My time as a Mission Techie Intern has sadly come to
an end. I am a returning Techie, who decided to take the class once I reviewed
the curriculum. I joined this program in hopes for an increase of knowledge in
the Tech field. I was surprised to find out, that the new curriculum does not
only teach you the Tech skills, but the soft skills to land a tech job as well.
I had a great time working with people like Olivia, Karen, Mark, and Cesia.
They provided a great vibe that promoted the development of learning. These
were only some of the instructors that added depth into the program. There were
also other like Matias and the head instructor Leo, did an excellent job on
inspiring individuals to learn and pursue their goals.
Let
me start of by breaking down the Job-Readiness portion with Olivia was
excellent in providing me with the adequate skills to prepare and handle a job
interview. I never knew there can be so many things that can be done in preparation
to an interview. Some examples I will always carry away from this class, is the
Thank you letters and the follow up. Olivia also helped me think like an
interviewer and brainstorm some questions that are frequently ask during one.
It was great to learn some trick questions some employers might ask, in order
to read the type of person you might be.
Another
course we took was the Business Communication class which piggy-backed into the
Job-Readiness portion. This class showed us how to behave in a work environment
at the same time ways how to sharpen our communication skills. We practiced how
to effectively communicate, and did a presentation that allowed me to gain some
confidence. Even though I did not finish my power point I was pretty proud of
myself. I was able to go up in front of my peers and present my work in front
of them. It was nerve wrecking. The feeling that came after was way more
rewarding.
On
some days, we would learn a little about tech support. This portion was
important because of the skill it requires. It may sound simple, but being able
to communicate the hardships of troubleshooting a computer and fixing in a
manner to someone who may not understand the tech lingo could be difficult.
Being able to ask the right questions to map out the problem is easier said
than done. This class was a little harder to deal with and it could have been
better than originally presented.
Throughout
our intense tech training we had some guest speakers who came in to talk about
what they do in the tech industry. We had speaker from Google, Jones IT, Tech
SF, and many more. I am bummed to say, I missed two of them because of my
absences. No excuse can replace the knowledge these guys and gals shared with
my peers. I really did enjoy some presentations like Mission Bytes coming in,
because of the material. I think these presentations are useful because it
opens up options on what to do after the Mission Techies Internship.
Four
days out of the week, we would end the last hour with a coding portion. We learned
some basic Java code that was tested in an App called Dr.Java. This class was
fun, because you can visualize your code come to life. Although it was
difficult to understand the code, once you caught on to the layout it became a
little bit easier. Sadly our instructor Mark left before we could finish the
program, so we didn’t get the chance to create our final project.
My
Overall view of the program is a positive one for the implementation of these
other courses into the curriculum. I felt like I was in a mini-University for
tech. Reviewing all the hardware stuff and software was incredible and
hopefully it soaks in this time. We also did try something new;
Cable-Crimpling. This activity was very fun, but required a load of patients.
Treading the cable into the RJ-45 cap was not the easiest of task because of
the wrinkled wires.
My
experience here was even better the second time. I loved the vibe this place
provided and the people I met here were all very talented in their own ways.
The staff and people we met through the programs networking was phenomenal and
will not change it for the world. I had a blasts getting to see old staff
friends and meeting new ones. I hope this program continues to grow and the
curriculum continues to improve. I love this place’s goal and wish to see more
people of color occupying those tech jobs, not just people of color, but
low-income folks who are natives to put an end to gentrification here in the
city.
