Stewart Viera
Associate Consultant
Microsoft
Milestones
My road in life has taken me all over.
First, I started at a community college because I completed high school in another country.
I transferred to NJIT to pursue a degree in Computer Engineering.
I joined Phi Theta Kappa (A 2-year college Honors Society) and took a VP role in Web Management.
Realizing I was not enjoying my major I switched to Information Technology.
I decided to open a Tae-kwondo club in school.
I reached out to Microsoft and got hired in Fall 2014 to start working on the summer of 2015.
I completed the curriculums for the Engineering, Computer Science and Mathematics AS degrees.
I joined New York University to start an MS degree in Management & Systems.
Keep following my journey
Education
High School
Colegio Marco Salas Yepez
Colegio Marco Salas Yepez
Associate's Degree
Essex County College
Essex County College
Certification/License
Education/Teaching of Individuals in Early Childhood Special Education Programs
Education/Teaching of Individuals in Early Childhood Special Education Programs
Career
Associate Consultant
I deploy cloud technology for multiple customers.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Technology
Travel
Learning / Being Challenged
Day to Day
The work of a consultant can be very adventurous as you never know where your next project will be or about what it will be. Depending on the project you may find yourself on the go travelling to different cities. Once you reach your destination you will engage in the process of getting to know your customer and understanding their needs. You will have lots and I mean lots of meetings. Eventually, you will understand their objectives and you will put your skills in action to deliver their goals!
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for college students
Gaining technical skills is easy. You can find a lot of material and courses to ramp up in any technology you desire. However, experience is something that does not come easily. I would highly encourage anyone in college to go out and acquire as much experience as possible before graduating. As a college student I worked for 4 different companies before joining Microsoft. I worked across 4 different industries and I worked for long periods ranging from 3 months to 1 year at each.
Recommended Education
My career is related to what I studied. I'd recommend the path I took:
Associate's Degree
Certification/License
Education/Teaching of Individuals in Early Childhood Special Education Programs
Education/Teaching of Individuals in Early Childhood Special Education Programs
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Society in General:
"'Everyone thinks he is smart. His grades mean nothing. I bet you he will not accomplish anything once he goes back to the US.' 'No one will take you seriously because no one wants a gay person around.'"
Challenges I Overcame
Financial
LGBT
