Woman at Work: A Second Chance in Career is Possible

Nova Lailatul Rizkiyah (29) once dreamed of being a Physics lecturer at her university, Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB). However, she couldn't afford it as the other applicants had higher education levels. Considering her status as a housewife and a mother of one, she realized that it's hard to pursue a Ph.D. degree. After handing over the down phase in her life, grasping the second chance was indeed her decision to go ahead.

Among a bunch of choices, Nova was determined to take the technology sector as her second chance. Jumping into something new somehow gave her an unconfident feeling, but it didn't linger on herself for longer. Through Bangkit, she started her significant life transformations. Let's dive into her full story!

Nova's Educational Background and the Determination for Grasping the Second Chance

Nova had participated in the Mathematics Olympiad since Elementary School. This experience led her to take an in-line subject at university. An unexpected moment happened then. When she underwent a faculty orientation period as a freshman, she discovered that Physics let her in utilizing broader knowledge for real-work situations.

As a result, Nova decided to take Physics instead of Mathematics. The series of experiments and specialization was indeed the other motivation she held. She even continued her education until master's degree with a linear major.

Graduating with a Master of Physics encouraged Nova to be a lecturer at her university. She envisioned her career path later in the field she was eager to explore. However, it turns out that she faced an unpredictable moment that she should have culminated in the "shortcut" twice.

At that time, Nova thought the technology sector would be suitable for a housewife like her. How come? She knew the fact that the employee could work remotely. However, her husband couldn't stand her decision. He said it would be better if his wife nurtured their child instead of jumping into something she never studied.

Nova has abandoned her desire as a lecturer since taking a Ph.D. education would spend much time, money, and there is no guarantee of her home base teaching later. She then assured her husband that her will was that powerful and she would be responsible for it. The result?

“I’m ecstatic that I had a chance as a Bangkit Cohort and took the Machine Learning path. In 2020, it was held offline in Bandung and it gave me a bunch of knowledge that stimulated me for moving forward.”

What Nova Gained During Bangkit for Her Development

Nova said that Machine Learning was a trend in 2020. It then sparked her curiosity to learn more about it. Thankfully, she had the chance to be a Cohort among the other 300 people. Starting her second chance in career with Bangkit, what kind of things she gained for?

Nova started the thing she is grateful for in Bangkit with tech fellows she met there. She continued that guest speaker season with William Florance and his senior in university could boost her confidence in deepening her current interest.

Moreover, after three years have passed, Nova still remembers what courses she liked during joining Bangkit. Her favorites were SWOT and SMART which were included in soft skill classes. Although it's not related to technical matters, she found that there is an essential factor to be considered.

“Bangkit provided me with a comprehensive learning process and helped me in arranging the outstanding CV and LinkedIn account in order to boost our visibility from the recruiter. It also defined us to be a reliable candidate.”

Nova's first job in technology after graduating from Bangkit was in Progate as a Course Instructor that taught about language programming. She then moved to Eftax, a Japan company based, and was responsible for a different role: Cloud Engineer, from home.

At that phase, Nova recalled her development with Bangkit. How if she contributes to the 2021 Course Instructor there? For five months, she was responsible for teaching Python and Cloud Computing classes after meeting the requirement for this role.

Apparently, Nova's development with Bangkit continued to grow. Her experience as a Course Instructor motivated her to be more productive in encouraging other people in the technology sector. What kind of things did she do then?

She created a YouTube educational channel named "studywithnova." She was also appointed as a speaker at a related event for various levels, including ASEAN, while collecting other certifications to support her career.

Considering her current residence in Lumajang, a small town, her contribution is about the desire to teach teens about the tech sector. However, she needs a partner to manage the operation. What else? It still relates since she will write a web-free book about Back-End and Front-End for the beginner with an easy elaboration.

Nova's Note to be a Tough Tech Talent

Carrying out several roles at a time is more challenging than that. How come Nova, as a housewife, balances her responsibilities for family and work?

Nova said that the adaptability skill could help her to tackle the issue. How does she deal with it? The critical thinking she ever obtained during Bangkit had an impact. She adds that identifying our weaknesses matters to focus on the solution to overcome them.

On the other hand, time management and self-motivation should be considered formidable tech talent.

“To be honest, I never live with what I will do, but focus on the current task. It could help me to build an effective and structured manner in executing it,” said Nova.

Do you have a privilege, such as community, family, workplace, or even a simple thing in owning a laptop? In Nova's opinion, this factor influenced someone's performance. Furthermore, setting the target and not being afraid completed her note to put herself forward, no matter her limitations.

Therefore, for Bangkit Cohorts, Nova gave a special note. She says that responsibility for what is worked on and finishing what begins always leads someone to achieve their goals. To add she also highlighted honesty.

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