I’ve had so much free time because I’ve forced myself to only leave my dorm room once or twice a week if I’m spending money. Other times I’ll leave (about 4 – 5 times a week) is strictly for studying and exercising at the Anytime Fitness nearby.
I have to make money last. It’s tough. I’m used to having two jobs on average and getting paid weekly since both jobs are bi-weekly and on alternating schedules. It is because I have no actual income that I’ve been focusing very much on my studies and more so in particular, my next move. 4 Rivers Smokehouse was my home for 5 years and I left in December with the intention of finding work in the US on an internship basis or full-time work in Orlando. At 4 Rivers I went from line cook to Technology Intern and finally landed a promotion as an IT Support Specialist. It was a role that I really enjoyed because it allowed me to affect several areas of the company and help everyone on a day-to-day basis. The experience I earned here was invaluable and it’s that energy that has made me relentless in applying to over 50 positions in Orlando and in other parts of the country for a June start date. This doesn’t include the LinkedIn “Easy Apply” roles that I’ve submitted interest for where the job poster will view your profile if they feel you are a good match.
IT involves much more than just fixing computers and making sure your internet is working. It’s the reason I’m finishing my degree at Rollins as a Computer Science major so I can eventually be a Software Engineer. I want to find work with a company I can be interested in and have similar views with. I think this is happening slowly but surely. I’ve become a hound in my email inbox – just like the IT days at 4 Rivers. I’m getting better at gaining exposure and following up with recruiters on LinkedIn. I am even using Lynda.com as a resource to fine tune important skills like Java, C and databases.
Amazon is a company that noticed me and sent me a request to complete an assessment for their Software Development Engineer summer internship role in Seattle. To my excitement I prepared by going over notes and fine-tuning my Java skills. I took the assessment and was impressed with how I did even if I wasn’t chosen to continue with the process. I’m a strong believer in succeeding or learning – failure is an ugly word. I learned that I need to grab a copy of Cracking the Coding Interview and I know a lot more code than I originally did. My tenacity and refusal to quit will get me there eventually. I know it.