Three Lessons I've Learned in My Journey from Culinary Arts to Tech
If you'd asked me what a sales engineer was five years ago, I would have had no idea. At the time, I was a chef, and I'll admit, going from being a chef to a sales engineer is a pretty unconventional career path. However, having a unique professional background, like mine, is not uncommon in the Associate Academy at World Wide Technology. Our diverse blend of professional experiences has fostered a collaborative and innovative culture built on trust and teamwork. Check out my story and discover three lessons I learned during my significant career change.
A Little Background
After high school, I attended culinary school. Like most kids at that age, I was unsure what I wanted to do, but I knew I liked cooking, so I picked something I was interested in. I was lucky enough to land a job at a casino while still in culinary school, and that first night "on the line" was intense—filled with noise, flames, attention to detail and the necessity to move quickly. What seemed like chaos on the surface was like a choreographed dance, and I was hooked. I knew this was the right place for me. Over the next decade, I worked in various kitchens, including casinos, fine-dining restaurants and hotels. I even had an opportunity to work in Antarctica!
Still not sure how this makes me a sales engineer? Like so many others, March of 2020 was the catalyst for massive change. The things that energized me about life in the kitchen started to cause burnout. During this period, my wife became pregnant with our first child, and we were both furloughed from our jobs. Similar to my high school experience, I found myself uncertain about my career direction. Enter LaunchCode, a nonprofit organization based in St. Louis that teaches full-stack web development. With my newfound free time, I started learning the technical basics of coding and web development. I was fortunate to be accepted into the LaunchCode program to further this new interest, and I spent the next few months learning the fundamentals of full-stack web development.
With this new skill, I joined the Associate Academy at WWT. The academy has three groups: (1) new graduates, (2) tech professionals seeking advancement, and (3) career changers like me. As I navigated this change, three key lessons stood out: take chances, embrace the unknown in change, and never stop learning.
Take Chances
As a young cook, I always sought opportunities beyond my station. Whether helping at the buffet or preparing for banquets, I volunteered. Applying for a job in Antarctica was a gamble, but it paid off! Then, as Chef de Cusine, I took chances pitching my wild ideas to the executive chef and F&B manager, like an indoor chef's garden, rooftop beehives and hosting monthly dinners highlighting breweries, wineries, and distilleries.
I had no idea if coding would be the right career path for me, but I took the chance by applying to LaunchCode and working through the program. It is a chance that has certainly paid off and helped me thrive in the Associate Academy at WWT. Embracing opportunities has brought unexpected experiences. My advice? Take chances!
Embrace The Unknown in Change.
As a chef focused on sourcing the freshest and highest quality produce, adjusting to being 10,000 miles away in a frozen desert where nothing fresh grows was challenging. Adapting to this environment required making the best use of available resources and cooking with the same passion, even if it isn't with the freshest ingredients.
The COVID-19 pandemic introduced significant uncertainty around the world. The culinary industry, which I had considered resilient to layoffs and economic downturns, was definitely impacted. Finding myself furloughed at the peak of burnout was stressful, but I chose to see it as an opportunity to explore other avenues, which ultimately led to finding LaunchCode.
Leaving the only career path I had known in cooking to join the Associate Academy at WWT was easily the most significant "imposter syndrome" feeling I had experienced. It felt like stepping into another world, but my background gave me a unique perspective to solve technical problems for customers. Sometimes, your environment and circumstances change almost instantly. Embrace it!
Never Stop Learning
My successes as a chef stemmed from my passion for learning. I constantly sought new techniques, ingredients, and plating styles, which pushed me to embrace opportunities beyond my comfort zone. Then, during a period of uncertainty, I was pushed all the way out of my comfort zone, leading to an entirely new technical skill set. It was exciting to explore a new field through my personal studies and classes in the LaunchCode program.
The opportunity with the Associate Academy continued that passion for learning. As my journey has evolved into being a sales engineer, I have a whole new industry to learn about. I've learned so much about World Wide Technology, our partners, our customers, and how we continue to create powerful solutions to make a new world happen. Never forget: each day is a new opportunity to learn.
The Associate Academy at WWT has provided a catalyst for immense change in my life, and it's been an exciting journey that continues to this day. If you're interested in a career change, learn more about the Associate Academy and check out other associates' stories, like mine, on our community page!