It’s no secret that the competition for landing a tech job in Seattle is stiff. The majority of tech employers are seeking out prospects with deep resumes and a diploma from a top-tier school. That’s why WTIA first created Training Camp + Draft Day, to better prepare students who may have earned a non-traditional tech education to have a better chance at landing their dream job in the tech industry.

During Training Camp, candidates are provided with interview prep and a review of their resume to ensure they are fully prepared for interviewing with tech companies. Once the candidates are triple-vetted, they attend Draft Day, where talented individuals from local coding institutions and lesser-known tech programs are introduced to tech employers for entry-level employment opportunities. They make their case for employment during a speed interview round. To reduce any possible bias, employers are presented resumes with the candidate’s’ educational backgrounds removed during the interviews.

Before hearing about Training Camp + Draft Day, Jeff Torres was working at a non-tech job while taking classes at a community college. He then took on an IT support role at his company, but was laid off after a management change. He used this opportunity to earn a technical education at Code Fellows, but wasn’t having much luck when applying to tech companies in the area. After being out of work for 18 months, he received word through his mentors at Code Fellows about the opportunity of a resource that could help him get his foot in the door to a great job in tech. We spoke with Torres to get a better understanding of the effect Training Camp + Draft Day had on his job search, that ultimately lead to employment at the top-tier tech company, Tableau.

As Training Camp began, Torres first felt intimidated working with a large group of other tech job seekers. But as the program progressed, he found value in much of the mentoring he was receiving. “The feedback was phenomenal. I was given some great feedback on how I wanted to present myself to recruiters during interviews. I didn’t think working at Tableau was a possibility until i talked to the recruiters and opened connections,” said Torres. “They were able to help me translate my professional background in a way that was beneficial for the job seeking process.”

Torres discussed how the feedback he got from the coaches and mentors helped him to dial in to specific job experience on his resume in a way he had not seen. “It was a bit of a career transition. I was stepping into a more technical field, and I didn’t know how to frame my experience in a relevant way for technical recruiters.” Torres continued, “The recruiters thought my resume was fine, but I needed more polish on my interactions and framing my previous experience in a way that was relevant for an IT recruiter.” Even if it wasn’t in the same industry or job function, the mentors were able to help Torres see the needs that job seekers were specifically looking to fill, and he tailored his background to their wants.

Torres was impressed with the interactions with mentors, as well as the tech companies willing to give candidates a chance with a less pristine resume than the best in the industry. “There were so many people from the industry giving their time and trying to make meaningful contributions to help people get employed. People in the middle of career changes, people entering IT or development for the first time, we all need some help. So many people were willing to give their time and feedback to help people pursue their goals in what they wanted to do.” Torres was adamant in showing his appreciation to the event organizers, as well as those who participated to make it all possible. “It was great for WTIA to put on the event, but also the community support that allowed the event to even happen was amazing.”

In participating in Training Camp + Draft Day, Torres ultimately was hired at Tableau, a software company headquartered in Seattle that produces interactive data visualization products focused on business intelligence. He is closing in on his one year anniversary of employment with the company. “I love working here; it’s great. I’m learning a lot. The culture is phenomenal, it’s an exciting company to work for.” Torres is satisfied with his new position, and the work he’s doing at Tableau. “The mission of the company is something I believe in, allowing anyone to view data, interact with it, and understand it. Our product allows a nontechnical person to still be able to visualize and understand data. It’s something I believe in.” We’re sure that Tableau is just as happy to have found Torres as he is to have found them.