During the pandemic, Alex M was laid off and during that time he noticed that many people were also losing their jobs. And that many also saw positives due to jumping into new fields.

“I realized I had only taken customer service jobs due to my experience, and I should give some thought to getting into tech. I had wanted to do this when I was younger but didn’t think I could with my education and background,” says Alex.

Alex started with an IT Support Certificate from Cousera. He jumped right into looking for a job, but employers wanted a degree and experience, so he decided to go back to school.

He heard through word of mouth that Cabrillo was fantastic. Even though it was a bit of drive, he looked into it, landing on the IT Institute webpage right away. That page gave him the information he needed and made it seem do-able for him as a returning student. He threw himself into everything, and then continued with CIS classes. He worked with faculty and landed an internship position as a Student Technology Help Desk Trainee.

“I found a lot of opportunities to connect with influential people who have helped me throughout my CIS journey. All the faculty have been super influential and supportive. They played a key role in my success.”

When campus IT positions opened up, Alex was hired as a full-time System/Network Support Specialist. He is also continuing his education, working toward his AA in Computer Support and Dual Degree in Information Technology.

Alex says it was a lot of work that he powered through, but he enjoyed it.

“I didn’t think I could have this career and enjoy it as much as I am. I was first exposed to tech as a kid, and it’s great to return to it.”

As someone who made a career change, Alex says it’s important to remember that it is never too late to make a change! It can be scary, but it’s very do-able. And it doesn’t matter how you get there; what matters is that you make the destination.