When the then 23-year-old Ivan applied to Telerik Academy
Alpha Java, he had one important goal: a satisfying job. After six months of intensive training, it became a reality. Just two weeks after Alpha Java, he accepted a job offer from one of our partners -
interop.io (formerly Tick42).
Today, Ivan is 25 years old. He has worked as an Associate Software engineer for the past 9 months.
And the rest is history…
Oh, wait, actually the rest is something you don't want to miss, and we can't wait to tell you about it! The rest is the inspirational story of Ivan, so keep reading - maybe you have the same goal?
From University to Telerik Academy Alpha Graduate
Before starting his first tech job at
interop.io, Ivan had to make one crucial decision as he became interested in programming at University.
"After graduation, I was eager to deepen my knowledge of the Java world," Ivan shared. That's when he discovered our
Alpha program, which was recommended to him by a friend. He enrolled in the program and was ready for the next step six months later.
"In addition to providing excellent theoretical training, the Academy also offers students information about the entire process of finding and starting a job, which I found particularly useful as someone with no prior experience in the field," explained Ivan.
For him, besides the theoretical knowledge, the Career module and the Soft skills session were among the most valuable parts of the training.
In the Career module, he learned how to prepare a stellar CV. He went through mock interviews, theoretical questions, and tasks that help each student prepare for real-life job interviews. During this part of the training, Ivan met with his future employer -
interop.io.
"The Academy's extensive partner network also makes it easy to connect with various companies and potential employers," Ivan shared.
During the Soft skills sessions, Ivan acquired essential expertise helping him in his job today (besides all the technical knowledge, of course) - teamwork, effective learning, and giving and receiving feedback, to name a few.
"One must not only be technically prepared but also be able to participate in the community and develop personally."
A life-changing experience and joining interop.io
"Graduating from Telerik Academy was a turning point in my life," shared Ivan.
For him, all the skills and knowledge gained during the program gave him the confidence to pursue a tech career. A goal he achieved only two weeks after completing Alpha. A thrilling moment, as he describes it, adding that the outcome resulted from all of his hard work, including hours of debugging code, searching for solutions on StackOverflow, and going through the lectures repeatedly.
We can't agree more - Alpha is an intensive program, but if one is willing to put in the work, the results are all worth it. For Ivan, it was starting his first tech job in interop.io.
"I was very impressed by the warm attitude of interop.io right from the interview - as they say, the first impression is the most important! I told myself - this is the place where I want to develop!"
Working at interop.io
After joining the company, Ivan's first few months were focused on his onboarding and working on an internal project.
"Currently, I am working on the product side of the company, responsible for migrating various technologies to newer versions. In my day-to-day work, I still encounter new things, but this is also something that satisfies me because constant learning and curiosity are the paths to success," he added.
In
interop.io, he found himself in a friendly environment full of professionals and a place with opportunities for professional development and growth.
"An excellent working environment with the best team-building activities," he added with a smile.
Ivan's advice to you
This is how it all went for Ivan - from his interest in programming to gaining the necessary skills and joining a place where he feels great. And his advice to you is:
"Don't give up, keep learning, and have fun. Hard work pays off in the end, and there's always something new to discover in this profession. With determination and a positive attitude, you can achieve anything you set your mind to."
Do you want to change your life and start your journey in the IT industry? The fastest path to becoming an in-demand software developer is waiting for you.
Apply for Telerik Academy Alpha Java!
