Like many college students, I changed my major path during my university career.
I was a pharmacy student who realized one semester in, after studying and working in a pharmacy, that it wasn’t what I wanted in a career. I took some time off to decide what I did want in a career, and web development caught my attention. It offers a lot of creative freedom to allow me to build something from scratch to a final product and showcase what I have made.
The transition to a computer science major was not always smooth sailing. Unlike people who have been coding their whole life, I was still very new to the field, and I had so much more to learn. Since pharmacy and computer science are two polar opposite fields, it felt as if I even had to relearn how I learn things. Computer science emphasizes problem solving and hands-on experience instead of memorization, which took some getting used to.
When I saw a job posting from HCSS looking for interns, I was very excited to apply. Instead of focusing on the number of years of experience potential hires have, the company focuses more on the candidate’s ability and willingness to learn. I landed a position at HCSS as a data analyst intern for BidHistory.com, and after the product was discontinued, instead of losing my job, the company offered me a position in the product management team. Since then, I have gained many valuable skills, such as website development, SQL, and much more. I also received lots of guidance and support from fellow HCSS employees, which helped me greatly.
A year later, I transitioned into the software development intern position, and even as an intern I got to work on actual product software. I started on smaller bugs and slowly gained enough knowledge to fix bigger problems and add features. I enjoy the work that I do, and my coworkers are fun and amazing! I get to contribute to great products and have a positive impact on the company.
It has been two years since I changed my career path, and the experience has been quite a pleasant journey. I plan to stay at HCSS after I graduate because of the great experience I had here as an intern. Everyone is always ready to jump in and help me learn when I am having any problems, and I’m never afraid to ask questions because I know that I will always learn something new from my coworkers. HCSS has allowed me to step into the world of software development, and it is truly a great place to work because of the awesome people, beautiful facilities, and great benefits.