Tag: Career Change

Alisha Murray: Fashion To Product Design

Posted on by Anna Van Deusen

Alisha Murray, a 2020 UX / UI Design graduate from Flatiron School, credits her grandmother for her early interest in fashion. Her love of creativity, however, eventually led her to a career in Product Design.

She shares her journey from Fashion to Product Design below.

An Early Fixation on Fashion

Alisha grew up in the small town of Sabinal, Texas, where she spent a lot of time on her grandparent’s chicken farm. It was there that she was first introduced to the world of fashion through humble beginnings.

“My grandma would make Halloween costumes for me or fix a hole in my grandpa’s pants,” she recalled. “It was always intriguing to me when I saw her pull out her Singer sewing machine and work her magic.”

She got her first sewing machine in high school and went on to earn a degree in Textiles and Apparel, Technical Design from the University of Texas. But after graduating, Alisha said she felt lost.  

The hobby that I grew to love turned into a real prospect as a career but it turned into just that. A hobby, a prospect, something I didn’t know how to attain anymore.

After graduating from college, Alisha worked as an Assistant Manager at a department store. 

“I loved interacting with people and being active; not always sitting behind a desk. I could be involved in fashion without actually creating it.” 

But, after two years, she knew she needed to make a change.

“I just grew tired of the same old day-to-day business,” she explained. “Something was missing. I wasn’t being completely myself and I wasn’t using all of my creative capabilities.”

Pivoting To Product Design

Once deciding to pursue a new career, Alishia began to research her options.

“I wanted to find a new way to express my creative energy […] to figure out what I wanted to do and be for the rest of my life. I looked at trade schools and Masters’s programs.”

Eventually, she stumbled upon the concept of coding bootcamps, which led her to the Flatiron School website and Product Design. She recalls going down a “rabbit hole” learning about UX / UI Product Design, combing the course’s website, and watching videos about the subject.

“I’ve never felt more drawn to something than I did learning about this field of work,” she said. “When I came across Flatiron [School’s] website the answer to what I was looking for was staring back at me, this was it. I immediately signed up for an interview to learn more.”

Her Flatiron School Experience

Alisha applied for and was accepted to Flatiron School’s UI/UX Design course.* But, having been out of the creative field for several years, there were growing pains getting back into the imaginative mindset. 

“[It was challenging] learning how to open up my creative mind again. It felt like that aspect of me was lost a little bit,” she said. “I had to retrain myself to have an imagination and cross boundaries and just be open to being scrappy with my work.” 

Her classmates eased her transition back into the field, serving as a source of both support and inspiration. 

“So many of my classmates had come from different areas of design already, and I was able to learn a lot from them. I learned about different areas of work and they helped me better my skills.”

Overall, she reports having a positive experience during the course and growing as a creative professional.

“Once you start giving it your all, and not worrying about how perfect the work is, you open up to a much larger picture of what can be accomplished.”

Pandemic Job Search

Alisha graduated from Flatiron School in February 2020, a month before the onset of the pandemic. To say that it made her search difficult, she says, would be an understatement.

“Graduating straight into a pandemic was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I quickly started seeing interviews fall off my calendar and companies telling me that they just can’t hire right now. That was the longest 8 months of my life.” 

Throughout her difficult job search and the evolving pandemic, her career coach was there to support her and keep her motivated and moving forward.

“My career coach kept reminding me to network and how things can be done virtually. I utilized LinkedIn and reached out to Senior Designers and managers,” she said. “I received so much more insight into product design that I wouldn’t have gotten if I didn’t ask people about their day-to-day business.”

Despite setbacks, Alisha ultimately accepted a job as a Product Designer at General Motors in November 2020. When we spoke with her in February 2023, she reported that it’s been an overwhelmingly positive experience.

“Working as a product designer has been so fulfilling. I am constantly working on different projects. Priorities shift so much that I am never bored and always stay creatively active. I have found the career that fulfills parts of me that I wasn’t using in retail.”

Reflecting On Her Journey

Looking back on her path, Alisha highlights the importance of connecting with others.

“My biggest takeaway is understanding how important networking actually is. Whether that’s just chatting with your colleagues and learning about their career backgrounds or reaching out to a manager at a company of interest,” she said. “You can learn so much from people and being able to compare your interests with a prospective job title is important to know if that’s what you want to do.”

As for her advice for others who may be considering a career change, she recommends leaning into the inherent uncertainty of the process. 

“Don’t stay in a job you are not completely happy at, and just have fun finding yourself along the way. Step outside of your comfort zone and be scrappy with your work. We don’t know how far we can push ourselves until we actually try. And then continue to push yourself.”

Ready For A Change, Just Like Alisha Murray?

Apply Now to join other career changers like Alisha in a program that’ll give you the tech skills you need to land your first job in tech.

Not ready to apply? Try out our Free Product Design Prep Work and test-run the material we teach in the course. 

Read more stories about successful career changes on the Flatiron School blog.

*UI/UX Design course is no longer available. For students interested in this course of study, visit the Product Design course page to learn more.

Igor Vlasenko: Air Traffic Control to Cybersecurity

Posted on by Anna Van Deusen

Igor Vlasenko, an August 2022 Cybersecurity Engineering graduate from Flatiron School, grew up in Ukraine and went to university to be an air traffic controller. After moving to the USA as an adult, he decided to pursue Cybersecurity for a technical challenge. 

He shares his journey of immigrating to the USA and finding his way to Cybersecurity Engineering below.

Changing Continents and Careers

Igor was born and raised in Ukraine. Despite his interest in technology as an adult, he doesn’t recall being interested in it as a child. 

“I can’t say I was exposed to technology or computers as a kid,” he said. “I was more into sports and spent most of my time helping my dad at an auto shop.”

For university, Igor attended the National Aviation University of Ukraine to study Air Traffic Control. It was after his third year there that he had the opportunity to move to the United States. After arriving in North America, he says he moved around quite a bit. 

