In this series, we spotlight General Assembly graduates who epitomize the heart, soul, and grit it takes to transform your career dreams into reality.
Name: Tessa
Course: Data Analytics Bootcamp
Year Graduated: 2023
Location: Melbourne
Tessa’s Story:
Bravery. When faced with a challenge, bravery leans in. When others doubt, bravery says it can be done. Bravery elbows fear aside and forges ahead, no matter the circumstances. And when all seems lost, bravery musters the strength for one more try.
And bravery, it turns out, is what sets General Assembly graduates apart.
“GA students are really brave people,” says Tessa, who graduated from our Data Analytics Bootcamp in 2023. “They’ve come from one career and have the drive to commit and change—it’s really telling of their character. So I think if you want to hire people who are brave and who have drive, then I think GA is a great place to come looking.”
Tessa’s time with GA certainly put her mettle to the test. But the truth is, bravery is a muscle she’s been developing for years, starting back when she worked as a vet nurse—a time when steely resolve and a steady hand were key to success.
“It was hard clinical work,” she says of the role. “A lot of my job was triage and it’s the same thing I do when I triage tasks today—whatever comes across my desk, I need to know what’s first, second, and third. Workflow and prioritization are still something I do every day.”
Of course, the fast-paced, high-pressure nature of a data career is much easier when your heart is in the work. “I love Microsoft Excel,” Tessa says, unapologetically. “I love that you can be presented with a big chunk of data in a complicated spreadsheet that can be really overwhelming but actually has a lot of insight in it we can extract if we know how. So, like finding the truth hidden amongst a messy spreadsheet—it’s like being a detective.”
After graduation, Tessa landed a position as an analyst at Intrepid Travel, where she happily continues to work to this day.
In addition to courage and commitment, there’s another crucial ingredient responsible for propelling her career transformation: community. “I had my instructors, Jared and Mike, my instructor associate Tuva, and Shay on my careers team helping me out along the way,” she says.
(At GA, we know how important community is to a career transition. That’s why we build next-level career services support into our programs: before, during, and after enrollment.)
Advice from Tessa? She’s got one more piece for those looking to follow in her footsteps: “Work on presentation skills and communication skills,” she says. “You have to be able to uncover the insights, but then you need to be able to connect to the bigger picture—and explain that to the people who haven’t just spent hours digging through a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.”
In the end, Tessa remains a shining example of what happens when talent and vision meet drive and determination—and a partner like General Assembly to help focus it all toward a concrete goal. “I’ve learned so much,” she says. “I’ve been able to completely change my direction in a short period of time, and also connect with a really great network of informed, knowledgeable, and excited people.”
Tessa’s journey continues, but never forget—bravery is where it all began.
Feeling courageous? Explore adding GA to your championship career team.