When the Covid-19 pandemic put life on pause, it gave me something unexpected: time to rethink everything. I’d already completed two university courses, but neither felt like the path for me. I didn’t want another “just-for-the-paycheck” job. I wanted work that actually ignited my curiosity.
That ignition came from an unlikely place—tech articles about central processing units (CPUs). The more I read, the more I wanted to gain expert depth on the subject. So, as a natural next step, I enrolled in a Computer Science course at Edinburgh College and then followed it with cybersecurity coursework. Meanwhile, I was still pulling long shifts as a waiter in a bustling Edinburgh restaurant–a job I’d held for more than a decade. Balancing plates [no pun intended] by night and code by day wasn’t easy, but it kept me focused because it left no time to waste. And, truthfully, for the first time I felt excited about work.
Discovering the Mainframe World
Near the end of my course, one of my professors—well-known in Edinburgh’s tech scene—posted about the Broadcom Vitality Mainframe Program. I barely knew what a mainframe was, so I dug in. I started by taking IBM’s z/Explore course, and quickly realized this was exactly the challenge I’d been looking for. I applied for the Vitality Program.
Two interviews later, I got the call: I was in.
Bootcamp and Beyond
The Vitality Program turned out to be the most intense, yet rewarding, training I’ve ever experienced. It was a full-on online bootcamp with instructors from around the world, covering everything from z/OS and terminal commands to JCL, COBOL, REXX, and CA7 scheduling–plus soft-skills training. The workload was huge, but the instructors made it approachable and surprisingly achievable and fun.
A highlight? Attending the 2024 GSE Conference, where I met seasoned mainframers, heard their “first-day on the job” stories, and came away with a serious confidence boost.
From Waiting Tables to Full-Time Mainframer
Fast-forward six months and I’m now a mainframe analyst at a large UK bank. It’s been a whirlwind—new tech, new people, new challenges, and a complete career reset. Looking back, I can see how years of hospitality work and academic study built the adaptability and teamwork that the tech world demands every day.
If there’s one lesson from this journey, it’s this: It’s never too late to change direction, learn something new, and find where you belong.
I’m grateful to everyone who helped me along the way, and I can honestly say the Broadcom Vitality Program is an incredible gateway into the world of mainframe.
Connect with me if you’d like to hear more about my experience: LinkedIn