Posted by This article is part of a Hyperion Success Stories series, in which we find out from our students how taking a HyperionDev course has helped them in their lives, studies and careers.
In this article we catch up with Lee Venter.
Tell us a bit about yourself?
I’ve always had a passion for technology and technological progress, and even though I’ve always wanted to be part of this wonderful world, I never made a decision to be part of it. Well, now I’ve made the decision and I plan to build a career in the IT and computer science industry! I’ve always felt that I “get” technology, and now it’s time to prove it to others and myself. Although I’ve never had the privilege to work in this industry, I know that I will be right at home and plan to excel.
How did you hear or find out about Hyperion Development?
I was searching online for the best places to enrol for coding courses and what type of programming was a good start. I stumbled onto MyBroadband and there at the bottom of the thread, a guy from Hyperion posted a short but intriguing explanation of what Hyperion offers and a link to the Hyperion website. Once I registered and requested a call-back and spoke to Riaz Moola, I was contacted by a course consultant who gave me great advice and support throughout the course.
Which Hyperion course did you take and why?
I undertook the Python Beginner Course (Now a part of the Software Engineering Bootcamp), because it fitted my budget and availability. I knew I would get a good feel for programming before learning “harder” languages in the future.
How has the course helped you towards your studies, your career or finding a job?
Since I’ve finished the course last week, I’ve been talking to various people to find out whether companies would be interested in my coding ability even though I only have limited to no experience. The feedback I’ve received shows that there is a lot of potential and I am confident that I will be able to secure a contract job or full-time employment in the near future. It sounds strange, but just by completing the beginner course, I’ve opened up the possibility of starting a career as a programmer, and built confidence to pursue it!
Our current courses allow students to work offline as well – was this beneficial to you at all?
The ability to code offline is a great benefit, as sometimes I had to work on my tasks from my current job where there was no internet connection. You can still communicate with your mentor via email, and not just the dropbox files, so I found that helpful.
How was the one-on-one human tutor interaction and feedback beneficial to you during the course?
The ability to communicate directly with your tutor is a huge benefit. I learnt a lot that way.
What did you enjoy most about the course?
That is a hard question. Identifying and comparing DNA structures and amino chains was a lot of fun. Also Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing was awesome. I don’t know all the things you will face as a programmer or what exactly you should choose, because a lot is very interesting, I’m just glad the course exposes you to various industries where you can use your coding ability.
Do you have any other comments regarding the course, especially for potential students?
I’m glad I made a decision to enter the IT industry as my next career move, and I’m very happy that I found Hyperion to help me do that. Even the beginner course is not a walk in the park, every task is a challenge. It helped me to continue growing even after I finished the HyperionDev course. I feel that what Hyperion teaches you is not just the ability to code, but also the ability to look for solutions for yourself. It’s a challenge, but it’s worth it!
Date originally published: 25/01/16
