Need Tech Talent? Look Beyond Computer Science Degrees.

Hiring TipsDeveloper Recruiting

Apprentices and nontraditional candidates can bring a fresh perspective to tech teams, and help with diversity and recruiting efforts.

Cecile Cromartie has an extensive background in photography, having worked as a photojournalist in the Army, and then spending a few years in the entertainment industry. She eventually landed a job as a police officer in Dallas. Cromartie, who also has an MFA in screenwriting, desired a career in IT — she had learned about cybercrimes and cybersecurity as a police officer — but neither her schedule nor her budget allowed for another degree to be feasible.

One night, as she was scrolling through her Dallas city emails, she clicked on one for a veteran's employee resource group.

WHY LOOK BEYOND THE 4-YEAR CS DEGREE?

Apprentices and job candidates with nontraditional backgrounds or two-year degrees bring a fresh perspective to tech problems. They also possess grit, determination and a willingness to learn. Looking outside of the four-year-degree box can also help diversify teams (by age, gender, race and ethnic background) and fill open tech positions, expected to reach 85 million by 2030.

"I initially thought to myself that there was no way this could be real," Cromartie said. "I assumed that there was no way they would train me, pay me, and help me find my career path. But it turns out, it was all true." Cromartie applied for the program and shortly before ending her police career, she began the program. Because the apprenticeship was paid, she was able to "transition smoothly" from law enforcement to tech.

Cromartie started the six-month apprentice program in January of 2021 and, in June of 2021, signed a contract to work as a full-time engineer/senior analyst in the Dallas office of global financial services company Citi.

What she brings to the table: Leadership, team-building and problem-solving skills acquired in the military, investigative skills and ability to tolerate high-stress situations learned as a police officer, and relative newness to tech. “Maximizing the opportunity to ask ‘no question is dumb but it feels dumb to ask’ questions does a great deal for team building and promotes constant learning for everyone,” she said.

Cromartie anticipates a lengthy career at Citi, one that wouldn't have been conceivable without the apprenticeship. "It just shaved years off the timeline, and gave me focus," she said.

A Triple Win

What employees like Cromartie might lack in tech knowledge can be imparted through education, but the grit, insights and determination they possess is something that cannot be taught.

"One of the qualities we see most often is the willingness to learn, improve skills and adapt," said Rebecca Moss, vice president of enterprise operations and technology program management at Citi.

"The combination of their previous experience and the new skills they acquire, or their eagerness to be successful, enables them to keep an open mind, come up with new ideas and take risks when they encounter problems, start projects and take on new roles," Moss explained.

Hiring candidates from these programs to join tech teams provides a higher level of energy and a fresher perspective.

The tech industry needs 85 million workers by 2030 to avoid $8.5 trillion in lost revenue, according to research by consultancy Korn Ferry.

68 percent of companies admit that their tech teams lack diversity, according to a survey from Wiley Education Services and training firm mthree. According to data from Opportunity America, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that promotes economic mobility, more than half the country’s 11 million community college students are in workplace-oriented training programs.

These paid apprenticeships and on-the-job training models offer an education and opportunity to populations who might not have the bandwidth or finances to pursue a four-year degree full time. Hiring from this demographic helps assure diversity in economic background and lived experience, as well as perhaps racial and gender diversity.

"We have a lot of students coming from areas with little social mobility and low wages, or who are coming to us unemployed," said Bertina Ceccarelli, CEO of NPower. More than half of the students we get have not been working, she added.

"One has to have a prestigious education and focus on STEM from early on to be successful in STEM, or within a big name technology company," said Georgia Rittenberg, CEO of ComputerCare.

Rittenberg took an uncommon route to tech, studying women’s healthcare policy in college before starting a career in sales and marketing for a non-tech company. She joined ComputerCare as an account manager and five years later she was named CEO. “The way we get to a workforce that looks more like society is by getting rid of the assumptions about what checkboxes you need to have ticked off to be successful, and instead give everyone the opportunity to bring their own unique perspectives to the table,” she said.

Built to Train

Transmosis, a cybersecurity company based in Phoenix, hires tech professionals through its own training programs which target disadvantaged individuals in order to increase diversity within the tech industry. The company's grant consortiums (partnerships with other companies and governmental entities) have received approximately $50 million in funding to upskill workers. The program offers free training to those who are unemployed or underserved, including minorities, veterans, and women, so that they may earn credentials from CompTIA, a nonprofit IT trade association.

"Having ambition and transferable skills makes people successful," Transmosis CEO Chase Norlin said. Norlin, who is a serial entrepreneur, got the idea to train his own workers while he was building his digital marketing firm.

