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Dear Learner

These are some of the direct messages my former learners wanted to share with you to encourage you in this journey. Whenever you have doubts or wonder what can happen in just 3 short months, I hope you'll let their words inspire you.

Dear Future Learner,

Take a breath. Prepare. This is real.

When I started this program I kept thinking to myself that this is too good to be true. Why would a company be willing to teach me IT technical skills, train, and help me find a job, with no upfront cost for me until I am succeeding. But it's all real. You will be challenged, both professionally and technically, and learn new IT content at an accelerated pace. But you won't be alone. You will have an entire squad of other learners to help you and struggle alongside you. Learners from all different backgrounds and histories working towards the same goal you are. Learners who are willing and want to help you in the process. Besides these learners, you will have your own coach. An asset that can not be fully measured. A personal guide to improving yourself as well as helping to market your strengths when looking for a new job.

This program has been a life-changing experience for me. Not just because of the amazing IT content I learned, but the people I have met along the way. I have become the best possible ME and I am excited for the first time to see what the future will bring.

Good luck Learner! Just take a breath.

Hello Future Learner!

Brace yourself, for you have a lot to do. And the payoff is huge.

I have learned a lot more about networking and security than I ever thought I could in years. It has inspired me to learn even more things and step out of my comfort zone and take a chance on better things.

I was able to build on my experiences and gain more insight into who I am as a person and that I should have more confidence in myself, and more so when others don't. I originally thought the program was just going to be a scam, and would offer me nothing that I could use afterward - that it was just below bare-minimum, enough to get me in the door of a job and that was it. I'm glad I was wrong about that. While the program was intense, it was so helpful.

I learned about cover letters, interviews and resumes, things I struggled to learn on my own and felt that I could never get to learn without paying a ton of money to learn about. My only regret with this program, was not learning about it sooner.

The greatest challenge was keeping up with the coursework. Its a very intensive course, but as long as you pace yourself and take your time, it becomes easier and the rewards are worth it all. I received lots of help from my fellow students and my coach , and I loved that I was also able to help others with there work.

I am and will always be grateful for what I have learned from Merit America.

Congratulations for making this amazing decision to join Merit America's learner program. You have made the decision to improve your skills and you will be amazed by what all you are about to accomplish on this journey. Since joining the program I have found a new confidence in my abilities to learn a skill I knew very little about. Had someone told me 3 months ago that I would be able to do the things I have learned here I would have laughed it off. HERE I AM THOUGH! I have accomplished so many things, learned new useful skills, and had a fantastic squad and coach to support me through this whole process. Starting out in the program I thought, "O, I can get this work done in a day or two and chill the rest of the week." I quickly found out otherwise. This is not for those that are not prepared to actually put the hours into it; but every week you get closer and closer to the end you accomplish so many things. You find a desire in yourself to be better. You recognize your faults and work on them along the way. Each week you complete what takes others three weeks to get done. Do not doubt yourself! Know that you CAN do this, even with life going on! I work 40 hours a week, have faced dealing with serious illness and hospitalization of my brother, COVID in my family and at work, and I STILL kept going and never gave up! BE DETERMINED to improve yourself! You DESERVE this! You will have the support given to you by not only your squad mates and coach; but also with other Merit America staff. They are here to help you succeed. You will have the best people in the world to help you along this journey. Enjoy the ride and know you WILL be successful!

Dear future learner,

You have arrived, and get comfortable. The skills that I have learned throughout my Merit America journey are of an abundance. Re-introducing myself to the personal aspect of seeking a job, research, resume writing, cover letter formatting, and overall how you put the best parts of you on display, humbly. Technical wise, you will learn so many puzzle pieces of IT. The coursework might be overwhelming, but pace yourself it will be absorbed.In regards to your group members, you are going to develop different types of connections. Some of which will be professional, friendly, a little bit of both. Always come with an open mind to benefit the most.The best way to distinguish between expectations vs reality is by doing the work. Do not expect to just make it just by chance. Be willing to put in the work and manage your time as best as possible. This is your jumping off point, so get ready for the ride.Lastly, the biggest challenge is balance. Balance between work, school, life, unexpected occurrences, coursework, the leather’s portal assignments, and showing up! You can absolutely do this. Everytime you hear yourself say I cannot, tell yourself aloud, yes, you can! Good Luck and work hard!

My opinion is that anyone wanting to go into the field of IT should enter the Merit America program. At times it's pretty tough and I'm sure you'll want to give up at least once or twice, but I promise it's worth it. I've learned so much and have been surrounded by wonderful people who want to help me achieve my goals. Before Merit, I thought my dreams were just that; dreams. But after the 13 weeks of this program, I feel like I'm much more equipped to face the world of IT, which I once found daunting, but now is a manageable subject to work in. I would highly recommend it.

Dear future learner,

By joining the Merit America program, you have embarked on a journey of self discovery and perseverance. Welcome. You’ll have to dig deep and challenge yourself to grow at an exponential rate. We all believe you can do it, even if you might not yet. There are so many learners who have come before you and can support you, if you reach out. The most valuable connections I made in the program were with former learners. They encouraged me, helped me see the light at the end of the tunnel, and guided me in my learning. I highly recommend connecting with alumni for that reason.

