My path to becoming a computer programmer was fairly unconventional by most standards. Aside from the twists and turns of life, I have experienced a full-range of different job titles and functions. Some might question how that looks to a potential employer, but I would argue that my breadth of knowledge and experience with successfully working pales in comparison to someone who has stayed on a more traditional career path.
After I graduated from the University of Colorado with a degree in Business Administration with an emphasize in Marketing and a certificate in International Business, I moved to San Francisco and began my career as an inside-sales rep for a commercial real estate listing service. Needless to say, I wasn't cut out for telephone sales and transitioned over to an affiliate marketing company as a Marketing Coordinator, later being promoted to a Project Manager. At this point, I had worked for a large, corporate, publicly traded company and a small 15 person tech company. Having thrived in a position of data reporting, digital media, and project management, I switched gears completely.
I moved across country, left my cozy apartment in San Francisco and moved into an old barn in Wheatland, VA. I worked on an organic vegetable farm, what turned out to be a pivotal career point in my life. I realized how much I loved creating. I loved taking a blank canvas and making something beautiful, sharing it with the world, and receiving the feedback, good and bad. I worked the entire season from early April up to a first week of November. From this point, my desire to build something and grow a company took root.
After the farming season, I moved back to Boulder and jumped into the start-up game. I gained employment at two early stage start up companies as an Account Manager. Ultimately both startups failed and I managing accounts and doing reporting wasn't filling the void I felt from the farming season. When I was working on the farm, I started a WordPress blog and began playing with css, html, and a little bit of php. Although different in the actual work done between coding and farming, there was a satisfaction with making something appear instantly on my computer screen.
When the second start-up let the staff go, I took a step back from the tech world and started working for a start-up restaurant opening in the area. I took a job as a busser and in my free time began the process of discovering where my passions lived. I began doing codeschool and codecademy in my free time and all the while, I moved up to Assistant General Manager of the restaurant I was working in. As the restaurant grew into a larger company, the pull to move into a different direction started and I jumped head first into computer programming.
I have since finished the Galvanize Fullstack Program and have begun working again with early stage startups. I love being a developer and the possibilities of where my career goes is endless...