From Music to Meta: Matthew's Career in STEM–Without a STEM degree | StemCast Episode 12 ft. Matthew Martinez
The LIV Lab · The LIV Lab
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Show Notes
Can you go from strumming guitar chords to writing production-ready code at Big Tech? Matthew Martinez did just that—and more. In this inspiring episode of StemCast, we sit down with Matthew, a former elementary school teacher and music major who pivoted into software engineering through a 12-week coding boot camp.
He opens up about the challenges of breaking into tech without a traditional CS degree, landing roles at Meta and Amazon, navigating imposter syndrome, and balancing career growth with parenthood. Matthew also shares how ADHD shaped his productivity systems, why he pursued an MBA, and what keeps him passionate about problem-solving through code.
Whether you're considering a career change or curious about what it's really like working in Big Tech, this episode is packed with honesty, insight, and the message that it's never too late to rewrite your story.