From Facebook Ads to a Career in IT

Donovan Temme has been interested in technology from as far back as he can remember. 

He recalls playing around with technology and computers from a young age but never fully looking at it in terms of a career until he was older. “I never thought about it as something I would want to do career wise. I didn’t know what I wanted to do, and I was just working to pay the bills.” After realizing he was not happy with his current job, Donovan knew he needed a change. “My mom sent me over the Facebook ad for ITWorks and I thought it sounded interesting enough, so I decided to give it a try” Donovan says about how he came across ITWorks.

He was out with his wife when he got the call weeks later that he was accepted into the ITWorks program and from there he knew he had found his career. After he put money aside so he could fully focus on the program, Donovan made the leap into ITWorks during the day, while working evenings to help with finances. This dedication serving as an example that anything is possible when you are excited about your goals and passionate enough to make it work.

Donovan remembers the first day of ITWorks being nerve-wracking, but the biggest influence that made ITWorks so positive and welcoming was the friendships and connections he made. “Our whole class got along well, and I met people I could study with and chat about what brought us here. We still catch up with each other and reach out when we hear of job opportunities in the industry.” Along with the classroom aspects like Friday sessions and Lunch and Learns, Donovan also really loved the internship opportunity he got in the program where he was able to work with those already in the IT industry and learn from them directly. “Everyone was willing to jump in and assist in my journey which made me feel confident that technology was the right fit for me”.

When asked about what advice he would give to a student about to take the program or someone thinking about applying for ITWorks, Donovan said, “Everyone there has the same general interest – technology and IT. So, grab someone to study with and form that connection with because you are all there for the same reason. Use each other and lean on each other and the program won’t seem as scary or challenging. You are all there for the same end goal.”