A car accident wasn’t the career counselor Sydney King expected. But sometimes life makes the decision for you.
Sydney spent years working as a certified nursing assistant, with plans to advance to RN. Then, on Halloween, a rear-end collision landed him in the hospital with a herniated disc. Doctors warned him the physical demands of nursing might not be sustainable long term. The RN program he was set to start days later was suddenly off the table.
“My life was kind of changing in that moment,” Sydney said during a recent episode of MyComputerCareer’s Get Into IT Live. Instead of dwelling on what he lost, he started thinking about what he had always loved. “I really always loved tech, coming from the ’90s and growing up in that tech era.” He had been the family IT guy since grade school, remoting into friends’ PlayStations and setting up proxies on school computers. He just never thought of it as a career path.
He started researching programs, looking specifically for something that offered recognized credentials, that fit his schedule as a dad, and could be done from home. MyComputerCareer checked every box.
Starting from Scratch: No IT Background, No Problem
Sydney was candid about his expectations going in. “When you think IT, you think, ‘Oh, I’m just gonna be fixing computers.’ Or I might end up at a Best Buy helping people buy a new mouse.”
His first week in the ITSA program reset that assumption fast. “It really sparked that drive and that love that I have for IT. They were trying to teach me every single thing there is to know about basic tech, so that way I wouldn’t go into a job and not know how to speak the language.”
That foundation is everything. The ITSA program is built specifically for career changers with no IT background. No prerequisite experience. No technical degree required. Just commitment and follow-through, both of which Sydney had.
Three Programs and Counting
Sydney didn’t stop at ITSA. Once he saw how many directions an IT career could go, he kept going. He completed MyComputerCareer’s Cyber Security Engineer program, then enrolled in the school’s Associate program.
“Why not stay here with the same teachers, the same environment, the same growth, the same push, and learn more?” he said. (We’re a touch biased here, but we agree)
His approach outside the classroom is equally deliberate. He gets a daily tech newsletter every morning. Not because anyone told him to, but because staying current is just part of how he operates now. “Remain a student at all times is basically my motto.”
Balancing School, Work, and a Four-Year-Old
Sydney wasn’t sitting around with free time when he enrolled. He had a daughter at home and a job to keep. Asked how he managed it all, his first answer was simply, “Breathing.” Then: “Anything you want to do is really possible as long as you believe that you can do it.”
The remote format made a real difference. Attending class from home meant he could stay present for his daughter without sacrificing his training. “I refuse to let anything stop me,” he said. His career timeline since then makes that pretty clear.
Career Services Shined Bright
Sydney landed his first IT job on his own within four months of enrolling, before graduation. A large insurance company hired him as a tier 1 technician. Six months later, he moved to tier 2 with a pay raise. His certifications and drive made an impression.
Career Services stepped in to help him keep climbing. His advisor updated his resume every time he completed a new certification and helped him understand how his healthcare background added value rather than something to hide. His familiarity with patient data protections and HIPAA made him a natural fit for identity and access management, which became his specialty.
“My transition from service desk into tech support is all thanks to Career Services,” he said. “Without that support, I may have felt like I wasn’t getting anywhere.”
At the time of the show, Sydney accepted a job offer and was preparing to move into a technical support specialist role, his next step up from service desk analyst.
The Advice He Would Give Anyone Sitting on the Fence
Sydney’s answer to anyone hesitating was short: “In the great words of Nike, just do it.”
He backed it up with something that lands. “You’ll be 20 steps in and won’t even realize how much it’s changed your life. And honestly, it has changed my life.”
For anyone in a physically demanding job, a healthcare role, or a career that no longer fits, Sydney’s story is worth sitting with. The starting point is the same for many people who go on to build strong IT careers. No background required. Just a willingness to go find something better.
Ready to take that first step? Learn more about the ITSA program and more at MyComputerCareer and see where a career in IT can take you.