“I have always wanted to be an engineer and make a change that I can see.” That’s how Rafael Mariano describes two of his major goals in life.

With those twin aims in mind, during college he kept a close eye on the job market. But what he saw made him anxious. It seemed that every engineering job, even the most junior, required applicants to demonstrate practical experience across multiple technologies. Rafael didn’t have a chance to build up that kind of experience, because whenever he wasn’t studying he had to work a succession of student-aid jobs in order to pay his way through.

One day, while attending a college fair, Rafael heard about a company called Revature that offered applicants training in sought-after technologies with a guaranteed work placement for those that made it through. He took the plunge.

Rafael wound up training in the popular Pega app development platform. It was tough, but it turned out to be good preparation for the workplace and, as Rafael says, for “life in general.” Alongside technical learning, the course included intensive coaching in vital skills like communication and teamwork. Summing up the experience, he describes it as the “best journey I have been through, career-wise.”

Rafael calls his post-Revature career “amazing,” and given his passion for making a difference through coding, it’s easy to see why. These days, he works as an app developer for a company whose mission is to provide affordable healthcare for almost two million people in the New York City area. Rafael contributes by using his Pega skills to help the company run more efficiently.

He acknowledges that committing to Revature is a big step—and that, once there, the training is no picnic. But ultimately, he urges those in doubt to just go for it. “Don’t be scared,” he advises. “Trust the process.” No wonder; it has certainly worked out for him.