I didn’t know what to expect going into the program, other than that I would learn about IT. The professional development aspect has been invaluable though. During this time, you’ll learn to make yourself the best you can be, how to use the right framing to be the picture you want to be. That’s what makes it a journey of self discovery. Things you hadn’t thought of yourself, you now will.

You’ve already taken the first step on toward the future, just continue along the path. Everything moves so quickly, it’s easy to get caught up. Take time to recharge, get ahead when you can so the deadlines aren’t as looming, and always put in your best effort. The amount you put into the program is the amount you’ll get back out of it. So put in your best self.

Congratulations and good luck.

I have attempted to develop relationships with my co-learners, and build a solid network of like-minded individuals. I reconnected with several of my old coworkers and bosses through utilizing LinkedIn, which was really neat to see.

I have to say, my expectations were met in the technical modules. I was a little nervous about the professional development, but that turned out to be where I had the most fun. I was a bit privileged when it came to the time I could devote to the course, due to being unemployed, and I wish I had been able to get through the technical work a bit faster. The pacing was a bit slow for me at times, but that really had to do with my familiarity with a lot of the content coming into the program.

Greetings Learners! You are about to embark on a unique experience. At the beginning of this program, I was fresh on the IT scene, and all I knew was that I wanted to make a changer of career. I learned many different technical skills, and professional skills that I know will serve me well. The coaches are wonderful, and I learned with amazing individuals in my cohort. I learned that I wasn't alone, and that there was truly no such thing as starting to late. I didn't think this program would be as helpful as it was. But know, I'm on the cusp of landing a new job, taking a first step into a new career, and the proud holder of a Comptia A+ equivalent certificate! I hope you're able to reap as much benefit as I have through this program. You are incredible!

Dear Learner,

I have learned a lot technical skills in IT support, as well as enhancing my professional skills. This program gave me the confidence to reach out to people in my organization, extending my social network. I expected this program to be more on the technical side, but turned out it was very professional focused, which is something I needed to work on. The challenge I faced during the program, was acclimating on the work needed to be done, because I haven't been in school for such a long time.

I’ve definitely learned more about the technical skills I will be utilizing in this career shift. I was able to fill in the gaps in my experience and vocabulary to better verbalize the skills I’ve been developing over my lifetime. I have attempted to develop relationships with my co-learners, and build a solid network of like-minded individuals. I reconnected with several of my old coworkers and bosses through utilizing LinkedIn, which was really neat to see. I have to say, my expectations were met in the technical modules. I was a little nervous about the professional development, but that turned out to be where I had the most fun. I was a bit privileged when it came to the time I could devote to the course, due to being unemployed, and I wish I had been able to get through the technical work a bit faster. The pacing was a bit slow for me at times, but that really had to do with my familiarity with a lot of the content coming into the program.

Dear future learner,

I feel like more of a professional. I have a lot more confidence in the workplace search than I ever did before. My coach was very involved and felt like she was actively getting to know me and gave me really solid advice and guidance as a result. It was also great learning about other learners' experiences and differences or similarities. We were in this together! I thought the program was going to be awkward or not very productive. I was wrong. The technical work goes really fast, and I just wish I knew how little time you have to really grasp it all. But! You can always go back and try to practice again. Knowing everyone felt the same or having others share their unique ideas on how to go about it helped a lot. Definitely overall worth your time and efforts. You gain a lot.

Dear Future Learner

This program doesn't just give technical knowledge and resume building skills. It has a way of giving you confidence and teaches you how to showcase yourself. It teaches you how to work through the nerves of learning something new and gives you space to work through growing towards a new path. You may be used to doing things on your own or not asking for help but there is value in having a support system to comes from coaches that are invested in you and peers going through the same things. I hope you take a chance on yourself and see it through the end. You'll learn a lot about yourself and how well you can fit in the world of IT. It's so much bigger with many more options than you expect.

Dear Future Learner,

Hope you’re doing well and excited about the journey you’re about to embark on. It may seem like this program is too good to be true and possibly fake. Just like I had felt in the beginning. In all reality, it was definitely work but worth it in the end! It has given me not only the work in the IT certification but a chance to work and learn with a group of people. Not only did that give more team experiences but added to making new friends. Also having a great coach to help in the program was a good experience to have. Though it may seem rushed and dealing with time management can be tough! Just make sure to communicate not only with the program but people you deal with outside of the program to help with time management. I wish you luck!

Dear Future learner,

In this program, you will learn the importance of networking. you will learn how to write a resume and cover letter and their importance.

You will meet some great people during your squad, not just your coach but your fellow learners. Make sure to keep these connections and to rekindle some old forms from past jobs you never know who might be able to give you a good recommendation.

When I first started the program I thought it was more focused on the technical aspect of IT but it teaches you more on the professional side of things. Which in my opinion it's just as if not more important.

The biggest challenge is not the work but taking time to do it properly it may seem like a simple enough task but you need to give yourself the right amount of time so that you can complete everything correctly and be the best you can provide.

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