“I lived in Wisconsin, New York City, Buffalo, New York, and Galveston, Texas before I moved to Denver, Colorado where I have been living for the last 6 years.”

After working in the service industry as a bartender in downtown Denver for those 6 years, it was in 2022 that Igor decided that he needed a change. 

“I didn’t feel challenged. When I asked myself if doing what I was doing every day at work helped me get where I want to be, I did not get a satisfactory answer,” he explained. “That was the primary reason I decided that I had to do something about it.”

As to why he settled on Cybersecurity, Igor cites a “curiosity” about the field. 

“I would read news articles about recent cybersecurity breaches throughout various industries around the world,” he said. “And I often found myself not understanding the specifics of adversary techniques and defense mechanisms. I wanted to understand it better and be able to protect myself and others.”

His Flatiron School Experience

Once Igor decided to pursue Cybersecurity, his next step was gaining the skills he needed to break into the industry. To achieve that, he decided to attend a Flatiron School bootcamp.

“When I was searching for ways to proceed with getting educated in this particular discipline, bootcamps stood out for their efficiency and relevancy of information,” he explained. “Flatiron School had an outstanding reputation and provided support pre and post-education period.”

Igor applied and accepted to Flatiron School’s full-time Cybersecurity Engineering program in May 2022. He would complete hundreds of hours of coursework over the next 15 weeks.

“The curriculum was quite challenging intellectually and mentally,” he recalled. “[But] the constant support from the Flatiron community was very helpful.”
Despite the challenge of the accelerated coursework, Igor cites the community at Flatiron School and beyond as a motivating factor throughout.

“My favorite aspect of the school was the exposure to professional and social events. I found the community to be extremely welcoming, willing to help, and full of valuable resources.”

Job Searching As An Immigrant

Igor graduated from the Flatiron School Cybersecurity Engineering program in August 2022. Unfortunately, his job search initially got off to a rocky start. 

“I faced certain obstacles caused by immigration-related processes,” Igor explained. “[But] once I resolved those, the experience of finding a job was manageable.”

But, throughout his search, his dedicated Flatiron School career coach was there to support him.

“My career coach, Quianna Rodriguez, was extremely helpful throughout my entire experience of looking for a job. [She] would often put in additional effort and go the extra mile to find resources relevant to my unique situation, which made my experience of working with her absolutely incredible! I would also like to mention Scott Bowman and thank him for his constant support and valuable advice.”

Ultimately, Igor accepted a Senior Information Security Analyst position with Western Union, based in his new hometown of Denver, Colorado. 

Reflecting On His Journey

Looking back on the journey he took to land his first job in tech, Igor is proud of his personal and professional growth.

“I developed my ability to connect with people, gained confidence in my skills, and got a job.”

As for his advice to other students, he recommends persistence. 

“If you have a big, scary task ahead of you, break it into multiple pieces and conquer them one by one. Seek environments where you feel like you are the most stupid person in the room and listen.”

Ready For A Change, Just Like Igor Vlasenko?

Apply Now to join other career changers like Igor in a program that’ll give you the tech skills you need to land your first job in tech.

Not ready to apply? Try out our Free Cybersecurity Prep Work and test-run the material we teach in the course. 

Read more stories about successful career changes on the Flatiron School blog.

Matthew Thomas-Wicher: Law to Design

Posted on by Anna Van Deusen

Matthew Thomas-Wicher, a March 2020 UX Design graduate*, spent 5 years pursuing a career in law before dropping everything to pursue design.

He shares his journey from law to UX / UI Product Design below.

Pivoting From A Path To Law

Matthew Thomas-Wicher graduated from college with a Bachelor’s in Political Science and a minor in Pre-Law. Followed by an internship in the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, D.C., his path toward a career in law seemed clear. 

“After [my internship], it just made sense at the time to break into the field before going to law school,” he said. “Unfortunately, after five years working in Corporate Law, I realized that path wasn’t for me.”

In the search for his next career, Matthew didn’t have to go far to settle on tech. 

“[My interest in tech] started with coding, and how each project you work on is essentially one big puzzle,” he recalled. “It makes you really think, and I loved each and every challenge presented to me.”

Matthew had previously learned coding during a 6 month in-person course in D.C. and saw Product Design as an opportunity to repurpose those skills. 

“I was always interested in Product Design and even tried to incorporate it into my job at the time, combined with a bit of coding knowledge,” he explained. “Product Design, just like code, requires a deep understanding of the problems you are trying to solve and that’s what drew me in. The fundamentals are transferrable, and together, they are very useful.”

Deciding On UX Design

Matthew’s decision to attend a User Experience Design course was based on the positive review of a friend. 

“One of my good friends in D.C. went to a [bootcamp] a couple of years before I did, and he had nothing but good things to say,” he said. “He had been successful in the field for some time, and [the bootcamp] was his starting point.”

But, he acknowledged, that switching careers after spending years building experience in a field was daunting. 

“To be honest, I felt like I spent so much time in [law], that it would be almost impossible to completely start over,” he recalled.

Despite his doubts, Matthew was committed to changing careers. 

“I decided to jump in head first! I quit my full-time job working as a paralegal and moved to Chicago to do the Full-Time UX Immersive Program.”

Spoiler alert for any nervous readers: looking back, Matthew said “it was a great experience.”

His Bootcamp Experience

Matthew enrolled in a full-time User Experience Design course*, committing 40 hours a week to his studies. The grueling schedule, he said, was made easier by the people he learned alongside. 

“[My favorite part of the program] was working with so many different people. Everyone there had similar goals, and we all worked together to meet them,” he said. “After spending so much time with everyone, day in and day out, you get pretty close.”

Those new connections also led to additional challenges. 

“The most challenging part was working on a team with people who have all different ways of doing things. Having to adapt and learn how to keep the cogs turning was a challenge,” he said. “But after working in the field for several years now, it definitely prepared me for working with multiple stakeholders at various companies.”

Matthew sums up the outcome of his bootcamp experience succinctly: 

“At the end of the program, I got a certificate and a bunch of new friends.”

