No degree required: How I built a STEM career without going "the traditional route"

You might be thinking, "To build a career in technology, I need to go to a four-year university, possibly earn a master's degree, and study computer science or engineering." But my friend, I'd say, think again! I'm an Associate Consulting Systems Engineer at World Wide Technology, and in my daily work, I closely collaborate with engineers and lab technicians to ensure smooth project execution. 

But I did not take the "traditional" route to get here. I spent my high school years in customer service at restaurants before I decided to pursue entrepreneurship. College never felt like the right fit, and watching people online build businesses without a degree inspired me. In 2022, after graduating from high school, I started a mobile car detailing business, but reality set in once the work started. I live in Tampa, Florida, and working outside in the "Sunshine State" heat all day changed my mind about what I wanted in the long term. In this moment, I learned that if you feel something isn't right, it's okay to pivot and make a change. 

My father, who works in tech himself, had been encouraging me toward a career in technology for years. His path started similarly to mine, as a waiter at a high-end restaurant. When my older brother was born, and I was on the way, he leaned on a friend already working in IT, studied, earned certifications, and worked his way up from systems engineer to manager to architect. 

I got lucky because my dad had been pushing me to get into the IT industry since high school. When I realized I didn't want to run my own mobile detailing business, I went to him and, together, we built a plan: get the Cisco Certified Network Associate, or CCNA certification, get an entry-level job to build some hands-on technical experience, then pursue a spot in World Wide Technology's Associate Academy.

My dad and I studied for the CCNA together, sitting in conference rooms at the data center where he worked. Studying the material in the technical environment and listening to him explain how devices connect across a network made it really click for me. Four months of one-on-one sessions later, I passed!

The certification led to my first job in the industry, a desk job at an IT company in Jacksonville. Most days I supported printers and smaller customers. On larger accounts, I worked on-site, running and labeling cables and handling tickets alongside the network team. Not every lesson came easily. On one project, I plugged the wrong cable while trying to pull IP information. The mismatch tripped the unit's fail-safe, powering down an entire server rack. Safe to say, that was a lesson learned the hard way.

After a year in that role, my father's network opened the door to WWT. I was introduced to Guy McDonald, who leads WWT's Associate Academy, and he agreed to meet with me to discuss career opportunities in the Associate Academy. But it almost didn't happen! I put the interview on my calendar wrong and missed it the first time.

Luckily, when we finally hopped on a call, it was great. Guy was very welcoming, and I could really see myself thriving at WWT.

I joined the Associate Academy in 2024, completed its tech track, and earned a place in WWT's Technical Operation Center of Excellence (TOCE).

I'm so thankful for the opportunities and the lessons learned along the way. Looking back on the career path that led me to WWT, the most important thing I've learned is this: putting in the hard work and having a path is a great way to be set up for success!