Almost a year after his graduation from Telerik Academy Alpha C#, we met with Ivan Brambarov again. It was delightful to catch up with him and we’re super excited to welcome him back as a mentor in the next Alpha C#!
Before making the bold move to change his career path and become a developer, Ivan had been working as a construction engineer for 6 years. If you’re wondering how that’s even possible in 6 months, read about his career- changing journey below!
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to
apply for the next Alpha C#. Use our
free resources to prepare for the entrance exam - study at your own pace and see if coding is your thing. Now dive into Ivan's story to get inspired!
Why coding?
I have always been interested in software, tech and computers. Years ago, that was a career possibility for me, but I decided to take another road.
What brought you to Telerik Academy?
I have known about Telerik Academy since 2011 and I considered it. While I didn't go for it back then, I've always seen it as an excellent place for preparing people for IT careers. I just trusted the name Telerik Academy.
Did you have any prior coding experience before applying for Alpha C#?
I studied C++ at University, but just very basic stuff.
How did you prepare for the entrance exam?
I went through the
fundamentals course and that helped me a lot. It truly gives you an idea about the programming language and if it’s something you’d like. You also get to solve tasks that are very similar to the ones during the entrance exam.
What was your experience with Alpha C# once it started?
What was shocking to me and the other people in my group was the intensity of the program. It’s very stressful in the beginning. It takes time to grasp the material first and then solve the tasks.
Some people believe you must be excellent at math to become a programmer. I've taken many math classes, and I can tell you that it's not the most important thing, especially in the beginning.
Tell us more about your final project.
We were a team of 3 people working on our final project together. We were very well-aligned with each other. If someone had told me I would be able to build a functional app, I would’ve thought they were joking.
In my case, the final project was very close to what I’m currently using in my company - 2/3 of it is very similar to what I’m currently doing.
How did you end up in your current job?
The job application process was smooth for me. A lot of people from my group managed to get jobs in a few months' time. A few of Telerik Academy’s partner companies expressed an interest in me, and I had several interviews. Eventually, I started a job at one of them.
What made you decide to become a mentor?
My mentor in the program managed to bring our group to work together. It was a challenge as we were people from different cities and walks of life, with different interests and we were communicating only online. I was impressed by the job he did, and I wanted to do the same for the next students. It’s very useful to look at things from a different perspective.
Besides the knowledge, what’s the most valuable thing you took home from Alpha C#?
It’s very valuable that the course was online as it prepares you for a remote work environment. Especially for people like me who had a lot of face-to-face communication in their previous jobs.
Also, Telerik Academy has an established reputation in the IT industry, and earning a degree from it carries significant weight.
What advice would you give to future applicants?
If you don’t have experience or have doubts about it, sign up for the fundamentals course. It’s a great demo for what’s to come in the program afterwards. Make time for the program as it’s very intense and takes a lot of time and effort.
Get a head start on your programming journey –
apply for the free fundamentals course now before Alpha C# kicks off. Join us on the path to becoming a skilled developer!
