Intro
Following a dreadful stint in retail and food service, one of my first “real” jobs was manually keying addresses for the United States Postal Service. Today, I’m a data engineer working with Azure Synapse, ADF, dbt, and Snowflake — building scalable cloud pipelines and leading technical projects. But my path into this role wasn’t traditional, and it definitely wasn’t linear.
I didn’t go to school for computer science. I didn’t start coding until much later. What I did have was a drive to solve problems, a fascination with data, and a habit of asking, “how does this work?” and “how can I make this better?”
This is the story of how I went from data entry to data engineer — and everything I learned along the way.
The Early Days: USPS and 411 Calls
My entry into the world of data wasn’t glamorous. I can't tell you how jealous I am of some of the recent college graduates I now work alongside. At the USPS Remote Encoding Center, I manually keyed addresses from mailpieces that couldn’t be processed by automated systems. It was repetitive, heads-down work, but it taught me the importance of precision, speed, and attention to detail — skills I didn’t realize I was developing until years later, while debugging SQL queries at 2 a.m.
With word of potential closures and no real path to a stable career at USPS, I moved into a role at kgb, a 411 directory assistance call center. For the younger crowd: 411 was basically Google before Google — I queried databases for contact info and relayed it over the phone. It wasn’t technical, but it was my first experience working directly with structured data. I learned to retrieve and communicate information quickly and accurately.
Neither job had anything to do with SQL or programming, but both sharpened my focus, introduced me to data-driven systems, and built a foundation I didn’t even know I was laying. At the time, I wouldn't have called it a stepping stone — but that’s exactly what it was.
Detour Ahead: Identity Group
When kgb announced layoffs, I wasn’t exactly heartbroken. It was time to move on. I landed a job at an architectural signage company — Identity Group — which was, in many ways, a detour. I started in project coordination and moved through a few roles that had little to do with data engineering... at least on the surface.
But I was learning. I got better at using Excel, explored FileMaker Pro (which I now fondly think of as "Access for designers"), and eventually became an Operations Coordinator, working directly under the plant manager. There, I built dashboards and reports to track key operational metrics — all in Excel. It wasn’t SQL, but I was starting to realize I loved turning raw information into meaningful insight.
Breaking Into Tech: Reporting & SQL
My “big break” came through my brother-in-law, who was doing contract work for a startup called BYAGI. He needed help building reports in SSRS — reports that accountants could export as Excel files. He was a C#/.NET developer and handed me the SQL work: writing CRUD statements and learning SSRS well enough to get reports out the door.
I was immediately hooked.
SQL was simple but elegant. And while SSRS could be clunky at times, combining it with SQL made it far more powerful than Excel alone. For the first time, I felt like I was doing real development.
Leveling Up: InfoSync Reporting & DBA Roles
For a while, I worked days at Identity Group and nights as a contract developer at BYAGI. Eventually, I landed a full-time SQL/SSRS Developer role at InfoSync Services, and that’s where things really took off.
InfoSync was — for better or worse — a SQL shop. We did almost everything in SQL. Our ETL developers loaded raw data into staging environments using SSIS. From there, it was up to us report developers to get the data production-ready: writing stored procedures, applying business logic, and building out SSRS reports.
I’ve always believed that if you’re going to do something, you should do it well. I constantly looked for ways to improve my code and make my reports more performant. Eventually, I became known as the “SQL guy” — the go-to for teammates who needed help writing or optimizing queries.
That reputation led to an opportunity to train into a Database Administrator role — a huge leap from reporting. I was fortunate to learn from some of the best in the industry, taking SQLskills Immersion courses with Paul Randal, Kimberly Tripp, Jonathan Kehayias, and Erin Stellato, plus live courses from Brent Ozar.
It was like drinking from a firehose — but I loved it.
Real Talk: My Struggle With Impostor Syndrome
The deeper I went into DBA work, the more I realized how much I didn’t know. Every concept was a rabbit hole, and the weight of that knowledge — or lack thereof — became overwhelming. I second-guessed myself constantly. Eventually, the self-doubt became too heavy to carry.
I stepped back from the DBA path and returned to development roles — first as a SQL Developer at SelectQuote, then as a Reports Developer at Thomas & Company, and eventually back to InfoSync as an IMBI Developer II. That return gave me space to breathe, rebuild confidence, and reconnect with what I enjoyed most: solving problems with data.
The Cloud Shift: TEC Systems Group / Cornerstone Data
After about a year and a half back at InfoSync, I knew I wanted more than reporting. SSRS felt like a dying breed, and I saw the writing on the wall. I started reading about data engineering, learning data modeling, and taking online courses. I decided to pursue a new direction.
By chance, I attended a local data professionals Meetup and met someone who would eventually become my boss at Cornerstone Data. I followed up, sent over my resume, and months later, I got the call for an interview.
I’ve been at TEC/Cornerstone for just over a year now, and I truly love the work. I’m building ETL pipelines, modeling data, and working across platforms like Azure Synapse, ADF, dbt, and Snowflake. And because we’re consultants, I’m constantly exposed to new tooling, clients, and challenges. It’s been the most growth I’ve experienced in any role — and I’m still learning something new every day.
Reflections
I never would’ve guessed that data entry would lead to data engineering. I didn’t have a plan when I started. I didn’t even know this path existed. But looking back, every job along the way taught me something valuable.
🧩 USPS taught me discipline and detail.
📞 kgb showed me the power of fast, accurate data delivery.
📊 Identity Group rekindled my love for Excel and visuals.
📄 BYAGI introduced me to SQL and SSRS.
🧠 InfoSync made me a SQL powerhouse.
😰 My DBA experience taught me humility — and resilience.
Each stop added something to my toolkit — even the detours.
Closing Thoughts
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this:
You don’t need a traditional background to break into data.
If I did it, so can you.
Stay curious. Stay persistent. Share what you learn.
Start a blog. Write on LinkedIn. Build the thing you wish existed.
And if you’re ever struggling with impostor syndrome, anxiety, or self-doubt — reach out. I’ve been there, and I’d be happy to talk.
Until next time, happy querying.