When James first learned about Summit Academy’s IT training through a Facebook post, he was looking for a sense of direction. After a string of unfulfilling jobs, he was looking for a career he could be passionate about. “I wanted to find a new skill,” he explains. “IT made sense to me. I thought it was going to be a good opportunity.”
James enrolled at Summit in 2019, joining the new IT training launched in partnership with Atomic Data. The training was designed to connect Summit graduates with clear career pathways into the tech industry—with many of them transitioning from the training directly into entry-level roles at Atomic.
Before attending Summit, James knew he was interested in technology, but didn’t have the training or experience to pursue a career in the IT industry. “I didn’t have tech language. I never heard of CompTIA+,” he says. “I think that language helped me get to where I’m at in this position. That was the most valuable thing—being able to speak the business language for the industry.”
After graduating from Summit, James started his career at Atomic as a Network Operations Center Tech I—an entry-level, third-shift position monitoring systems and troubleshooting technical issues. From day one, he knew he wanted to work hard and move up the ladder. “I knew the path I wanted,” he recalls. “I got that path, and then also knew I wanted to get promoted from there, and I did. I think that's been the biggest accomplishment.”
Today, James is a Compliance Analyst at Atomic Data. His day-to-day includes client consultations, tech stack evaluations, and security compliance work. He loves the autonomy, the chance to learn new technologies, and the culture of encouragement around continued learning. “I get to decide what type of work I want to pursue, getting opportunities to try out new technology, and that not being restricted,” he says. “I touch a lot of different aspects of a technology stack, so I have to learn different technologies. And then being encouraged just to pursue that education, either during work or outside of work.”
James is determined to continue achieving great things at Atomic. “Long-term, I want to continue up the path of consulting—moving up that ladder to a further senior position. A Virtual Chief Information Security Officer,” he explains. “That’s a long time to go. I want to get to that point.”
Summit’s training and Atomics support helped James launch a career he enjoys, in a field that encourages him to continue learning. “The achievement I’m proud of is I took advantage of the opportunity at Summit, made a plan, and then executed on that plan.”