Although I didn’t think I would say it, breaking my wrist was a blessing in disguise. I was working at BASF, one of the largest chemical companies in the world, as a Chemicals Operator. My job duties included driving forklifts, loading tankers and running multiple chemical reactions. This constantly put my body in danger. My wrist was broken in an accident that wasn’t work-related.
Initially, I was out of work for several weeks. This turned into six months. My disability checks decreased from 100% to 65% of my pay, and the chances of me returning to BASF diminished.
I was interested in IT and decided to study for the CCNA. I was overwhelmed and gave up on the idea of getting into IT. As I was scrolling through Facebook, I saw Terry’s webinar. I decided to enroll in Zero to Engineer. I had exhausted all options and decided to give ZTE a try. I was a printer tech during the day and focused on the program at night. With the knowledge I gained from the Zero To Engineer modules, I was able pass the CCENT.
Module 4 gave me the confidence to apply for entry level IT jobs. I was offered a contract job with Modis as an Operations Engineer at Google. During interviews, I found myself constantly thinking back on the ZTE information I had learned. These lessons were the foundation that helped me land the job. My job duties included putting my body in danger to adding devices to networks and porting fiber onto racks. My work routine is flexible and I am constantly collaborating with colleagues from different teams.
Terry’s career plan is closely followed by me. I’ll keep him updated on my progress over the next 6 months. I am working towards completing the ZTE program and gaining more hands-on experience. I am happy to be able to spend more time with my loved ones and make a living doing what is important to me. You can say that my wrist injury was a blessing in disguise.
