In this episode of The Bullpen, Sonya and Misty flip the script and bring on candidate-turned-IT-pro, David Arroyo, to share his journey—from almost taking on college debt he didn’t want, to finding Tech Impact, riding his bike to interviews, and landing his first full-time role with the help of a recruiter.

This is the real story of what happens when someone shows up, does the work, and uses every resource available—mentors, community programs, and recruiting partners—to build a career in tech.

What We Cover:

• From high school to IT without the debt
  How David went from almost choosing cybersecurity college programs to discovering Tech Impact as a free, alternative path into IT.

• What Tech Impact actually provides
  16-week cohort model, CompTIA A+ prep, Cisco IT Essentials, internships, Friday professional development sessions, and why the soft skills were just as valuable as the technical ones.

• The internship that almost became a job
  Why the CTO wanted to keep him but couldn’t—and how that honest “we’d hire you if we could” moment became fuel instead of failure.

• Riding his bike to interviews (literally)
  David’s story of biking to his interview, meeting the hiring manager at Einstein Bros., and what really made him stand out as an entry-level candidate.

• The recruiter advantage
  How working with Taurean Consulting Group helped him: resume support, interview coaching, market insight, and someone in his corner who could vouch for him.

• Taking action fast: the DMV story
  The day after his interview, David went straight to the DMV for his learner’s permit to prove his commitment—and landed his first full-time IT role because of it.

• Mock interviews that turned into Forbes
  How a mock interview with a Workday employee led to an ongoing mentorship, a published internal story, and that story being picked up by Forbes.

• Finding your lane in tech
  Why David wishes he had specialized earlier, how he’s now diving into security and cryptography (including a free Stanford course), and why “keep learning” isn’t just a cliché.

• Networking in a “big small town” like Vegas
  How relationships with mentors, hiring managers, and community leaders (like Tech Impact, AITP, and past internships) kept opening doors, even years later.

Connect with David:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-arroyo-11b05116a

Connect with TCG:

Ready to expand the realm of possible? Let's talk.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.taureanconsulting.net/search-las-vegas-it-and-tech-jobs/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/taureanconsulting/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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