You Miss 100% of the Shots You Don’t Take

How do you treat an interest? Each person would share different thoughts, but Ronald Grant (22) thinks that the start deals with what he likes. As someone who uses the left brain for most, he feels that logical activities are more uplifting in himself.

The eldest of two loves Physics for real. However, he decided to take Computer Engineering at Universitas Indonesia. "I have to improve!" he thought, maintaining his interest as a career path ahead. No doubt that a month after earning a B.Eng degree, he worked at Traveloka as a Quality Assurance Engineer.

He revealed that his spirit of continuous growth did play a salient role in starting this career. How did he struggle? Let's dive in!

Enhancing Skills through Practice More

Ronald's parents were not in the tech sector. Nevertheless, they embrace their son to explore this career since they see notable prospects for the future. "I agree, especially with Mobile Development!" he exclaimed.

Meanwhile, Stock Apps (2021) states that Android users reached up to 73% of other kinds of smartphones around the world. This fact thrilled Ronald so much. No wonder he sees the urgency to pay more attention to developing skills as a requirement for being a reliable talent.

Developing skills requires a process in which a person is used to practicing the sector he is engaged in. Not to mention, he was determined to seek a bunch of experiences outside of campus. Besides enrolling in learning classes, he also took an internship at a start-up to catch up.

Ronald considers that the start-up environment is ideal for skill development. Why so? He knows the opportunities to have hands-on experience in a real industry cycle. As a Software Development Engineer, he could identify his increasing skills, especially in Quality Assurance Automation.

Never-Ending Learning for Mobile Development

Machine Learning and Cloud Computing courses on campus attracted Ronald to spend his time studying. Nonetheless, he is eager to deepen Mobile Development for the reasons which turned out to be his interest for a long time, and he realizes its versatility. Why so?

"Mobile Development trains the mindset in handling other responsibilities in a tech sector. Besides, the most applicable thing in this path is about troubleshooting," Ronald explained.

The internship period has not yet been completed, but this boy from South Tangerang escalated his determination to participate in the Bangkit for Mobile Development path. During the program, he spotted that memorable learning experiences fell into "Android Intermediate" and "English Class" sessions.

Through the "Android Intermediate" session, Ronald felt a significant change in improving his skills, where he could create applications with certain requirements. Meanwhile, "English Class" helps him express things needed in everyday life, such as how to say opinions and agreements.

On the other hand, he couldn't deny that demotivation came up in the middle of learning. For instance, a bug in the application he works on lessened his interest in moving forward. He also often compares progress with the initial performance, or even worse, the standard seems like an unconfident feeling toward friends who have better skills.

Anyhow, Ronald noticed that demotivation shouldn't stay in him for too long. His spirit slowly grew stronger onward with the exam certification. He then recalled many courses he had taught many times to gain the best outcomes. The result?

"Words couldn't describe how grateful I'm for the chance to pass Associate Android Developer certification!" he shouted enthusiastically.

When Skills Meet Opportunities

In April 2023, Ronald graduated from the Universitas Indonesia with a four-year study period. As a fresh graduate, he confessed that he was confident enough to apply for work, thanks to the experience he had acquired before.

Ronald surfed a platform to optimistically grasp a chance to become a professional on that day. Among the vacancies there, he is captivated by the Quality Assurance Engineer position at Traveloka. Working at a start-up? This is a big deal for sure! How did he go through the recruitment?

“After the administrative process, there were four stages of recruitment that I proceeded with. I remembered the courses I got from Bangkit. Through this one, I qualify as a Quality Assurance Engineer now that I understand what tools are used and what my responsibilities would be.”

After two months working at Traveloka, what vigorous moment did Ronald face? He stated that critical thinking refers to the essential part of his role where he must recognize how the product characteristics would be developed into an application. In addition, the workflow remains challenging for him to cooperate with other divisions smoothly.

“My career plan is to become a Quality Assurance Lead. On top of mastering technical aspects, I should practice more leadership and communication skills since I would be interacting with different people. It’s not an easy matter. Thanks a bunch, Bangkit! The courses could hold up my career path ahead!”

Moreover, Ronald discovered that Bangkit had a significant impact on his work. It's understandable that he dedicated himself to this program as an advisor and facilitator as a gratitude.

He admitted that fatigue would come when he had other activities outside the office. Albeit, he has his own way of dealing with this through time management. "I strongly avoid multitasking. I would do what was my priority," Ronald informed.

A boy with exercise hobbies left a quote to close the interview with a proverb, "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." Simply put, it means you won't know what will happen later, so do your best, even if it comes at the cost of your time.

"Joining Bangkit is totally worth it as it gives a good impression to job applicants like me," Ronald concluded.

More stories about Bangkit Alum and Cohort:

Bangkit Blog