Norlin started the digital marketing company without the money to hire people from big tech firms. Instead, he taught friends and family members and soon expanded his company to include those who had lost their jobs or were unemployed. "They had two things in common: skills that could be transferred to a new job, and the ambition to succeed," Norlin said.

Transmosis' trainees often get hired away by bigger companies after the second part of the program, which is on-the-job training at a live security operations center.

"Those who we see are not entitled individuals," Norlin said. "They fight harder. They've had difficult lives. You can observe that in their capacity to adhere to the program."

Transmosis graduate Ash Williams had a degree in pharmaceutical sciences that he never really used. Williams, who grew up in England, moved to the United States five years ago after working in operations at a company in Africa. He wanted a job in tech, but he found it difficult to get hired without any qualifications or experience.

Williams found the Transmosis training program through an email with a link to a tech aptitude assessment. After completing the assessment, he hit "send" and a few months later got a call from Transmosis saying he'd been selected for the program.

Williams learned cybersecurity and obtained certification in just under three months. He then advanced to the experiential phase of the program for seven months. In less than a year, he was promoted to security operations manager from analyst for transmosisONE, a Transmosis product that offers small businesses protection from cyberattack.

His international experience gives him "a more comprehensive perspective," which Williams said serves him well when dealing with customers in a variety of industries with different levels of technical expertise. He said his diverse background and extensive experience enables him to be more considerate and understanding with customers, two qualities that are essential in the information security industry.

Fellows to the Rescue

"Talent is evenly distributed in our communities, but opportunity is not," said Mike Gamson, CEO of Relativity, when discussing the company's Fellows program. The e-discovery field needs more talent and certified users, which is where Relativity Fellows comes in, he said.

The Relativity Fellows apprenticeship is a five-month long program that prepares participants for careers in e-discovery and litigation support.

Upon earning her general-education credits at the College of DuPage, Montanez transferred to the University of Illinois-Chicago to complete a degree in biological sciences. After graduation, she secured a position in customer service at a startup fintech company but realized she wouldn't be able to move up within the company.

She found out about the Relativity Fellows program from her sister and was intrigued. "What grabbed my attention about the program was the emphasis on talent and being someone who wants to learn and get into the industry," she said. "I didn't need x amount of years of experience already under my belt — I needed the willingness to learn and hunger to see myself succeed in a new field."

The work was difficult, especially the Association of Certified E-Discovery Specialists (ACEDS) exam, but Montanez said she felt supported every step of the way.

"I didn't need x amount of years of experience already under my belt — I needed the willingness to learn and hunger to see myself succeed in a new field."

As an application analyst at Relativity, Montanez helps support and maintain software infrastructures. With experience in customer support and a biology degree, Montanez is able to bring a fresh perspective to her exchanges with clients.

"From my experience working with Relativity Fellows, they have that mindset and ability to work through problems without clearly defined solutions," McCloughan said.

Associates

Annaleya Hamilton, a software developer apprentice at Waystar, came to the company through nonprofit Bit502. This organization allows apprentices to earn an associate degree debt-free while getting work experience.

Hamilton pursued a degree in aviation maintenance but left school to intern at an aviation-maintenance company. In 2019, she began working at a bookkeeping company, but came to realize she really wanted a career in tech. She heard about Bit502 through Code Louisville, another tech-training program in which she had participated.

"I am grateful for Bit502 and Waystar," she said. "Without them, I would still be working as a part-time bookkeeper at a job I did not enjoy. This program has allowed me to dive into a career I really enjoy and can see myself doing for a long time."

Hamilton's unique background allows her to think about problems from different angles. The Waystar Scholars Mentoring Program will be launching next spring in partnership with Jefferson Community and Technical College.

"By opening our programs to students who may not have had the opportunity to pursue them, we are leveling the playing field in the tech industry and promoting a more diverse and inclusive workforce."

The Waystar Scholars Mentoring Program will provide students at Jefferson Community and Technical College with valuable hands-on experience in the healthcare industry while continuing to earn an associate degree, said Waystar CTO Chris Schremser.

"Many of our scholars and apprenticeship program participants come from backgrounds where continuing their education wasn't an option," said Schremser. "They're grateful for the opportunity to earn a degree, which they may not have had otherwise. Apprentices are hard workers with a great deal of determination."

Jefferson Community and Technical College offers a tech focus for students, and apprentices will ideally have at least a basic understanding of tech.

The Waystar Scholars Mentoring Program is the latest addition to Waystar's pre-existing programs, such as the INROADS internship program and the government-run and funded apprenticeships offered in partnership with Bit502.

"We are accessing students who would not normally be in our pipeline, we are creating a path for equal access to tech jobs and driving equity in the workforce," said Sisnett.