice programs in 2023 and 2024.
Contact us to learn how a Flatiron School retraining program can attract and retain top talent at your organization.