Job Searching During The Pandemic

Matthew graduated in early 2020 right into the emerging COVID-19 pandemic. 

“The last two months of our cohort was during the beginning of the 2020 pandemic,” he recalled. “I had low expectations going into the job market.”

Despite entering the market just as the world shut down, Matthew landed his first job quickly. 

“I feel like I got pretty lucky with the job search. After I applied to a bunch of places I found a really cool startup based in Chicago that took a chance on me,” he said. “I took on the role of Founding Product Designer at a small seed-funded company that had coincidentally been in the process of moving its headquarters to DC. It was tough. I worked with the company from the beginning, all the way up to their Series-A funding in late 2021.”

Matthew worked at his initial company as a Founding Product Designer at The Demex Group until October 2021 before moving to his next opportunity. As of writing, he is working in a remote role as a Product Designer & Design Strategist at Oportun.

Working In The Field

Three years on from graduation, Matthew is enjoying working in Product Design immensely. 

“I absolutely love it! It definitely matches up to the dream, and I am so happy I made the switch. I feel like I look at the world around me and how people interact with technology so differently now.”

Having been in a senior-level design position right after completing his bootcamp, he has quite a few projects that he looks back on with pride, especially those where he got to flex his coding skills. 

“Back at my first company … I was a product designer but also a full-stack engineer. For my last task at The Demex Group, I got to take the lead on a huge project which was pretty groundbreaking in the field,” he explained. “I was able to take it through the entire design process and code the entire platform with the help of one other designer. The project ended up being one of the main things that helped them secure their Series-A funding and it was just amazing to see my work out in the wild and watch people interact with it.”

To see Matthew’s work, visit his portfolio.

Reflecting On His Journey

Looking back at where his journey into Product Design began, Matthew’s takeaway is that of inclusivity and keeping oneself open to differing perspectives. 

“In this field, you work with many diverse groups of people. These could be the users who you are building for or the stakeholders who you work with at whichever company,” he said. “Different styles of working, understanding, communicating, etc. Having that experience at [the bootcamp], working with so many different thinkers was a bit frustrating at first, but looking back, it prepared me so much for my career.”

His advice for other students getting ready to enter the workforce is a single word: network. 

“My biggest piece of advice is to network. There are tech events all over no matter where you end up taking your program. I landed my first contract role at the same time I got my first job in the field, just by networking at an event and getting referred to someone.”

As for how he thinks of his bootcamp experience almost three years on, Matthew is all positivity.

“It was such a great experience.”

Ready For A Change, Just Like Matthew Thomas-Wicher?

Apply Now to join other career changers in a design program that will set your portfolio apart from the competition. 

Not ready to apply? Try out our Free UX / UI Product Design Prep. Or, review the Product Design Syllabus for the full list of skills you’ll learn to prepare you to launch your next career.

Read more stories about grads who have successfully changed careers on the Flatiron School blog.

*Featured student was a graduate of Designation Labs, which was acquired by Flatiron School. The User Experience Design course is no longer available. Visit the Product Design Course page to learn more. 

Dane Brown: Amazon Career Choice 2021

Posted on by Anna Van Deusen

Dane Brown, a 2021 graduate from the Amazon Career Choice Cybersecurity Analytics program, was working as an Amazon Warehouse Associate when he took advantage of the opportunity to pivot into Cybersecurity. 

He shares his winding journey into tech below.

A Collection Of Careers

Dane spent the first decade of his career working in a variety of fields including retail, mental health, security, and nursing home housekeeping. 

“I chose those fields just so I could afford to buy my own stuff, and pay bills,” he said. “But I wanted to do something that paid more and would be fulfilling.”

While unsure of what exactly that field would be, Dane felt drawn toward a career in technology based on an early affinity. 

“I’ve had an obsession with video games and computers since I was 3,” he recalled.  “I’ve always been fascinated by the seemingly limitless applications of tech, the convenience it brings, and how fun it is to learn about.”

It was while working as a Warehouse Associate at Amazon in 2021 that an opportunity to break into the industry presented itself. Dane applied to the Amazon Career Choice Cybersecurity Analytics program and was accepted. 

“I knew that this program would allow me to expand my tech knowledge, challenge myself, and have a new way to help others,” he said. “And I had heard years ago that Flatiron was one of the best tech schools in the industry.”

His Program Experience

The Amazon Career Choice program Dane participated in ran for 32 weeks from February through October. The curriculum was delivered online via live lectures. Students completed about 15 hours a week of classwork while continuing to work full-time. 

“It was challenging ensuring that my assignments were completed on time, and making it to all of the live lectures,” Dane said. “Thankfully my instructors and faculty were patient, kind, and informative, plus my cohort loved helping each other. We never left people behind!”

Despite the time pressures of tackling an education while continuing to work, Dane persevered throughout the course and found that he enjoyed the material.

“My favorite part of the program was learning about a wide range of Computer Science & Cybersecurity concepts [and] engaging my classmates and instructors in the community,” he said. “Also, I loved the System Administration class because I learned how to set up an organization’s computer systems from the ground up!”

Dane graduated from the Amazon Career Choice Cybersecurity Analytics program in October 2021, after completing 480 curriculum hours. 

Jumping Into The Job Search

With his new Cybersecurity skills, Dane began looking for the right opportunity while continuing to work at Amazon. Unfortunately, at first, he had difficulty finding the right fit. 

“My job search was brutal,” he recalled. “Most companies didn’t give me a response or interview when I first started applying for positions.”

But through working with his Career Coach, he refined his strategy and started to make headway.  

“Flatiron has one of the best Career Development and job search programs I’ve ever seen,” he said. “My career coach gave me great pointers on how to refine my resume which set me up for success.”

Reflecting On His Journey

Two years on from his graduation, Dane is working in Cybersecurity and supporting organizations he is passionate about. 

“I’m extremely proud to say that I provided IT/Cybersecurity services on behalf of two organizations – Zinc Collective’s DigiDems, and the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, which supported the successful elections of Lieutenant Governor-elect Austin Davis, Senator John Fetterman, and Governor-elect Josh Shapiro!”

