“To Succeed, You Must Get Back Up After Every Setback!”

A Story of Irfando, Bangkit 2022 Graduate from Information Systems, Universitas Mikroskil

Incredible opportunities often come from our willingness to take bold steps. Irfando (23) believed in this as he pursued his dream. This young man from Riau was courageous and always looking for ways to become a tech talent.

Irfando grew up in Kabupaten Kampar, where many palm oil plantations grow. He wanted nothing but to be a digital talent whose skills could impact Indonesian technology. Furthermore, becoming the source of pride for his family was also something Irfando pursued. Working hard to make his dream come true, this is Irfandos’s journey in Bangkit!

Irfando’s Determination to Never Give Up

Irfando comes from a humble family. His father works as a palm oil transport truck driver, while his mom is a housewife. Their only hope for Irfando is simple: go to college and pursue his dreams.

As the oldest of two, Irfando felt responsible for uplifting their family’s pride. One of the ways to do this is by focusing on his passion for tech. Well, he had been interested in this field since he was in high school.

“I was playing a desktop game on my laptop when I wondered, 'How can I make a game?' That's when I got interested in IT.”

Irfando applied to several public universities after high school to achieve his dreams. Unfortunately, he faced rejection in various entrance exams. It made him think that tech might not be the right path for him once.

Not giving up, Irfando also applied for scholarships from the government and private companies like PLN and SMART Planters by Sinar Mas. Again, he was unsuccessful. Despite feeling disappointed, he still hoped to study tech in college.

After facing multiple failures, Irfando used his last hope to apply to a private university, specifically Universitas Mikroskil. Finally, he was accepted into the Information Systems program. From here, Irfando’s journey to achieve his dreams began.

Joined Bangkit? Why Not Give It a Shot?

During his college studies, the pandemic spread. Irfando had no choice but to attend online classes. Feeling that he had to complement his tech skills gained on campus, he murmured, “Is there a place to expand my knowledge?”

He believed he needed additional skills to learn to become a software engineer. Eventually, a senior in his campus organization encouraged him to join Bangkit.

“It was during my fifth semester when my senior suggested I to join Bangkit. He said, ‘I think you’d be a good fit here. Just give it a try; hopefully you'll get in.’”

At first, Irfando didn’t expect much because the Bangkit selection test was quite challenging. However, he had one principle, “If you never try, you’ll never know the results.” So, for him, why not give it a shot? Moreover, he saw the learning path he liked, Mobile Development, which further fueled his motivation to apply.

“I took the Bangkit test, even though it was quite difficult. Thank God I passed and was very excited to join Bangkit.”

Strengthen His Mobile Development Foundation in Bangkit

The learning experience in Bangkit truly opened up new horizons for Irfando. Throughout this career readiness program from Google, he acquired powerful hard skills.

“The technical aspects are different from what I learned on campus. I only got theory and surface-level knowledge there, whereas Bangkit delves deep into the core.”

While studying Mobile Development, Irfando learned not only how to create applications but also how to integrate them with storage systems. Apart from technical skills, soft skills such as personal development, critical thinking, CV creation, and good personal branding also improve him.

“If I hadn't joined Bangkit, I wouldn't have had a chance to understand the real-world work situation. After joining Bangkit, I realized what the professional world looks like.”

When talking about one of his favorite soft skills, personal branding, Irfando explained that without it, a developer would not be recognized by others. So, even if a developer can create practical applications, no one will know what they’ve made if their personal branding is terrible.

Through Bangkit, Irfando and his capstone team also had the opportunity to create a mobile application specifically for foreign tourist guides visiting the island of Bali. He used this achievement as part of his portfolio, as well as an answer to the question, “Have you ever been involved in a tech project?”

Besides Bangkit, Irfando participated in the certified independent study (SIB) Dicoding Cycle 3 in his final year. His reason? He felt his knowledge needed to be improved and wanted to learn more about Front-End and Back-End Development. Irfando is always eager to learn new things.

Hard Work Never Betray Results

After completing 900 hours of learning at Bangkit, Irfando became more prepared to enter the tech industry. Not long after graduation, he started sending out job applications. This process was also not easy, and it took some time for him to land his first job.

It wasn’t until November 2023 that Irfando received an interview call from PT Phincon, a technology consulting services company based in South Jakarta. After the entire recruitment process, he was hired as a Backend Developer.

Daily, Irfando’s tasks involve ensuring that the coding of the rest of the APIs or projects he works on is well-organized. If there are any issues or bugs, he promptly fixes them. Should the features need to be added, he implements them. He admits that the knowledge he gained from Bangkit was beneficial.

“What I learned in Bangkit still relates to integrating devices or storage. It helps me in my daily job.”

When asked about his expectations for the coming years, Irfando firmly answered that he wants to become a more competent expert software engineer. To achieve this, he wants to deepen his technical skills and strengthen his soft skills.

“I want to deepen my backend and mobile skills, as well as develop soft skills like communication, teamwork, and problem-solving.”

Irfando also aspires to help his younger sibling, who is still in high school, to attend college. Besides that, he also hopes to impact the surrounding community positively.

Regarding his motivation to persevere, Irfando said to “Stay enthusiastic, even in difficult situations.” He also emphasized the importance of seizing every opportunity because it rarely comes twice.

“If we don’t try, we never know the result, right? So, whenever there’s an opportunity, give it a try first. We can see the results later.”

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