New hire diary part IV
Written by: Joseph Covington
When I got out of the service in 2004, the post service Veterans Affairs Career Counselor told me that based upon my qualifications, I could have the fast track for a position as a civilian prison guard. There’s nothing wrong with being a prison guard; however, I was looking forward to a career with a little more cognitive development. Even though I have always struggled with academic pursuits, I decided to move forward with a business degree.
Four very long years later, I ended up receiving an Economics Degree and minor in Information Systems. At the time, I was filled with excitement. Where would this knowledge take me? Over the course of several months, I searched high and low for a firm in Reno willing to onboard someone with a fresh perspective and a brain full of economics ideology. Unfortunately, in 2008, as many know, this was the absolutely worst time to try to start a new career. I was certainly competing with folks with master’s degrees and many more years’ experience. And almost certainly, there was a shortage of employment for anyone who recently graduated college. You would think someone with an economics degree would understand this kind of stuff… Right? Well apparently not.
As a result, I wandered aimlessly from part time job to part time job. I wore many different shoes: I was an enumerator for the census, a European wine salesman, a trivia host, wedding DJ, the list goes on. My tenure in these careers were ephemeral. I felt as though I was getting nowhere in life; however, there was value in these positions as I quickly realized what I did not want to do for the rest of my life. During this time, I began to understand that I had an innate passion for technology and computing (pushes coke bottle glasses back up on bridge of nose). I decided to go back to school to finish my Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems.
Last year, while finishing this Bachelor’s degree, I was fortunate enough to hop on board with one of Apex’s clients. During this time, I was able to fully utilize some of the skills I had learned in school. Given that Apex’s projects were intertwined with my deliverables at that time, it was inevitable that I would touch base with their employees on a daily basis. This company certainly stood out amongst the rest on site. I noticed that most of the employees of this company were professional, well dressed, on time, well-spoken and educated. It was only natural that my next step was to pursue employment with this group.
After all is said and done, this opportunity has provided many benefits where I would not otherwise have access. I’ve decided to move forward with my Master’s Degree in IS (winks at framed picture of Captain Jean Luc Picard). During this stage of personal development, Apex has delivered a symbiotic relationship for my degree program. I have the ability to work in an IT environment where I can deploy skills obtained in the classroom. I’m excited to exist in an environment where I have the freedom to work with a myriad of software suites at my disposal, combined with guidance from knowledgeable industry professionals. For me, Apex Performance Solutions is the right place, at the right time.