Looking back at his journey, Dane’s main takeaway from the experience is a positive one.

“Always be kind, and never be afraid to ask for or receive help.”

Dane’s advice for students is similar, emphasizing the importance of kindness and camaraderie. 

“Always carry yourself with humility and grace, think before you speak, and manage your time wisely,” he advised. “Always offer to help others, and don’t be afraid to ask for help whenever you need it. I’m rooting for all of you, so never give up!” 

Flatiron School Retraining Programs

Amazon’s Career Choice offers eligible Amazon employees 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. 

Contact us to learn how a Flatiron School retraining program can attract and retain top talent at your organization.

Zach Zazueta: From Financial Analyst to Data Analyst

Posted on by Anna Van Deusen

Zach Zazueta, a 2020 Data Science graduate from Flatiron School, spent half a decade in the finance department of educational institutions before an interest in data-driven problem-solving led him down a different path. 

He details his path from finance to data science below.

A Foundation In Finance

When Zach Zazueta graduated from college in 2015, he knew that he wanted to combine his interest in math and economics with his degree in Political Science to work for a mission-driven organization. The mission he chose? Addressing unequal access to quality public education for inner-city minority students coming from low-income homes. 

“I was on a finance team in the education field working for a network of charter schools supporting 50 elementary, middle, and high schools in the NYC metro area,” Zach explained when we interviewed him in early 2023.

A few years in, he found himself working with data in Talent Analytics designing evaluation systems. It was during these exercises that Zach’s interest in data took hold and he began to consider a different career path.

“Eventually, the interest and enjoyment I was getting from the problem-solving outweighed the satisfaction I got from the organization’s mission,” he said. “It was time to enter a new environment with new business challenges that would push my learning.”

Pivoting To Data Science

Once Zach made the decision to switch from his current role, the decision to pursue Data Science seemed like an obvious one. 

“I always had a draw toward numbers-focused work. In my [early career] I found designing logic behind Excel formulas compelling. Mapping out data to tell a story and bring clarity was rewarding,” he recalled. “And after working with SQL and Tableau [designing evaluation systems], I knew they were areas I wanted to grow in.”

After dabbling in open-source materials and learning on his own for a time, Zach ultimately decided to apply to Flatiron School’s Data Science program to accelerate his learning.

“I was having difficulty making sustained, targeted progress in my learning. I saw Flatiron School as a unique opportunity to boost the nascent skills I had already developed and learn how to code quickly,” he explained. “And a bootcamp was a faster and less expensive avenue than a traditional master’s degree program.”

His Bootcamp Experience

Zach enrolled in Flatiron School’s online part-time Data Science program in 2019. Like many other students choosing to pursue a career change while maintaining their current employment, he initially found the added time requirements difficult to adjust to. 

“While I appreciated the flexibility that this option allowed me to have as I was able to continue working and earning income while enrolled, it was a big time commitment to tack onto regular life.”

But, throughout the course, he developed skills that proved invaluable once he entered the job market. 

“The module wrap-up projects were quite helpful as a practice to become an authority on a data project I owned,” he explained. “I’ve often had to present and explain findings to non-technical stakeholders [in my career], laying out the ‘so what?’ business impact of my analysis. It was also helpful to take a project from raw data to visualized findings – end-to-end projects can be the most rewarding.”

Working In Tech

Zach graduated from Flatiron School in 2020. Since then, he has been enjoying working in Data Science, mentioning that he uses the skills he learned during his bootcamp almost every day.

“[Working as a Data Scientist] absolutely lives up to the dream,” he said. “I am applying the skills I learned in Flatiron on a daily basis. 90%+ of what I do in my everyday job is coding, writing queries, and making data tell a story.”

The data that first piqued his interest and the data he uses now differ greatly in size and scope, a change that ties back to his early fascination with economics. 

“Shifting into tech has afforded me the opportunity to work with truly big data.  Working with data tables that are petabytes in size has been a vastly different experience than my time in non-profits,” he said. “I also now work for a global company instead of focusing on just one city; seeing how global markets impact the data has been a really exciting change.”

Reflecting On His Journey

Looking back at the beginning of his career change, Zach’s main takeaway was the necessity of a growth mindset. 

“The data community appreciates the learning journey. No one will expect you to know everything at once. They just want to see that you are equally passionate about solving the same types of problems they are,” he explained. “Because of that mindset, it is a terrifically collaborative space that allows learning to flourish.”

His advice for current students is to lean into the discomfort of that growth mindset and embrace the process. 

“Try and hold tight to the fact that this is a career change – and careers are measured in years, if not decades. If the first few years start slow, that’s okay; the growth becomes exponential once you have a foothold.”

Ready For A Change, Just Like Zach Zazueta?

Apply Now to join other career changers like Zach in a program that sets you apart from the competition. 

Not ready to apply? Try out our Free Data Science Prep Work and test-run the material we teach in the course. Or, review the Data Science Course Syllabus that will set you up for success and help launch your new career.

Read more stories about successful career changes on the Flatiron School blog.

Women In Tech: 4 Grad’s Stories | Women’s History Month

Posted on by Anna Van Deusen

As of 2022, women make up only 28% of the tech industry workforce. For technical roles, that number is even lower. There are simply not enough women in tech. 

That’s why Flatiron School offers the Women Take Tech scholarship to begin closing the opportunity gap for women in tech. With this scholarship, we aim to do our part and start to help make tech equal for all.

In celebration of Women’s History Month, here are the stories of four recent female Flatiron School grads making waves in the tech industry.

Victoria LeBel: Registered Nurse to Software Engineer

Victoria LeBel began her career as a registered nurse. She spent 4 years working on a high-risk labor and delivery unit but felt that she needed to make a change.

“I was missing an element of creativity in my work,” she explained. “[But] I wanted to continue to use my critical thinking and problem-solving skills.”

