Switching to Tech to Provide for His Family: Josue Flores's TripleTen Story

Sometimes, the truth of a platitude rushes in and fills our thoughts like a flood on a dry riverbed. For example, everyone who’s been there will tell you, “Having kids changes everything,” but until you have children, the undeniable reality of that easy phrase doesn’t quite sink in.

But it sank in for Josue Flores, and it made him realize that where he was, what he was doing — it wasn’t going to cut it. So he decided to lean into the change. Here’s how he enrolled in TripleTen, mastered a new field, and switched to a profession that is helping him provide for his family.

Taking a hard look at his career

Josue’s professional life started before he even graduated from college. While he was studying for a degree in exercise science, he was also climbing the ranks at a local fast food franchise. “I was assistant general manager at the fast food chain, but I knew that I didn't want to do that forever, because the work-life balance was just not good. Working 50 plus hours a week, it just felt like it was taking everything from me for something that I didn't want to do forever,” he said.

So, after finishing his degree, he found a role as a videographer. The hours were better, but it came at a cost. “It was a big pay cut from my fast food assistant general manager job,” he said.

And as his family started growing, this became more stark, especially because his wife needed to reduce her hours. “It was a really rough pregnancy on her, and because of that, she wasn't able to work like she normally does. And then on top of that, when she went on maternity leave, they only paid her for half of it.”

In the meantime, he’d begun tinkering with tech. Specifically, he’d started exploring Swift, a programming language built by Apple for their devices, and he found himself enjoying it. Then he saw an ad for TripleTen on Instagram, and as he started doing his research_{Review Platforms And Rankings Worth Your Attention When Choosing a Bootcamp}, he found himself getting more and more enthusiastic. “That really excited me — I could do something that I really enjoy and earn a much better living while having a much better work-life balance to be here now with my growing family,” he said.

He’d started exploring Swift by himself, but he decided to go with a bootcamp because it was more focused.

I thought, ‘This is going to save me a lot of time from me doing it on my own, and it's going to set me up a lot better for success when I try to find a job. Josue Flores, TripleTen grad

It decided him — he enrolled in TripleTen’s Software Engineering program.

New skills, new inspiration

Going in, Josue knew he’d have to get organized to make sure he had time to see to his job, his fatherly duties, and the bootcamp. “Scheduling, prioritizing, and getting into a routine is what really helped me balance everything,” he said. “I would look at the sprint that I was currently in, and what the goals were for that sprint, and what the deadlines were for that sprint. And so then I would try to allocate a certain amount of time per day — as much as I could — to make sure that I was able to do it.”

And as he spent those hours studying, he found that TripleTen’s learning approach clicked with him. “I really enjoyed the platform,” he said, referring to the bootcamp’s all-in-one learning environment. “The way that it was set up, it was really easy for me to take notes and learn as I went through the lessons, and then go back and review things that I needed to review.”

That’s not to say that everything was simple. But thanks to the bootcamp, he knew he could handle anything that came his way — no matter how complex. “Whenever I would encounter a problem, I would say, ‘Man, this is the hardest thing I've ever done.’ But it never felt unreachable. It never felt like I couldn't do it,” he said. “It only ever felt like it was just a matter of time until I figured it out.”

Sometimes, if he got stuck on something, he’d just need to step away and come back later with a clearer mind. But when that didn’t work, he knew he could easily find assistance_{At TripleTen, Learning Online Doesn’t Mean Learning Alone}.

The tutoring and office hours were really, really helpful, especially when I ran into things that I spent a lot of time on and I couldn't figure out. It was really helpful to be able to go in there and ask a question and then have it explained. Because it wasn't just like, ‘Hey, here's your solution.’ They helped me understand what was happening and how to get through it. Josue Flores, TripleTen grad

One topic that really challenged him was unifying the front end — all the parts of a website you see such as the layout and buttons — with the back end — the hidden code making sure it all runs smoothly. But by reviewing the material and coming back to the community for help, he mastered the subject. “Connecting the front end and the back end was probably the one of the hardest parts. But once I got it, I was like, ‘Yes, this is awesome.’”

And that feeling of accomplishment cascaded as he tackled other complex tasks. “When I finally figured them out, I went to go tell my wife, and I was so excited about it. I was like, ‘Hey, you want to see what I did? Look!”

This combined to prepare him for the next stage: landing that tech job he had been aspiring to.

Helping build a new company

Josue knew he was going to need the help of TripleTen’s career coaches because, up until then, he hadn’t written any resumes or cover letters: “I wasn't really much into that world — how do I create a great resume, or how do I create a great cover letter?”

But, working with the TripleTen experts, he polished all his get-hired assets.

The Career Acceleration program really helped me to develop those skills to be able to write a proper resume depending on the job that I'm applying to, and to be able to tailor my cover letters to the position that I'm applying to. Josue Flores, TripleTen grad

In addition, his career coach helped him develop effective networking strategies, so when Josue spotted a job he thought could be right for him, he reached out to the name listed in the application to start a conversation: “I messaged the person to start that connection, and that is what ended up helping me, because eventually the person reached back out to me.”

The message led to a phone call, which led to a video interview, which itself led to another final video interview. And following that, he was told to expect an offer letter. The key thing that made him stand out? Having gone through the bootcamp.

“I think one thing that also really helped me was coming from a bootcamp, which is a lot more fast-paced than a traditional university, so you have to be self-disciplined and driven,” he said. “When I was talking with the hiring manager, I think he got that sense that I was someone who was really driven and ambitious, extremely willing to learn and grow. And I think that's what really pushed it over the edge.”

Now, he’s a Junior Software Engineer at Truvolv, where he’s helping craft websites for external clients, and soon enough, he’ll also be assisting in developing their internal tool that’ll help him and his team build sites faster. It’s also a newer company, so even though he just joined, he’s already crucial to their future.

We are developing the processes for this company, which is really cool, because it makes me feel like I have a much bigger part in this, as opposed to just coming on and kind of like being a cog in the machine. Josue Flores, TripleTen grad

It’s a complete change from where he used to be. And yes, he’s now earning a higher paycheck. “The pay is way better than what I was making before, which is really awesome,” he said.

But it’s not just the salary, he’s realized. The spark that brought him to tech has helped him discover work that’s truly inspiring for him. “I enjoy the company that I work for, the team that I work for. I enjoy what I get to do. I enjoy the freedom that I have, being able to work remotely. I didn't know what to expect, but it feels really good,” he said.

“I'm not sitting down looking at the clock, waiting for it to move. I'm doing what I'm doing, and before I know it, I'm like, ‘Oh, it's already lunch time.’ And then before I know it, I'm like, ‘Oh, it's already five o'clock.’”

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