Max B was enrolled in an undergraduate business degree at Cork Institute of Technology in Ireland, but soon realized he was more interested in data and programming in his senior year. He came across Coursera and decided to get acquainted with R programming as part of the Data Science Specialization.
After a few different courses and with new credentials in his back-pocket, he applied for a summer internship at Google. Standing out from the rest, he was selected to come on-site. His interviewer was impressed with his knowledge of R programming and asked him how he built his skill-set. Max mentioned Coursera, and as it turns out, the interviewer had also taken the same MOOC too. He ended up exceeding expectations and getting the internship.
He implemented his programming knowledge for several projects, and at the end of the summer, his supervisor encouraged Max to apply for a job in another department. Unsure whether to pursue this opportunity or set his sights on graduate school, Max decided to take a chance, revamp his resume with his Coursera credentials and apply.
Max has now been working full time for Google Ireland for the past year. He credits Coursera in giving him the competitive advantage to stand out among the rest.