Combining her acquired skills and her love of continuous learning, she determined that Software Engineering would be a great fit. To make the transition from healthcare to tech though, Victoria knew that she would need to pursue some additional schooling. It was then that she learned about Flatiron School.

Victoria enrolled in Flatiron School’s full-time Software Engineering program and graduated in September 2022. After a short job search, she accepted a Software Engineer position at Econify. 

“If you set your mind and efforts toward something you can accomplish anything. So long as you have the focus and determination, you can achieve anything, no matter where you started.”

Read her full career change story.

Jenny Kreiger: Archaeologist To Data Scientist

Jenny Kreiger began her career pursuing a Ph.D. in classical art and archaeology with the hopes of working in higher education or museums. But, as she helped excavate the ruins of Pompeii for the first summer in a row – a dream archaeological opportunity – she knew she was drifting away from studying human behavior. 

“The academic job market is notoriously challenging, so from the start of my doctorate, I was always researching and preparing for alternatives. Data Science was a possibility for me because as an archaeologist I liked using data to learn about human behavior.”

After trying out some online tutorials, she decided to quit her job and enroll in Flatiron School’s Data Science course.

She graduated in early 2020 and had the unfortunate circumstance of job searching during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, but ultimately accepted a role as a Data Scientist at Shopify. 

“Lots of organizations need your expertise right now, and you might be able to find a great fit in an unexpected place, so don’t give up–adapt!”

Read her full career change story.

Carla Stickler: From Broadway Star To Software Engineer

Image of Carla Stickler

By the end of 2018, Carla Stickler already had what many would consider to be a dream career. She’d found success in the arts – a difficult feat no matter the medium – and performed on Broadway stages in world-famous musicals such as Wicked, Mamma Mia!, and The Sound of Music.

But, Carla recalls knowing that she needed to make a change for a while, saying that the continuous grind and needed to reach that level of success had begun wearing on her.

Finally, a chance encounter at her 35th birthday party spurred her to act.

“A friend showed up to my party and announced, ‘I’m a software engineer now and I just got a great job making more money than I’ve ever made with health insurance and a 401k!’ I was confused, since last I checked, he was a composer writing musicals,” she mused. “I held him captive for the next 30 minutes asking him how he did it and what exactly software engineering was. He told me he went to the Flatiron School and learned to code.”

Carla graduated from Flatiron School’s Software Engineering program in the Fall of 2019 and accepted a position as a Junior Software Engineer at G2.

“I cannot begin to tell you the number of things I’ve learned in the past year and the amount of confidence I’ve gained as a developer. I love my job and couldn’t be more grateful for the life that attending Flatiron and learning to code has provided for me.”

Read her full career change story.

Wendolyne Barrios: Food Industry to Freelance Designer

Image of Wendolyne Barrios

Wendolyne Barrios spent the first 10 years of her career in the food service industry. She began helping in her family’s business, then pursued her own career in the field. But a decade in, Wendolyne knew she needed a change.

“Working in the food service industry is tough on the mind and body,” she said. “The field took more from me than I got back, so I knew I had to make a change if I wanted to live a healthy, enjoyable, and sustainable life.”

Fueled on by a lifelong love of the arts and her desire to live the life she’d imagined, Wendolyne applied and was accepted to Flatiron School’s accelerated 15-week UX / UI Product Design program.

Wendolyne graduated from Flatiron School in August of 2022 and began a career as a freelance product designer. In January 2023, she founded wendolyne.design, which specializes in brand design, web design, and mobile app design.

“I pushed myself harder than I thought I could. I pushed myself mentally and emotionally to come out of the other side of it and feel like I was finally going somewhere. It was worth it, for me to feel the way I do now.”

Read her full career change story.

Women Take Tech Scholarship

Studies show that companies with a diverse workforce are more innovative, creative, and productive, and earn more revenue. 

But, with 39% of women in tech saying that they see gender bias as an obstacle to getting a promotion, it is not enough to simply hire more women. There needs to be an industry-wide shift towards working environments that embrace and promote diversity. That starts with creating more opportunities for women. 

Flatiron School’s Women Take Tech scholarship does just that, granting up to $1,000 to eligible female students to get started toward a career in tech.

See if you qualify. 

Victoria LeBel: Registered Nurse to Software Engineer

Posted on by Anna Van Deusen

Victoria LeBel, a September 2022 Software Engineering graduate from Flatiron School, started her career in nursing until a desire for more creativity put her on a path to tech.

She shares her journey from nursing to tech below.

Unhappy In Healthcare

Victoria began her career as a registered nurse. She spent 4 years working on a high-risk labor and delivery unit but felt that she needed to make a change.

“I was missing an element of creativity in my work,” she explained. “[But] I wanted to continue to use my critical thinking and problem-solving skills.”

Combining her acquired skills and her love of continuous learning, she determined that Software Engineering would be a great fit. To make the transition from healthcare to tech though, Victoria knew that she would need to pursue some additional schooling. It was then that she learned about Flatiron School.

“I was doing my research and learned about Flatiron’s reputation and was happy to find how transparent the school was with their jobs report,” she recalled. “I also met a Flatiron school alumni who highly recommended the program.”

Determined to change career paths, Victoria applied and was accepted to Flatiron School’s full-time Software Engineering program.

Flourishing At Flatiron School

Upon starting the Flatiron School program, Victoria Initially found herself daunted by the sheer amount of information covered each week.

“The most challenging part of the program for me was the first week of each phase,” she said. “With all the new content to learn being sent our way, it was often overwhelming.”

But in time, she built processes to make her way through the workload and developed a growth mindset.

“I learned to understand that many concepts take time and practice to grasp,” she recalled. “I learned to break down the content into smaller parts, set goals, and was able to find a way that worked for me to grasp the concepts.”

Committing to the full-time program meant that Victoria was studying on a full-time schedule: 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. Despite, or perhaps because of, the grueling schedule she grew to lean on the cohort of students learning alongside her. 

