From Music Gigs to Cloud Tech: How Smoothstack Helped Trent Ransom Find His New Career Beat

Trent Ransom’s career journey is anything but traditional.

A musician and music student with two master’s degrees, Trent frequently performed at music gigs and spent years immersed in the world of music. But after one year into another music degree, he decided to pivot and pursue tech.

Trent had always been drawn to technology. As an undergrad, he took physics courses and enjoyed working with Python. He enrolled in a data science bootcamp at the end of 2022, eager to break into the field. However, despite his knowledge, he struggled to land a job.

The problem? Lack of formal experience.

“For someone with no experience, there’s not much you can do with just a bootcamp and nothing else,” Trent shared.

That’s when he discovered Smoothstack.

What stood out to Trent was the opportunity for both training and hands-on experience. “It was perfect for me because I didn’t have experience; they’re offering the training and the experience,” he said.

Trent joined the cloud cohort and dove into the immersive program.

The training was unlike anything Trent had experienced before. While bootcamp education provided theoretical knowledge, Smoothstack’s approach was hands-on and practical.

“It felt like a whirlwind,” Trent recalled. “After getting through the training, I appreciated the way it was structured—you’re building something all the way through, and you understand how it can work at a bigger company. It’s easier to internalize the information when you see how it fits into the big picture.”

For Trent, the training sparked a series of breakthroughs. “There were a lot of lightbulb moments during the training—things that I was stuck on and then had a breakthrough,” he said. “It was amazing to see at the end how we all managed to put together something none of us knew how to do a few months prior.”

Before he knew it, Smoothstack had him interviewing at multiple companies. For someone with no professional experience in tech, the speed and success of the interviews were surprising. “I had never gotten any interviews before, so the fact that I was interviewing with so many companies was amazing to me.”

Today, Trent’s career is thriving, and he credits much of his success to Smoothstack. “Anyone who’s a little bit lost or wants to change their path, I tell them about Smoothstack,” he said. “If you want to do something different, I think it’s really good and not as scary as it seems. It’s perfect for a lot of people.”

For Trent, diving in and giving it everything he had was worth it. “Smoothstack is everything it says it is and more,” he concluded.

Trent’s success story shows how Smoothstack’s unique model of training and hands-on experience can empower individuals to transition into tech—regardless of their previous background. With the right training, mentorship, and opportunities, anyone can find their place in the tech world.