I never thought I would say this, but breaking my wrist was a blessing in disguise. I was working as a Chemicals Operator at BASF; one of the world’s largest chemical companies. My job duties included driving fork lifts, unloading tankers, and running multiple chemical reactions, which constantly exposed my body to danger. To my surprise, what took everything away from me was cracking my wrist in a non-work related accident.
I was initially out of work for weeks, which turned into 6 months. My disability checks went from 100% of my pay to 65% and the chances of me going back to BASF dwindled.
My interest in IT pushed me towards studying for the CCNA. Unfortunately, I got overwhelmed and completely abandoned the thought of going into IT. One day as I was scrolling across Facebook, I came across Terry’s webinar and decided to enroll in the Zero to Engineer program. I had exhausted all of my options and thought I’d give ZTE a chance. I was working as a printer tech by day and focusing on the program at night. I was able to pass the CCENT with the knowledge I received from the Zero To Engineer modules.
By Module 4, I gained the confidence to apply for entry-level IT jobs and landed a contract position with Modis as an Operations Engineer at Google. During interviews I caught myself constantly thinking back to information I learned from ZTE. The lessons laid the foundation I needed to land the job. My job duties went from putting my body in harms way to adding devices onto networks and porting fiber into racks. My routine is incredibly flexible now and I’m constantly collaborating and working with employees across various teams.
I’m closely following the career blueprint Terry helped me develop and I’ll be updating him on my progress in 6 months. I’m working towards finishing the ZTE program and racking-up more hands on experience along the way. I’m happy that I get to spend more time with my family and make a living doing what I’m passionate about. So yes, you can say that breaking my wrist was a blessing in disguise.
So happy for you Keron! There is a major need for more people of color in this industry. Glad you can be an example.
Val Forensic Gal