“Beyond technical specifics, my real favorite part of the program was collaborating with my cohort mates,” she said. “Working together through problems, explaining concepts in different ways, and building collaborative projects with the use of GitHub was an invaluable experience.” 

Jumping Into The Job Search

Victoria graduated from Flatiron School in September 2022. Her job search, supported by her career coach, she said was an overall positive experience.

“Initially I felt overwhelmed and uncertain about how I would break into tech,” she recalled. “My career coach was very helpful with keeping me motivated and assured me that I was doing the right things.”

Her coach helped in reviewing Victoria’s LinkedIn profile and resume and performing mock interviews. 

“Practicing interviewing skills was helpful for me to understand ways to describe my background in a way that highlights valuable skills I would be bringing to a position,” she said. “That is key to successful applications and connections.”

Victoria ultimately accepted a Software Engineer position at Econify. While she had yet to begin working at the time of our interview, she was looking forward to stepping into the next phase of her career.

“I am very excited! I have enjoyed meeting my team and look forward to contributing to projects in the work setting. My position is hybrid and I look forward to the flexibility of working from home and in the office.”

Reflecting On Her Journey

Looking back on where she began, Victoria emphasizes the importance of hard work and self-determination.

“If you set your mind and efforts toward something you can accomplish anything. So long as you have the focus and determination, you can achieve anything, no matter where you started.”

Her advice to other students, however, tempers that full speed ahead work ethic to allow for the reality of entering an entirely new field.

“Allow some patience. Patience with yourself and with the process. Give yourself the time to learn and practice concepts,” she cautions. “And the job search takes time, [but] just keep on going! With a little patience, it will happen!”

Ready For A Change, Just Like Victoria LeBel?

Apply Now to join other career changers like Victoria LeBel in a program that sets you apart from the competition. 

Not ready to apply? Try out our Free Software Engineering Prep. Or, review the Software Engineering Course Syllabus that will set you up for success and can help launch you into a new and fulfilling career.

Read more stories about successful career changes on the Flatiron School blog.

Wendolyne Barrios: Food Industry to Freelance Designer

Posted on by Anna Van Deusen

Wendolyne Barrios, an August 2022 UX / UI Product Design graduate from Flatiron School, spent a decade working in food service before pivoting to tech for a more sustainable career. She recently founded wendolyne.design, specializing in brand design, web design, and mobile app design.

She shared her journey from working long shifts in food service to owning her own design agency below.

A Culinary Beginning

Wendolyne spent the first 10 years of her career in the food service industry. She began helping in her family’s business, then pursued her own career in the field.

“I sort of fell into this field because it was something I was familiar with,” she explained. “My mom catered events while I was growing up. When I was legally able to work, I just took the skills I had and followed a path that seemed to be easier at the time.” 

But a decade in, Wendolyne knew she needed a change.

“Working in the food service industry is tough on the mind and body,” she said. “The field took more from me than I got back, so I knew I had to make a change if I wanted to live a healthy, enjoyable, and sustainable life.”

Following Her Heart To Design

Wendolyne ultimately decided to switch careers into a field she was truly passionate about.

“Time kept passing and I kept trying to find a way to live the life I wanted but didn’t know how to find a career in the things I was already passionate about,” she said. “I didn’t want to force something I had no interest in and run with it simply because it felt like I needed to make a move.”

But for her next career path, she didn’t need to look far to settle on UX / UI Product Design. In fact, she found that she’d been doing it all along.

“Throughout my years of working in the food industry, I was also [creating collateral for my band]. I created album artwork, event flyers, and a band website,” she said. “I didn’t know it at the time, but I was already implementing so many of the foundations of product design.”

Spurred on by her desire to live the life she’d imagined, Wendolyne applied and was accepted to Flatiron School’s accelerated 15-week UX / UI Product Design program.

Her Time At Flatiron School

Like many other students, it took time for Wendolyne to adapt to the quick pace of the accelerated Flatiron School program. 

“There is a lot to take in, and everything is presented in a way to reduce that feeling, but anyone switching careers or fields can easily be overwhelmed by how quickly [the program] picks up.”

But, her cohort and mentors were a constant source of support throughout the course.

“Thankfully, I had cohort mates to troubleshoot with [and] a team of mentors I could reach out to and ask for guidance and feedback,” she said. “I wouldn’t have been able to approach certain situations if it wasn’t for my instructors. It may be hard, but nothing worth having comes easy.”

A key turning point for Wendolyne was when she realized the overlap between the course’s curriculum and previous designs she’d created for her band. 

“When I first found product design I wasn’t aware of how much overlap there would be with the work I was doing before,” she explained. “Once my instructor pointed that out, everything clicked and I stopped questioning myself so much.”

Building A Design Business

Wendolyne graduated from Flatiron School in August of 2022 and began a career as a freelance product designer. In January 2023, she founded wendolyne.design, which specializes in brand design, web design, and mobile app design.

“I am not lying when I say that I love my job,” she said. “There was and is so much to learn in terms of freelancing, but after the hours I put in learning product design, I know I can do anything, even if it’s a little tough or feels defeating at times.” 

She acknowledges that while pursuing a freelance career may not always be the easiest path, it’s given her space to grow as a designer.

“The passion and love for the work are absolutely what I wanted, but starting out freelance is always difficult since you’re overseeing much more than a product designer [on a team],” she explained. “However, I have been enjoying the process of learning who I am as a designer and being more willing to take up that space as the designer I see myself as and want others to see me as.”

But just over 6 months after graduating, she’s found her footing as a professional designer. 

“I recently booked a few clients, so I am incredibly excited to be gaining some real-life experience with real clients,” she said. “I have been creating workflows and setting up routines that work for me and my productivity. It has been really fun to allow myself to find my place as a product designer.”

Takeaways From Her Career Change

Looking back at where her journey began, Wendolyne’s takeaway from her experience with Flatiron School is one of personal pride.

“I pushed myself harder than I thought I could,” she said. “I pushed myself mentally and emotionally to come out of the other side of it and feel like I was finally going somewhere. It was worth it, for me to feel the way I do now.”

