As documented by Rafael Andres Canelon
There are many different reasons people decide to change careers. For me, I wanted to change my lifestyle as it related to my work schedule. With a bachelor’s degree in geomatics engineering and nearly eight years of experience in the geomatics field, I found myself in a job that involved extensive traveling. As I considered my options, I became interested in programming and automation because the industry is fast-moving with ample opportunities for career growth.
I’d been working for Airborne Imaging in the same position, as a geomatics field technician associate, for four years when I began looking for a course to prepare me for the career change I desired. While I had an engineering degree, it was in no way related to programming, and I didn’t have any other prior experience as such. I decided to study DevOps because it’s the perfect blend of programming and operational automation that today’s most successful development teams.
Simplilearn’s Post Graduate Program (PGP) in DevOps was the launching pad for my programming career. After the course, I was hired by Xplornet Communications in November 2021 as a GIS developer and increased my salary by 12 percent. Even better, I get to use the valuable programming and automation skills I learned every day in my job.
I really enjoyed the DevOps course. The modules provided enough information and instruction even for someone like me with no prior knowledge and who was changing fields. Another highlight was the hands-on Docker certification training I received during the program.
Upskilling Options that Offer the Right Skills and Schedule
I researched various options to find a course that would offer me virtual classes but at the same time prepare me for a new career. I found Simplilearn through one of its Instagram advertisements and was very happy to find a curriculum I wanted and an online learning option that fit my schedule.
I also knew that my brother Manuel was looking for something similar, so we read more about the curriculum and thought it would be a great fit. We both felt that Caltech CTME is a prestigious institution and it would do wonders for us. Then, we decided to enroll in the program together.
As I mentioned, my previous job at Airborne Imaging involved a lot of traveling. So, I studied while traveling. My job was weather dependent, which meant we didn’t fly on cloudy or rainy days. We also had our rotation schedule—30 straight days of working and then 30 off days. The flexibility of the certification program allowed me to study on those 30 days off-days and take live online classes during weekends.