“Don’t pigeon-hole yourself,” Cassidy Fuller, MAXX Alum and Business Systems Analyst, shares.
MAXX Alumni Success Story with Cassidy Fuller, Business Systems Analyst III at Chicago Transit Authority
By MAXX Potential
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Cassidy worked as an Apprentice for less than a year, gaining valuable on-the-job tech experience before she exited MAXX Potential to work as a Business Systems Analyst III at Chicago Transit Authority.
What were you doing before MAXX Potential? What drew you to pursue a career in technology?
Before Maxx, I was working in restaurants. After health issues had more or less forced me to drop out of art school, I had been wondering what to do with my life — what next step to take — when I had an idea for a piece of art. The idea was a website, 90s GeoCities style, and so in order to make it, I learned the basics of HMTL, CSS, and a little bit of JavaScript. I’d never coded before.
I was hooked immediately. I loved the entire process — the mix of research and problem solving just really clicked with me. When I was done making my weird little website I knew I had to pursue a career in this.
Can you talk about what you’re currently working on? What are some of your job responsibilities?
As a business systems analyst, I’m a liaison between the team who customizes CTA’s Oracle supply chain software and the end users of that software. I use a lot of SQL to assess issues, find and fix data discrepancies, and generate reports for leadership.
What’s the most rewarding thing about your current role?
There are two main things I really love about my role:
One, Chicago’s amazing rail and bus system was a huge factor in my decision to move here over other cities. I love being a small part of something so important to so many people.
Two, I’m able to have a lot of freedom to self direct projects, suggest improvements to processes, and be creative at the CTA. The department is wonderful, and leadership is enthusiastic if a new idea is going to actually work.
How do you keep your skills up to date? What’s the best way to learn new concepts, technologies, programming languages, etc.?
I like freecodecamp.org for learning new skills. I also listen to a lot of podcasts — mostly news & culture — and I try to always tune in when they’re discussing news in the tech sector. I’d recommend On The Media, Reply All, and Radiolab.
What’s the best piece of advice you can give to someone early in their IT career or looking to get their start?
I’d say: don’t pigeon-hole yourself, or be afraid of a role that may seem “boring,” or not in your realm of interest. I was more interested in a development role at first, and business systems analysis can be less code-heavy than that. However, I still find the non-coding parts of my job fulfill what I wanted out of a development-heavier role. I’m still challenged to think critically and problem solve, even when I’m just writing an SOP.
Interested in becoming or working with a MAXX Apprentice? Attend Career Lab or explore MAXX Business Solutions!
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