It’s Elementary School, let’s say first grade. Your teacher asks, “what do you want to be when you grow up?” Hands are raised confidently to answer with “police officer” or “doctor.” While others are torn between “movie star” or “President of the United States.” In college, you probably noticed similar responses – half knowing what exactly they want to be and half completely unsure. If you’re undecided, you’re not alone. According to past surveys, 20-50% of students enter college as undecided, and 75% change their major at least once before graduating. (Study Breaks)
It’s easy to second guess your own major when two-thirds of U.S. employees regret theirs (CBS News). However, what if the roadblock to career success is viewing your college education as a mistake? At Revature, we believe there’s a solution – applying your knowledge to an alternative career path.
Parth Patel:
Revature teammate, Parth Patel, is a perfect example of defying the above statistics and looking at the glass half full. At the beginning of college, Parth’s major was mathematics, but he slowly realized that there weren’t many opportunities with only that degree. “Down the line of my college career, I kept thinking it’s a great path, but I don’t see a future with just that,” Parth admitted. He noticed that computer science and mathematics were remarkably similar.
“I realized mathematics and computer science are parallel. When I transitioned, there wasn’t too much to make up.”
Parth ended up majoring in computer science and minoring in mathematics from Austin Peay State University. However, after his post-grad vacation, he returned, feeling a little out of place – “I came back looking for work, and every company required experience,” he confided.
Although Parth had switched his major to a computer science degree, without any job experience on his resume, he was hitting dead ends. This was until he came across one of Revature’s job postings. “Because I felt so defeated – I didn’t bother applying to Revature at first. But after reading testimonials on how people benefited from the program, it reassured me. So I actually went back to the website and applied.”
Parth heard from one of our recruiters within a few days. After asking how it felt when he received his offer, he responded with, “no matter how big or small the company – you always remember the first yes. I was surprised and happy, especially after everyone was telling me I needed more experience.“
Not only is he getting the experience needed through our immersive training, but he’s also advancing skills that go beyond coding. “Growing up, I was introverted. Public speaking was a huge challenge for me, especially in college. I knew I needed this to change. Whether it was a project, presentation, or mock interview, at Revature, whenever there was an opportunity to speak, my name would be at the top of the list.” Parth proclaims.
Parth is building the foundation he needs for a fulfilling career path. Instead of throwing out his prior mathematics knowledge, he combined it with a new skill set, in a different career path. Although he majored in computer science, your story doesn’t have to unfold the same way. We believe that diverse backgrounds make a stronger team and career goals are meant to be updated. That’s why Revature encourages anyone with a four-year degree in any field to apply.