Her advice for others, however, is to have patience. Patience with themselves, and patience with the process. 

“Just do your best. Don’t overthink it, which is easier said than done,” she conceded. “Stop expecting yourself to be able to do everything immediately and just let yourself be a sponge and soak up as much as you can. Enjoy the process and things will fall into place.”

Above all, she recommends trusting yourself and the path forward.

“Trust your instincts even if seems a little scary at first. There’s nothing like the feeling of knowing you have the ability to do exactly what you wanted to do. Being on the other side is worth it.”

Ready For A Change, Just Like Wendolyne Barrios?

Apply Now to join other career changers in a program that sets you apart from the competition. 

Need more time to be ready to apply? Try out our Free UX / UI Product Design Prep. Or, review the UX / UI Product Design Course Syllabus that will set you up for success and can help launch you into a new and fulfilling career.

Read more stories about successful career changes on the Flatiron School blog.

Introspection: The Key To Finding Your Dream Job

Posted on by Julie Allen

This article on using introspection to find your dream job is part of the Coaching Collective series, featuring tips and expertise from Flatiron School Career Coaches. Every Flatiron School graduate is eligible to receive up to 180 days of 1:1 career coaching with one of our professional coaches. This series is a glimpse of the expertise you can access during career coaching at Flatiron School.

The American Institute of Stress lists career changes as one of the top most stressful events in a person’s lifetime. Job hunting requires a degree of mental stamina and energy most adults are unprepared to navigate. That makes getting off on the right foot all the more important.

Experts on career change such as the authors of “What Color is Your Parachute?”, “Designing your Life” and “Putting Your Dream to the Test” all agree that knowledge of self is vital to making confident decisions about your career and life. 

However, one of the most common first steps that career changers overlook is taking the time to get to know themselves better and identify what they truly want in a new career before launching their job search.   

Doing some upfront work with getting grounded in who you are, where you are going, and what is important to you will help make this endeavor more meaningful, motivating, and less stressful in the long run.  

The Importance of Introspection

In my private practice as a Career Coach, many clients come to me because they don’t know what they want to do with their careers. They’ve never had the opportunity to do an introspection deep dive to understand who they are and how their life view overlaps with their career view. 

Understanding yourself better means unearthing your beliefs or examining your strengths and accomplishments and what makes you unique in the workforce through introspection. To communicate your value to employers you will need to be clear on who you are and what you have to offer. 

Doing things to increase self-awareness such as being curious about your passions and purpose in life and what fulfillment looks like, will help prevent you from going too far down the wrong road. 

For instance, I once had a Flatiron grad I was working with who came into the program thinking she wanted to be a Software Engineer but after diving deeper we discovered that her talents and interests we more conducive to project management. This came across as a big “aha” moment for her and she immediately started looking at jobs in this role. Within a few weeks, she landed a project manager role with Kroger. 

Getting Started With Introspection

Online Career Assessment

At one point or another, you may have taken a career assessment in high school or college. Although they may not provide a complete picture, these exercises offer clues as to what you may enjoy, your interest and skills, or your personality type. 

For those with no idea where to start, they can help to get your brain thinking about options. 

Here is a list of some of my favorite career assessments:  

  1. Identifying interests and potential careers: O*NET Interest Profiler
  2. Determine work values: 123test
  3. Skill Matching: CareerOneStop
  4. Strengths and Talents: CliftonStrengths Online Talent Assessment
  5. Self-awareness and other-awareness PrinciplesYou
  6. Several personality, career, reasoning, and value tests – All online tests available at 123test.com

Journaling

Another way to improve your self-awareness is through journaling. Do this by asking yourself key questions in an uninterrupted environment and writing your answers in a journal or word document. 

Think of questions such as:

  • What does meaningful work look like to me?
  • Which activities do I enjoy doing?
  • What types of activities or environments have I enjoyed the most?
  • How would I like my schedule to look?
  • Are there certain problems in the world that I would like to solve?

If you get stuck, try writing a stream of consciousness – you may be surprised what comes out when you’re not searching for the right answer!

Recruit Others For Help

Self-reflection does not have to be a solo activity. Talking to those who love you most about your personality and strengths can reveal strengths that you don’t associate with yourself internally. Perhaps you light up during a certain activity, or smile more in a particular environment – these are signs that others can point out to you.

When To Pause Introspection And Act

Take caution not to go too far down the rabbit hole of introspection and stay paralyzed in the thinking stage. One could spend a lifetime trying to uncover every nook and cranny of their personality, and in fact, many philosophers have. 

Eventually, you must take what you’ve learned about yourself and act!

If you’re not sure if you’re ready to act, here is a list of some helpful indicators that you are on a path to being a more self-aware person:

Indicators that you’ve developed sufficient self-knowledge:

  1. Awareness of some of your core beliefs and values and can write them in a list
  2. Can describe your personality to others and are working on your flaws
  3. Ability to express transferable strengths and skills in scenarios or following the STAR stories methodology
  4. Understanding what motivates you intrinsically and allowing these motivators to be your drivers
  5. Clarity of purpose or mission in life and how you want to positively impact the world
  6. You are accepting of yourself enough to feel comfortable stepping outside your comfort zone
  7. You prioritize your life by aligning your schedule with things that are important to you

Once you start to know yourself better, your confidence in decisions about your career will begin to bring your more internal peace. You will have a calm yet enthusiastic feeling about what you want to be and live an overall healthier life.  

At that point, you are ready – get out there and start heading toward the life you want! 

About Julie Allen

Julie Allen is a career coach with Flatiron School. She also has a private career coach business called The StoryMakers. Julie comes from 20 years as a manager in the tech industry helping corporate America achieve its goals. She is located in the Phoenix area, where she inspires young professionals to go after their dream jobs. Julie holds a BA in English and Psychology from Washington State University and an MBA from Golden Gate University.

