Bintang’s Journey of Becoming a Mobile Developer Expert

A Story of Sang Bintang Putera Alam, Bangkit 2022 Graduate from Information Technology, Politeknik Negeri Jember

There are endless ways to lend a helping hand, from volunteering in any social activities to utilizing technology to make a more significant impact. Sang Bintang Putera Alam (22) prefers to help others by doing the second.

With his peers in Bangkit 2022, Bintang wanted to improve the lives of people with hearing impairment. Therefore, he created Tedi, an application that provides accessibility for people with disabilities.

Bintang believes that the best humans are those who are helpful to others. Hence, to be this kind of human, Bintang embarked on his journey in Bangkit to help others by leveraging his tech skills.

Being Encouraged to Be a Helpful Person Since Childhood

Born as the eldest of two siblings, Bintang was raised in Jember. His father is an art worker, while his mother works as a tailor. As supportive parents, Bintang’s mom and dad never gave him the burden of being what they wanted him to be. They just want him to be a good person who can benefit others.

“My parents said, ‘No matter what you do for a living, be someone who makes the world a better place by being kind, helpful, and always willing to lend a hand.’”

To be someone he and his family always wished for, Bintang decided to pursue a career in tech. He has been familiar with technology since he was five years old, when he operated a computer for the first time.

Bintang’s encounter with computers started when his father worked as a technician in an internet cafe, long before he finally worked as a photographer. He introduced Bintang to computers at that moment, and his interest in technology suddenly grew.

Over time, his immersion in technology made him curious about Mobile Development. Moreover, his belief that technology can help all people went firmer. For Bintang, technology is not just a job; it’s a call to impact the world positively.

From Learning Mobile Development (Android) to Work On Capstone Project

While studying at Politeknik Negeri Jember around 2021, Bintang came across Bangkit. He found this program when he saw Dicoding’s Instagram post. Seeing that Bangkit could give him career-relevant skills and free global certification from Google, Bintang was interested in signing up. Unfortunately, he had to wait until the next batch in early 2022 to be an eligible cohort.

Finally, when the time came, Bintang registered for Bangkit 2022 and started his journey in the Mobile Development (Android) path. He engaged in more than 900 hours of learning, diving deep into the latest technology insights, real-time projects, and opportunities to build a professional network. There, he also learned about time management and other insightful knowledge.

The Instructor-Led Training (ILT) sessions in Bangkit amazed him because they gave him industry-relevant tech insights. Bintang was equipped not only with comprehensive theory but also practical experience.

Talking about practical experience, Bintang highlighted his capstone project. At that time, he teamed up with his peers from different learning paths to build an app called TeDi (Teman Disabilitas). With his team, Bintang developed an app with complete features to help people with sight, hearing, and speech impairments. This innovation led Bintang’s team to get incubation funds from Google and Dikti.

Getting into the Top 15 Product-Based Capstone Project isn’t Bintang’s only achievement. His learning from Bangkit prepared him for the Associate Android Developer certification exam. Bintang’s hard work paid off when he finally passed the exam and became a certified Associate Android Developer.

“Learn How to Rest, Not How to Quit”

After achieving many inBangkit, Bintang graduated from this program. He then opened his windows to internship opportunities. Stumbling upon a vacancy for a Mobile Developer Intern position at BIGIO, Bintang didn’t waste the chance. He submitted his application, underwent a series of recruitment processes, and was hired by the tech consulting firm.

After interning for almost a year, Bintang is now a full-time Mobile Developer. He admitted that the experience and knowledge gained from Bangkit are essential to his career success at BIGIO. The soft skills classes “Professional Branding and Interview Communication” impacted his communication at work the most.

“The Professional Branding and Interview Communication courses not only help me at work but also assist me in building a strong personal branding on LinkedIn.”

As a Mobile Developer, Bintang is responsible for designing, developing, and testing mobile applications to optimize user experience and streamline integration with backend systems. He uses Kotlin for the Android platform and the Flutter Framework for multiplatform.

According to Bintang, his time in Bangkit was the moment to experiment, explore, and absorb as much knowledge as possible. For him, setting goals while learning in this program is essential. The goals can motivate us to stay on track and reach our destination, whether getting certification, expanding our network, or gaining experience.

“It’s normal if you feel tired in your learning process; learn how to rest, not how to quit,” he added.

For him, a future digital talent must take advantage of every moment to learn. Don’t be afraid to try new things or adjust goals when necessary. As Bintang emphasized, these processes are part of a valuable learning journey at Bangkit.

More stories about Bangkit Alum and Cohort:

1. Davin Darmalaksana Bhagaspati - Trust the Process Because It’ll Lead You to Success
2. Muhamad Fardal Akter Min Gali - Never Give Up, Even in the Face of Rejection
3. Eduardo Imanuel Bastian - The Impossible Is Merely a Step Yet to Be Taken