Learning What His Degree Left Out: Jesús Correa's TripleTen Story

You did it. After four years focused on learning all you could in your chosen major, you crossed the stage, accepted your well-earned diploma, and were ready to dive into a career. After all, your college education had given you all the tools and knowledge you needed to land a job.

Or had it? After you graduated, you started comparing the skills employers were looking for with the ones you’d mastered in college. You kept noticing gaps. The education you’d gained was invaluable, no question, but, as you scrolled through job boards, you couldn’t help but notice that your intimate understanding of the importance of Ada Lovelace wasn’t quite the practical know-how that would get you hired.

So, even if you did get a computer science degree, what do you do to make yourself more attractive to the market? Well, if you’re Jesús Correa, you enroll in a bootcamp.

Here’s how TripleTen boosted his employability and catalyzed his journey not only towards tech, but also towards visa sponsorship.

A degree: good in theory

Jesús Correa was finishing up his degree. He’d already gotten an associate’s in computer science, after which he transferred to a different institution to put the final touches on a bachelor’s in the same subject. This path felt natural for him; an intimacy with tech ran in the family. His father had sold technology for major companies, and his brother had followed suit. However, Jesús could see that his CS degree just wasn’t quite cutting it. 

I was graduating, and I felt that university didn't give me enough tools to go to the marketplace and apply for jobs. Jesús Correa, TripleTen grad

Although he was learning a programming-heavy subject, he didn’t get enough instruction in the practical skills he was going to need in a real-world setting. Tech was presented to him as if through a protective glass casing: “There was no interaction. It felt like a museum tour.”

Instead, they focused on theory to the detriment of in-demand know-how. “They don't teach you or tell you what tools employers are using that are going to help you to get a job,” he said.

And gaining practical skills had an extra layer of significance for him. See, he was an international student_{What Immigrants Need To Know About the US Hiring Process}, and this status came with certain terms post-graduation. “They give you three years to work legally in the United States, and it has to be related to your major. I felt that I didn't have enough skills to go to the marketplace to say, ‘Hey, hire me.’”

So with his time at school ending and a deadline looming, he needed to find some way of gaining this know-how. He remembered seeing an ad for TripleTen months before. After checking the bootcamp out and taking the career quiz, he made the decision and enrolled.

Gaining the practical skills he was looking for

He chose the Business Intelligence Analytics (BIA) Bootcamp partially because it was what the quiz said would fit him best. But it was also a natural match. 

I always had an interest in data, so that's why I chose the BIA program. Jesús Correa, TripleTen grad

The first few weeks of the bootcamp required some adjustment. “It was a challenge at the beginning,” Jesús admitted. In fact, the pace of the program was a significant step up from the one he had encountered while getting his degree. But this was the real-world speed he was looking for. “It’s a fast-paced environment because it replicated how companies work in the industry.”

To keep up, he had two strategies. First, he didn’t hesitate to look for the answers he needed 

“I was not afraid to ask questions, and my questions got answered,” he said. Second, he crafted a schedule that fit his life and stuck to it. He’d wake up early, put in an hour studying before going to his job, and then, once he disconnected from work, he’d put in another hour or two studying in the evening.

And yes, he was working while studying at TripleTen. But because of the flexibility of both his job and the bootcamp, it was no problem to juggle these responsibilities as well as a thriving personal life.

I was able to sustain a balanced workflow. Jesús Correa, TripleTen grad

In addition, any time he couldn’t quite get something, the TripleTen tutors knew how to give him the right nudge. “They give you tips. They help you. They don't solve your homework. They make you think. But if you're stuck, they give you some hints of where to go. So that allows you to do the critical thinking by yourself and solve it by yourself,” he said.

He then tied all his new skills together in a Code Jam, a tech challenge during which students are divided into groups and tasked with completing a project. “It gives you a similar environment to what you are going to face in your work environment. So you have to know how to work in a team. You have to be able to communicate properly with your teammates. And it teaches you how to present your data. So it was awesome,” he said.

It all set him up for the next stage: searching for and landing the job.

Aspiring to more

As his studies came to a close, he started a new phase that was all about crafting effective job applications. His career coach_{Career Coaching at TripleTen: What It Is and How It Helps You Land a Job} guided him in numerous aspects. “She showed me how to tailor the resume, how to do research on job applications, how to talk in interviews. I learned how to apply and how to research properly,” Jesús said.

But not only did he get advice on how to hone his materials, he got real, effective practice tackling technical interviews. “[The mock interviewer] asked me common questions, I answered, and then he gave me feedback on how to say things concisely, on my tonality, and on the information that I was giving — everything.”

This prepared him for the application process. See, he’d been noticed by Kaseya, a company that develops technical monitoring software. They had a few conversations, and soon enough, he got an offer to join as an Account Executive. 

As part of this job, he needs to be deeply tech-literate, but it’s not strictly the job he trained for by going through TripleTen. Nonetheless, he went for it as a strategic move. “I’m trying to make a name inside the company, and trying to move to a more analytical position_{How to Become a Business Intelligence Analyst} in the future,” he said. “Now that I’m inside the company, it’s easier to move.”

And he’s motivated to keep pursuing his tech journey. “I'm gaining the skills to move to other departments. So I already got one part doing the TripleTen bootcamp. Now I'm going to keep adding more skills for six to 12 months, move to a different department, and try to get the sponsorship. That's the main goal.”

See if a bootcamp is right for you

Want to follow Jesús’s example? Take our quiz to see if you should go for a bootcamp to magnify your professional possibilities.