Building Career Readiness from Early On


You may get confused when the university allows you to explore the knowledge out there for GPA conversion. So did Kenrico Valens (22) at that time. Will he spend the entire sixth semester in vain? After contemplating many things, he found an answer.

What about preparing for a career by registering for an impactful training program? With the coding skills he has, it led him to select the Mobile Development learning path then. How was the whole story until he was positioned as a Back-End Developer intern at Prudential? Let's dive in!

Chasing Dreams That Were Left Behind


Ken dreamed of studying Computer Science at Universitas Indonesia for real. However, he wasn't optimistic enough for the competition, where many applicants struggled to pass the high grade.

To cope with that, he thinks negotiation is essential to deciding. He lowered his standards by taking Computer Engineering at the same university. What distinguishes between these two?

In terms of curriculum, Computer Science focuses on software development, while Computer Engineering doesn't only discuss it but hardware, which is the scope of electrical.

On the other hand, his decision to choose Computer Engineering was influenced by his father's work in the electrical sector. He feels pretty fun sharing with the people closest to him. The result?

The enjoyment of being a Computer Engineering student grew stronger as he lived his days with curiosity to follow the rapid development of technology. He studied diligently while occasionally spending time with something fun, such as watching movies and reading fantasy novels.

Nevertheless, he questioned himself in the sixth semester after revealing Bangkit, "Will you chase the dreams that were left behind when you get the chance?" He can also deepen Computer Science through training programs out there.
“I firmly registered for Bangkit in the sixth semester with careful consideration. Moreover, the fact that there are professional resources that deliver the material in this training program encouraged me to start doing career preparation.”

Strive to Well-Performing in Each Opportunity During Bangkit


"What learning style suits you best?" Ken could identify what he needed; he mentioned "visual" without hesitation.

As a visual learner, he understands more material when explained using written or video media. It's not surprising that he often watches tutorials on YouTube. Besides, this method doesn't always work since he is still confused by a not-so-comprehensive elaboration.

"The ILT session, both hard and soft skills, is the agenda that I have been waiting for, as experienced instructors in the industry sector can answer my questions well," said Ken with a happy face.

At the end of the ILT session, he produced a distinction outcome, especially since he restudied the material after class. Take a look at his transcript; he got 92.15 as a total score, whereas in the main course on Mobile Development, he completed it perfectly.

To say nothing of the ILT session, Ken craves to be well-performing too on the Capstone Project. Responsible for handling the Front-End side, content creation, and connecting Machine Learning models to applications, he and his team developed products regarding language learning. How does it work?

Users who need to write Javanese scripts can use this application, and corrections will be output. How interesting, isn't it? Let alone this idea was indeed well thought out and supported by content visualization that Ken worked on wholeheartedly.

The Capstone Project has ended, which means exam certification takes place in Bangkit. How did Ken navigate this final stage to complete his efforts from scratch?

"When the exam certification started, it was undeniable that I was nervous and panicked. After I tried to calm down, I could slowly understand and analyze each question. Consequently, I completed the test within six hours of the eight hours provided," Ken recalled about the tense moment during his time at Bangkit.

Ken's strategy was successful now that he has gained AAD certification. He stated that satisfactory results aren't impossible as long as the Cohort has worked on module projects, explored salient material, and practiced interviews as the final stage of the test.

Started Career Preparation through an Internship


The eldest of the two started career preparation through an internship soon after he graduated from Bangkit. He tried his luck by sending CVs to companies, but he got the opportunity as a Back-End Developer at Prudential by joining a career fair from the Kampus Merdeka program.

Of the three stages of recruitment, a boy from West Jakarta revealed that user interviews are challenging. Why so? On this occasion, he must be an outstanding candidate in hard and soft skills for better work performance.
“Bangkit helped me get through CV screening. Meanwhile, at the interview stage, I have prepared for every question from the user about basic requirements such as SQL and Query. In addition, I can boost competence through my character at work, like my strengths and weaknesses and how I manage the time to execute the responsibilities. For the technical matter, Clean Architecture, and scalable application standards, came into the mind without much effort.”
Therefore, work challenges remind him not to be too complacent as it's the beginning of a long journey as reliable tech talent. What kind of things must he face?

"This is my first internship experience. As a result, I need to learn how to adapt to the work environment. At Bangkit, I learned this through adaptability soft skills material," Ken told us. "I'm also completing my thesis, so the office gave me a policy for three days of work from the office and two days of work from home. I can arrange the schedule through confirmation to my superiors," he added.

After revealing the challenging things in his internship, Ken closed the interview session with two short messages for Bangkit Cohort 2023. He declared, "Lessen overthinking habits in every growth process and make the most of opportunities in Bangkit," he concluded.

More stories about Bangkit Alum and Cohort:
  1. Manfred Michael - Self-Belief: A Fundamental to Keep Pushing Amidst Obstacles
  2. Firman Mardiyanto - The more you practice, the better you will be
  3. Teddy Latief Miftahur Rizqi - Limitation is a Myth: A Journey to Achieve the Dream as a Back-End Engineer

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