Ready to Launch a Career? Consider Moving to Tennessee

I’m currently a data scientist with U.S. Cellular. Between the material I learned at UT and an internship, I was well prepared for the work. I learned how to clean and manipulate data, work with nontechnical teams, do meaningful statistical analysis and present the results in an understandable way.
The university has an amazing network to tap into for opportunities that might be unavailable to others outside the network. I was able to get a job at a startup as a data scientist because of relationships I fostered at the Knoxville Entrepreneur Center. The job was never posted online, and I wouldn’t have heard of it otherwise. 

I am a senior data scientist for a telecom company and have grown to become an expert in my field through the years. Being a part of Knoxville’s networking groups has opened numerous doors to me, and now, I’m able to help others further their careers. The great thing about Knoxville is that I have options because of the abundance of opportunities here. 

Although I travel often, I always enjoy coming back to the culture and people of Knoxville. This city is still in its early stages of growth, but I feel there has been a culture shift toward living in midsize, less populated cities that offer a lower cost of living and plenty of outdoor activities close to the city center. I believe Knoxville will grow exponentially in the coming years, and it’s the perfect time for recent graduates to get in on the ground floor of what Knoxville will become.

Dickson is an industrial-driven city, so I worked in a stamping press shop and wanted to advance but couldn’t because I didn’t have a formal education. I decided to do something about that, so I enrolled at TCAT Dickson and found that the state provides some grant money for people like me who have been out of school for several years and have a family. 

I’ve been mechanically inclined my entire life, with a father who was very smart when doing anything that involved electrical, plumbing, mechanical, HVAC and so forth. I was kind of his apprentice growing up, so I decided to enroll in the TCAT mechatronics program. I liked every bit of it, and TCAT prepared me for a lifetime career instead of just a job. 

I was born in Robertson County and then lived in Nashville before moving to Dickson at age 33. Tennessee has always been my home, and I have no intention of ever leaving this beautiful state. 

Technical vocations are high-paying careers these days, and TCAT has excellent instructors who teach all students to take pride in whatever career they choose.