Alumnus With International Careers Who Are Keen to Give Back to Bangkit
A story of Dery Sudrajat, Bangkit 2021 Distinction Graduate from Software Engineering, Telkom University Purwokerto, and Bangkit 2024 Batch 1 Instructor
Many aspire to work in an international company. However, achieving this goal requires significant effort. Dery Sudrajat (25) demonstrated that numerous steps are involved in securing a position at a multinational company like the International Bank of Korea.
Dery—that’s what he’s called—has prepared for his promising future since a very young age. In high school, he started commuting to Jakarta from Cirebon to obtain a better learning ecosystem. He was motivated by the lack of a supportive programmer ecosystem in Cirebon. He also saw a good benchmark of the Android Developer ecosystem in Jakarta through Google Developer Group (GDG) Jakarta.
Besides getting involved in the developer community, Dery shaped his readiness by joining Bangkit. As a result, he was ready to embark on his international career as an Android Engineer at the Industrial Bank of Korea (IBK), a South Korean state-owned enterprise. Besides advancing his career, Dery was eager to give back to Bangkit by becoming an instructor.
How did Dery’s journey as a man from a small city finally kickstart his international career in a South Korean company? Let’s dive deep into his story!
Commuted from Cirebon to Jakarta in High School for A Better Learning Ecosystem
Dery was born and raised in Cirebon, West Java. He is the first of three children, and his parents own a grocery store in the market. Dery’s parents are very supportive, so they gave him a computer when he was around.
It sparked Dery’s interest in tinkering with his computer, but unfortunately, he ruined it in just 5 months. This experience ignited his excitement and deepened his fondness for technology.
At first, Dery just learned about hardware. Then, in high school, he began familiarizing himself with software. Dery’s encounter with programming started when he didn’t qualify to represent his school in the Municipal Mathematics Olympiad.
Then, he was assigned to participate in the Municipal Computer Olympiad, as the foundational concepts were similar. Despite this setback, Dery's interest in programming increased, and he began recognizing coding.
Unfortunately, the programming learning ecosystem in Cirebon was not yet well-established. Instead, Dery discovered an excellent ecosystem in Jakarta where Android developers could gather and network.
As a result, Dery often traveled to Jakarta to access better learning opportunities. There, he became part of a community called Google Developer Group Jakarta and frequently commuted between Cirebon and Jakarta.
In his senior year of high school, Dery participated in Google Developers Kejar, a program initiated by Google to support Indonesian developers in creating Android-based mobile applications. This experience strengthened his interest in tech and led him to continue his studies at Telkom University Purwokerto, majoring in Software Engineering. During his first semester, he returned to the Google Developers Kejar as an instructor.
Challenged Himself by Joining Bangkit 2021
Dery learned about Bangkit from the GDG Jakarta. Seeing that this program has Mobile Development (Android) as one of its learning paths, Dery was excited to join. Moreover, he realized that Android development became more accessible when the new technology, Jetpack Library, emerged.
Without further ado, Dery signed up for Bangkit 2021 and chose the Mobile Development (Android) path. It was challenging for Dery when he discovered that English is Bangkit’s lingua franca. However, he felt very grateful for joining Bangkit because it allowed him to be taught by industry experts.
“Before Bangkit, the opportunity to learn technology from the experts was scarce. When this program arrived, Bangkit became special with its cool graduates equipped with relevant skills to industry demand.”
When Bangkit Assisted His Career Journey as an Android Engineer
Before completing his 900 hours of learning in Bangkit, Dery applied for the Android Developer position at LinkAja. His Bangkit’s learning experience played a significant role in helping the company hire him. It proved Bangkit’s considerable contribution to Dery’s career success.
“During the recruitment process, I told the interviewer about things I learned in Bangkit and my capstone project. My Bangkit’s experience impacted my interview’s success.”
Embarked on International Career
After working at LinkAja for over three years, Dery had the opportunity to advance his career by joining the Industrial Bank of Korea (IBK), a South Korean state-owned enterprise based in Indonesia. He continued his career as an Android Engineer in charge of mobile development projects.
Besides his successful career journey as an Android Engineer, Dery feels an immense sense of belonging to Bangkit. Therefore, he wanted to share his knowledge with Bangkit cohorts by becoming a Bangkit 2024 Batch 1 Instructor for Android classes. He loves helping others gain the same knowledge and do better in their career than he did.
“I hope that Bangkit graduates can earn knowledge more than I taught in the program. I would be happy knowing that these graduates are also willing to share their insights with others so that they can be impactful tech talents.”
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