Data Scientist Danny Snyder had just finished teaching English in Brazil as a Fulbright Scholar when he realized he wanted to develop his technical skills. His background was in economics and Latin American studies. He had a clearance. He just didn’t have the right experience to do the work that interested him the most.
Enter Booz Allen. A recruiter invited Danny to join our Technical Excellence program in data science. This intensive, 2-month, cohort-based development program helped Danny jumpstart his career in the field. “Being given this opportunity was career-changing for me,” says Danny. “It helped me break into the tech field.” Two years later, Danny uses his data science expertise on a diverse set of projects, from understanding and quantifying discrimination to enforcing financial regulations. His work influences civilians and law enforcement across the country. “This program gave me a solid foundation for data science and coding,” adds Danny. “I’ve had the chance over the last few years to further my skills. Now I’m able to clean data, analyze it, visualize it to my clients, and help them make meaningful conclusions.”
Our Technical Excellence programs in cyber, data science, modern software development, and cloud engineering play a key role in supporting people at all phases of their career. “I’m not a technical person and had no cyber or technical IT experience before applying to the program,” says Associate Courtney Endress. “Booz Allen took the risk and invested in my future.” Cybersecurity Analyst Matt Spear agrees. “Many people may not realize that skills learned in other career areas can translate into new careers. Having an open mind to the possibility and trusting yourself enough to make the leap can be highly rewarding.”
These programs break new ground in training. Through skill assessments, hands-on training with industry leaders, continual engagement outside of the program, mentorship with subject matter experts, and job placement after program completion, participants not only learn new skills, they become a part of our organization. “We’re here to help build the best talent,” says Director of Functional Development Jim Hemgen. “That’s why we invest in our employees, arming them with the capabilities they need to not only support our clients, but further their careers.”
We’re also investing in change through our people—not only for the sake of our clients’ missions, but for the professional lives of our teammates. “I love this healthy, encouraging, curious work environment,” says Danny. “There’s always a willingness to share what we do and an intellectual curiosity to learn more at Booz Allen.”
