Father of 3 completes degree, lands job before graduation

This paid piece is sponsored by Southeast Technical College.

In 2020, Andrew Bach took a leap of faith. He made the call to pursue his dream of becoming a software developer and enrolled at Southeast Technical College. The years following would be some of the most challenging of his life, but his perseverance paid off in 2023. Bach landed a job as a software developer before graduating.

Now employed as a software developer at St. Joseph’s Indian School, Bach credits Southeast Tech’s rigor and instructors for providing him the skills necessary to be successful.

“I came out of my program with a 4.0 GPA and the ability to write full-stack applications. My instructors were the best part of going to school at STC. It isn’t easy doing school while raising kids, and they were understanding and supportive as I worked through my degree,” Bach said.

He continued, “In every assignment and in every project, there was always an opportunity for me to learn more and go beyond expectations.”

As a father to three kids, Bach had a lot on his plate.

“I was working full time as an industrial painter, part time at a local hockey store, going to school and raising three children,” he said. “It was a lot to balance, and there were times I would start with homework after my kids went to bed until the early morning, sleep a few hours and get up and do it again. But in the end, I think employers saw this as a skill I could bring into the workplace.”

While Bach attributes a lot of his success to his instructors, there’s no doubt his own drive played a huge role.

“I had read and heard stories about people who had sent out hundreds of applications to get an interview in software development, so I wanted to start early and give myself the best shot,” he said. “I spent a weekend focused on building a portfolio website. I had a lot of high-quality projects from school as well as from some freelance work I had previously completed.”

From there, Bach applied for three positions and was able to interview for two of them. He said his portfolio helped set him apart.

“My current manager told me during my interview that he knew I could do the work before I walked in the door and that was a deciding factor in the hiring process,” Bach said.

Bach was hired at St. Joseph’s Indian School, based in Chamberlain, in November and has been working at the Mission Advocacy Center in Sioux Falls.

“I don’t think it’s every day someone is given the ability to start full time in their field before completing their degree, especially in software development where the competition is fierce at the junior level,” Bach said. “Looking forward, I am excited to write code every day for a living. I am passionate about my field and am excited every day I get to go to work and do what I love.”

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