This article is sponsored by TripleTen.
For many, the path to a successful tech career is anything but linear. Colburn Sanders, now a Senior Software Engineer at New Balance, knows this all too well.
From film student to software engineer
Before becoming a software engineer, Sanders studied film, balancing creativity with the struggle for financial stability. That all changed when a programming elective shifted his focus.
While Sanders had been fascinated by computers since childhood, “from the early days of AOL dial-up to tinkering with Myspace and experimenting with HTML and CSS,” it wasn’t until he took a programming elective that he began to seriously consider a career in technology.
“I realized this seems a little bit more interesting,” he tells POCIT. “I knew that in that field – I would have job security and not so much of being a starving artist in the film industry trying to work through the ranks.”
In 2017, as he received news that his school would be shutting down, Sanders faced a crossroads. With only his GI Bill from his Navy service funding his education, he sought out new opportunities. He came upon a tech workforce program in St. Louis, which funded training for qualified residents.
“I feel like it’s opened a lot more doors in my life, from being able to support my family to purchasing my first car and becoming a homeowner.”
“I made it through, did the aptitude test, and then I went through a similar program,” he recalls. “After two months, a week after, I landed my first .NET job with the government.”
During a challenging period, Sanders lived in Airbnbs and relied on unemployment support, all while worrying about how to provide for his six-year-old daughter. But landing that first tech job confirmed he had made the right decision.
“It felt like the icing on the cake. It confirmed that I made the right decision all along.”
Since switching to tech, Sanders describes his life as a “phenomenal” blessing.
“I’ve been able to feel more like myself. I’m able to connect more with people. I feel like it’s opened a lot more doors in my life, from being able to support my family to purchasing my first car and becoming a homeowner.”
TripleTen: A flexible path to success
TripleTen’s software engineering bootcamp played a key role in Sanders’ journey. With a tech background rooted in .NET, he wanted to deepen his understanding of JavaScript. TripleTen’s curriculum gave him the solid foundation he needed, teaching languages HTML5, JavaScript, and React and additional tools like Babel, Google Cloud, and MongoDB.
Another major appeal was TripleTen’s flexible structure, with part-time bootcamps designed to accommodate people with busy lives and responsibilities.
“Being a full-time father and having to manage my time, their structure—with the two-week sprints—really allowed me to consider their program,” Sanders shares. “Being able to work at 8, 9 PM, after putting the girls to bed, and then working on the projects. I think that was the main [appeal].”
Sanders says he was impressed by his fast progress while at TripleTen.
“Their externship program truly recognized my potential and provided me the opportunity to collaborate with various companies, students, and explore technologies that I hadn’t encountered during the bootcamp. It allowed me to push my boundaries and take lead on projects.”
Career Acceleration and Building Confidence
However, it was TripleTen’s career acceleration program that sealed the deal for Sanders. The program pairs learners with a career coach to guide them through mock interviews and help them work on the most vulnerable parts of the job application process to impress recruiters.
“They guarantee if you don’t land a job, then you get your money back,” Sanders explains. “I was like, oh wow. Okay. Yeah, I’m going to bet on myself and them.”
Sanders took full advantage of the Career Acceleration course, setting up mock interviews every two weeks.
“I believe that the more you practice, the more you’ll discover your authentic self. Through repetition, you start to learn what works best for you when interviewing with various companies, especially through the feedback you receive.”
“Figure out what you want to do first—don’t try to follow a trend.”
With help from his career coach, he gained confidence in public speaking and interview settings and found his voice when presenting himself to companies. However, the personalized touch of having a one-to-one relationship with his career coach had the biggest impact.
“[She would ask questions like] why would they want to love Colburn? Why would they want someone like Colburn on their team versus another person? So, the structure of when you applied, did you have a contact person? Did you connect with them on LinkedIn? Did you send them a thank you letter? Things of that nature, which really helped me stand out.”
Stay true to yourself
Sanders’ unconventional route into tech has helped him embrace the road less traveled. He advises others looking to break into tech to stay focused on what feels right for them.
“Figure out what you want to do first—don’t try to follow a trend. Don’t think that you have to be a software developer,” he shares. “There are other areas and avenues in tech. You can find your path and see what resonates with you.”
He also stresses the importance of networking and staying grounded in your community.
“People get caught up in what’s going on in Twitter, or what’s the hottest thing out there. But I think the biggest thing is what’s happening in your community, right? That’s where you need to put your time and focus because you could be missing out. That’s what helped me. That’s how I got my start.”
“There will be challenging moments,” Sanders acknowledges. “You’ll encounter roadblocks, but in time, you’ll find a way to navigate through them. It’s similar to building muscle: the more you push yourself, the more difficult it may become, yet ultimately, you will overcome these challenges and continue to progress.”
With the help of TripleTen and his own determination, Sanders’ career journey is a testament to the power of perseverance, learning, and the courage to take risks.
“You’re almost there,” he encourages. “So make sure to see it through.”