7 Reasons To Consider Temporary Work Opportunities

Posted on by Andrea Towe

This article on temporary work opportunities is part of the Coaching Collective series, featuring tips and expertise from Flatiron School Career Coaches. Every Flatiron School graduate is eligible to receive up to 180 days of 1:1 career coaching with one of our professional coaches. This series is a glimpse of the expertise you can access during career coaching at Flatiron School. 

When job searching, most of us focus on obtaining a full-time role, typically defined as a  40-hour work week that frequently offers benefits like healthcare and retirement plans.  

While full-time employment with benefits is ultimately what most of us strive for, other short-term and temporary opportunities can go overlooked by job seekers – whether because they’re unaware they exist or they don’t think it can enhance their long-term career opportunities.  

The good news is, whether you’re just starting in your career, recently affected by downsizing, re-entering the workforce, are a career changer, or just looking for a new opportunity, temporary work can be an excellent opportunity to gain relevant experience. It can even be a stepping stone in your journey to obtain full-time employment in the future. 

You’d be amazed by how many people, including graduates of Flatiron School, have turned temporary opportunities into regular, full-time employment.

What Is Temporary Work?

First, let’s talk about semantics and categories. 

Work that has a defined duration, whether it’s a few weeks or even a few years, is often referred to as contract, temporary, or freelance work. The work can vary as far as the duration of the work assignment, rate of pay, how wages are paid out (W-2, 1099, etc.), hours worked, and what, if any, benefits are offered. 

For this article, we’ll refer to short-term work as “temporary work”  opportunities, where the work has a defined duration, set rate of pay, and doesn’t offer benefits. 

Advantages Of Temporary Work

Insight Into A Company Or Industry

A temporary work opportunity lets you “test drive” the scope of work, or portions of the work, for a given job. It also gives you a glimpse of a specific company’s culture, work environment, and related logistics. 

You’ll see elements of the environment such as how team members work together and the tone set by management. You’ll also get a better feel for some logistics, such as the commute, daily schedules, and any travel associated with the role.

Just as you can learn about a specific company, temporary work can also expose you to various types of industries. For example, if you’re a Cybersecurity professional who has an interest in the healthcare industry, you can focus on searching for tech-related temporary work in a healthcare setting. On the flip side, if you’re interested in a temporary opportunity that happens to be in an industry you’re not yet familiar with, you may discover new industries that pique your interest.

All of these factors are an advantage to temporary work because it gives you and the employer a chance to see if it’s a good fit for both of you. 

If you ultimately decide the company or industry is not one you’d want to work for long-term, at least you found that out before diving in as a full-time, regular employee. 

On the other hand, if you find you are energized by the work and the company’s mission, products, and services, then you may decide you would consider working there long-term or full-time down the road. 

Gain Experience

Engaging in temporary work in your field can help you gain valuable experience and learn new skills –  all of which can make you a more competitive candidate if and when you’re ready to seek full-time employment. This applies whether you have no work experience at all or have a robust work history. Temporary work can also help keep your skills up-to-date while you’re seeking more full-time employment. 

Fill Employment Gaps

You can add temporary work experience to your resume and LinkedIn profile, which can help fill any resume gaps. Whether you purposely left your last position or were affected by layoffs, temporary employment can hold you over, if needed, until you’ve secured a full-time position.

Networking Opportunities

You will meet new people in a temporary job. Whether it’s co-workers, management, or clients, all of these new contacts expand your network. Even if the role doesn’t turn into a long-term or permanent role, you can still maintain the relationships going forward.

This will help build your network by increasing your valuable connections – some of whom can potentially refer you for future roles, both inside and outside the company or industry.

Flexible Schedule

While temporary work can vary as far as hours and days worked, it often allows for some flexibility. 

If your temporary assignment is approximately 20-25 hours per week, you’ll have more free time in your weekly schedule to focus on other things when compared to the typical 40-hour work week.

Psychological Benefits

Working in a temporary role can have a positive impact on your overall mood and help build your confidence. If you’ve been out of work for a while and haven’t yet found your dream job, chances are your motivation and outlook may need a boost. Having a temporary role can help get you to get back on track both professionally and personally. 

The work you perform can help remind you that you’re a valued contributor that has a lot to offer a company, which in turn can increase your self-confidence again, get you interacting with people, and get your momentum moving in a positive and productive direction. It can also help you financially if money is tight, which can often be the case when one is looking for a job. 

Potential For Permanent Employment

Temporary work allows you to get your “foot in the door” with a particular company. 

Many temporary jobs have the potential to turn into full-time or permanent roles, particularly if you show the key players that you are an effective, reliable worker who is motivated to work with the organization. The hiring managers will be more likely to consider you when an internal position opens up as they would already be familiar with your performance. You’d also have the advantage of already having worked with the company, even if in a short-term role. 

Many people, including graduates of Flatiron School, have turned temporary opportunities into regular, full-time employment. 

Disadvantages of Temporary Jobs

On the other side of the spectrum, some may see a few of the above advantages as disadvantages.  

For example, the rate of pay for temporary employment may not always be as high as it would be for a full-time role, and the lack of benefits can be a disadvantage to some. 

Perhaps the scope of work in a temporary role does not include all aspects of what the full-time role would include. You also may not feel like you’re fully part of the team when you’re a temporary worker. And, while it may increase your chances of landing a full-time position in the future, it is of course not guaranteed. 

These are all valid points and things to weigh when considering taking a temporary work position.

The Bottom Line

When considering temporary employment, it’s important to examine both the pros and cons of the opportunity and think about what your unique needs are at the time. You can then decide what works best for you and if the opportunity is a good fit. 

It’s also important to decide if and how the opportunity can help you long-term. When you consider the long-term advantages over short-term gains, then you may find that the benefits of temporary work far outweigh any potential disadvantages. 

By keeping an open mind and at least being open to temporary work, you’ve just increased your menu of job search options and potential work opportunities!

About Andrea Towe

Andrea Towe is a Career Coach with Flatiron School. She has 20+ years of experience in career coaching and corporate human resources, including employee relations, talent acquisition, career and leadership development, training development, and facilitation.