I Got A Job At Amazon Without A College Degree. 5 Years Later, I Lead An AWS Team, Bought A Home, And Have Zero Student Debt.

© by Business Insider. Fidel Contreras was named Engineering Student of the Year when he was in high school, but thought a career in STEM was out of his reach. Fidel Contreras

• Fidel Contreras is a Data Center Manager at Amazon Web Services (AWS).
• He decided to skip college due to mounting student debt and the possibility of burnout.
• Contreras applied to the AWS technical internship program and began training at age 18.

A college education is a common path for the American middle class. But for those of us raised in immigrant families, it feels more like a burden than an opportunity.

My father worked seven days a week at the construction site, and my mother stayed at home to take care of us. I knew from a young age that if I went to college, I would have to pay for it.

But increasing student debt (seven times in the last 20 years) and the possibility of burnout were enough to convince me that college wasn't a viable option.

My brother saw potential in me that I didn't see in myself at the time

I've always liked building and fixing things and enjoyed being my dad's apprentice while he fixed his cars and our bikes, so I decided to pursue a career as a mechanic. When I shared this news with my brother, one of my lifelong mentors, he begged me to reconsider.

In my last year of high school, I was named "Engineering Student of the Year". Although I always had a passion for technology and computer-aided design, I thought STEM careers were out of reach, especially without a college degree, perhaps because I had no obvious role models. Those who will work in the field of technology

Encouraged by my brother, I went to the school's career center for counseling. I learned about a pre-paid technical training program at a local community college in partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS). Paid for by Amazon and third parties, it trains high school or college graduates, veterans and others with technical skills from non-traditional backgrounds so they can start careers in technology.

I looked it up and immediately applied. A few days later, right out of high school, I signed up and became an intern at an AWS data center in eastern Oregon.

Working at Amazon has become a family affair

As an 18-year-old, starting work at one of the world's largest technology companies, I was nervous but also incredibly excited. I worked hard and studied as much as I could. Five years and one promotion later, I lead a team of data center technicians.

A few years after I started my job, my brother also started working at AWS, and we recently bought a house together as an investment. To complete the circle, my brother, who inspired me to learn tech in the first place, is now working at Amazon.

Based on my own experience, here are my tips for talent starting their first career, first internship, internship, or full-time position.

1. Have an insatiable appetite for learning

When I first started at AWS, I had imposter syndrome. Everyone else seems to have deep technical knowledge and much more experience. But I had a strategy to gain the trust of my colleagues through hard work and curiosity.

The more I learn and the faster I learn, the faster I can contribute to my team. When I didn't know something, I asked questions, even though it was scary sometimes.

Years later, exercise is still very important. I take advantage of current AWS skills courses such as the Cloud Practitioner and Solution Architect courses.

Now that I'm leading a team, I want to start learning effective people management skills. This, along with additional technical skills, will help fulfill my dream of one day managing an AWS Region or cluster of data centers in a specific geographic area.

2. It's more than just working your head off

As a working professional raised by immigrant parents, I didn't immediately prioritize building relationships with colleagues. I was raised to keep my head down and not rely on others. However, over time I realized that I could only go so far on my own.

Gradually developing relationships with colleagues made me less afraid to ask questions, and my colleagues often spent extra time teaching me. Although I didn't join happy hours until I was 21, I made a conscious effort to engage coworkers during lunch or coffee breaks.

What I've learned is that building meaningful, strong relationships while driving results—with your boss, core team, cross-functional partners, and even executive leadership—can transform your career. These people will advise you, work with you, inspire and protect you.

And don't be discouraged if some people don't immediately agree with you. Building relationships of trust takes time. You have to be patient during the journey.

3. Slowly

There were moments when I had to slow down and think about what I was doing.

For example, when I felt I had enough technical skills, I was quick to help colleagues who might need referrals. But he did not allow them to study on their own.

While there's nothing wrong with wanting to help, it's important to think about your goals and work toward them. My goal was to develop new employees, so I had to create opportunities for them to learn. If they don't succeed on the first try, I have to constructively share feedback with practical advice and get them to try again.

I realize there is more to learn (both soft and hard skills) as I build my career. And my experience doesn't mean that college degrees are no longer valuable; in fact, many careers still require them. But I'm grateful for an alternative path for those of us who can't afford a degree.

Most importantly, I realized that all I needed to pursue and grow my career was a desire to learn and curiosity, not a college degree.

Fidel Contreras is a Data Center Manager at Amazon Web Services (AWS).

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