George Schrils

Looking back, being laid off was one of the best things that’s ever happened to me professionally.

When I was laid off from a role in retail, I knew I didn’t want to just find another job. It was time to build a career. For me, that also meant, it was time to go back to school.

I had always messed around with computers growing up. I’ve built my own computer more than once, so naturally working in Information Technology (IT) seemed like a fit. I started classes for an associate degree at my local community college and learned about the 12-week internship opportunity with Deloitte through the New York Jobs CEO Council. Deloitte’s program stuck out to be because I could earn academic credits toward my associate degree, while also gaining on-the-job training, mentorship and coaching from Deloitte professionals. But at the same time, I was confused. I thought Deloitte was an accounting firm and I wasn’t sure where IT would fit in. I applied and quickly learned how much more there is to this organization.

My internship included several rotations, covering everything from cloud computing to DevOps. I got a taste of all the things I could possibly do as a Deloitte professional in the IT field. That meant many projects to learn and try things out. I took each small project seriously, putting out the best work I could and asking questions along the way.

That internship led me to the apprenticeship I’m in now, which is essentially a year-long intensive training course launching on how to be a better software engineer. I learn about the newest technologies, practice working with them alongside my Deloitte cohort and facilitators, and at the end of the program, I’ll be placed on a software engineering team to work with our professionals and clients.

Every day, I get to learn something new, working with incredible professionals across Deloitte’s global footprint. And I’m back in school again, taking classes towards my bachelor’s degree in computer information systems. I am so grateful that Deloitte’s given me the chance to grow my career and support my further education along the way.