How Maria transitioned from Finance to Programming
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How Maria transitioned from Finance to Programming

Alpha
23/10/2020

“Go for it and try to make the most of the opportunities Telerik Academy provides.”

That is Maria’s advice to the next cohorts of students. And it is precisely what she did last year when she decided it was time for a change. Today, she is a full-time software engineer, and she is thrilled to be part of Americaneagle.com.

Photo of Maria, Telerik Academy alumniWe invited her to share why she decided to leave her steady job in finance and leap forward programming.

Hi, Maria! Thank you for your time and the opportunity to talk about your IT career. How it all started?

I’ve worked in the oil industry for 5 years, after I completed my master's degree in Accounting and Controlling. I know that many people start their coding journey because they want a better career and renumeration, but this was not my case. I liked my job at the time, but one thing always bothered me - I couldn't imagine doing it for the rest of my life.

And with my 30s approaching, I decided to follow my passion and move to IT. I graduated from the Telerik Academy Alpha program with C#, and now I am very excited to be part of the Sitecore team at Americaneagle.com - I am totally in love with my job!

I hope that my story will inspire everyone who feels the same. I switched my career and moved from zero coding skills to a full-time software engineer in less than a year! 

Congratulations! Saying that you had zero coding skills before joining Telerik Academy Alpha C#, can you share how the program helped you jumpstart your career?

I always had a lot of respect for people who can learn a new discipline later in life and become a professional in that field. The program helped me realize that gaining the necessary skills and building a portfolio without a degree in computer science is absolutely doable.

Telerik Academy equipped me with in-demand tech skills, practical experience, and enhanced my soft skills. Throughout the program, I had the chance to participate in workshops, create an impressive CV, and learn how to navigate a career in the IT industry. The one-on-ones with the soft skill trainers were great. They prepared me for job interviews and to quickly adapt to the new work environment.

Let’s take you a little back - what did you find most valuable in the Telerik Academy Alpha C# program?

The practical focus of the training! The program covers the technical and professional skills that leading companies seek in junior talents. I acquired new skills that I continue to use to date because I had the opportunity to immediately put them into practice in a close to a real-work environment. All the lectures, presentations, assignments, and group projects - both tech and non-tech - were valuable to me.

To give one example, I really enjoyed the High-Quality Code lectures in the academy because instead of another list of things to do, I learned what not to do, which I think is equally important.

A Telerik Academy graduate posing with her diploma in the company of her trainers

You work as a software engineer at Americaneagle.com. Can you share more about your job and what excites you the most about it?

I was extremely thrilled to join the Americaneagle.com team seven months ago. Today, I am even more excited because every day I learn new skills and participate in various projects. It’s great seeing how my work contributes to the success of our customers.

Straight from the beginning, I was able to work on a wide variety of projects and high-profile applications. That expanded my ability to handle different programming scenarios and learn more about caching; design patterns; working with massive volumes of data; AJAX; JSON, to name a few.

I work together with a team of experienced software engineers, and the great thing is that we continuously support each other.

Why did you choose to join Americaneagle.com?

Americaneagle.com has a solid onboarding program, which helped me adjust to the rhythm of the company in no time. Providing useful tools, a range of activities, from online training to hands-on practice on real projects, everything is articulated and broken into steps. The company cares for its people, and the managers are involved in the development of every employee.

My manager always makes sure I feel confident in what I have learned and encourages me to prioritize achieving my goals. It is nice to know there is someone to support you.

Today, from the distance of time, how Telerik Academy changed your life?

For me, Telerik Academy was a worthy investment that helped me make a positive change in my life. Now I feel satisfied with where I am, and I am happy to say that I followed and achieved my dreams.

Now it’s time to follow your dreams - apply to one of the upcoming Telerik Academy Alpha programs.

Alpha
23/10/2020

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