From Generalist to Specialist: A Path that Rafli Found in Bangkit
A Story of Muchammad Rafli Riyana, Bangkit 2022 Graduate from Information System, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember Surabaya
When we're young, we seem clueless about what the future will hold for us. Muchammad Rafli Riyana (22) felt the same when planning his future after graduating high school. By the time he needed to choose a major in college, he was baffled a lot, not knowing what was best for him.
However, who would have thought that Rafli's decision to go to where his heart belongs finally led him to the right place? Here is Rafli's journey in finding his purpose with Bangkit.
Looking for Something that "Sparks" His Interest
Born in Bandung, Rafli was the second of four siblings raised by an exceptional single mother. He adores his mother so much because of her tenacity in raising four children alone. Working as an employee at a state-owned enterprise, Rafli's mother is a breadwinner to the family. His mother's struggle makes Rafli determined to be one of his mother's proud.
Rafli worked hard for the selection exam to get into Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember Surabaya (ITS) to prove his words. At first, he encountered difficulties in deciding which major he should pursue, but finally, he landed his heart on Information Systems. Moreover, Rafli succeeded in earning the title of "ITS Student." This accomplishment made Rafli move from his hometown to Surabaya.
After starting his life as a college student in the capital city of East Java, Rafli tried to explore as many tech-related fields as possible. At first, Rafli attempted to go deep into Website Development, but his heart didn't belong there.
“I was a generalist who usually grabbed diverse knowledge but never went too deep into a specific field. Therefore, in college, I tried to find something that ‘sparks’ my interest and develops expertise there.”
Being Kicked by the "Kickstart your tech career with Bangkit" Exclamation
As one of Bangkit's partner universities, many ITS students are Bangkit Alums; some are Rafli's seniors. Being recommended by these seniors, Rafli was interested in learning more about Bangkit. The first thing he did to feed his curiosity was to visit the Bangkit registration website.
“When the exclamation ‘Kickstart your tech career with Bangkit’ appeared on the homepage, I felt like I was kicked. I think my time to be an IT specialist has come, and I can be one if I sign up for this program.”
Finally, Rafli got an opportunity to be part of the Bangkit 2022 Cohort, and he didn't waste his time studying Machine Learning from scratch to make his mother proud. Unexpectedly, Rafli found the "spark" he had been looking for all this time and was really into Machine Learning and Data Science.
From Earning Global Certification to Becoming Part of a Well-Established Company
Rafli admitted that his 900 hours of learning experience in Bangkit matched his expectations. He gained a lot of insights into Machine Learning, which helped him transform from a generalist into a specialist. Moreover, Rafli was delighted with the English and soft skills classes in Bangkit. These two complementary pieces of knowledge boosted his confidence to be a tech talent that doesn't just only excel in tech but also in terms of social.
Becoming a specialist encouraged Rafli to pursue a career in his desired field; he wanted to be a Data Scientist. To achieve this goal, Rafli strived to add his value as a future tech talent by taking the TensorFlow Certification exam. As we might expect, Rafli's persistence in learning led him to earn the global certification successfully. This made him confident to apply for a Data Science Intern position at Blue Bird Group.
Founded in 1972, Blue Bird Group is considered one of the well-established transportation companies in Indonesia, and Rafli was enthusiastic about becoming part of this corporation. Finally, armed with his experience in Bangkit, Rafli got his desired position at the company. At Blue Bird Group, Rafli has responsibilities for creating a Machine Learning model and testing it. He admitted that knowledge from Bangkit helped him do his tasks.
“Finding a specific field you are passionate about is easy, but being consistent on your chosen path to pursue your dream needs more effort. Train yourself because it is only you who you can rely on the most!”
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