Posted by Molato Paul Sekgobela from Pretoria is a HyperionDev graduate who recently completed the online Data Science Bootcamp on a part-time basis. He is just one of our many local success stories featuring students who went on to realise their dreams of working abroad (and bringing in the big bucks) in the tech industry.
Unlike many students who come from unrelated fields, Molato does have a background in tech; before becoming a HyperionDev graduate, he was a systems developer in the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). He explains what drove him to study further:
“I felt that I had learnt as much as I could, and there was little room for further professional development. I needed a much bigger challenge, and what better way than to be in the private sector and grow while being exposed to different industries.”
Why study data science at HyperionDev?
Molato explains that developing the skills for an in-demand career brings job security because almost every company needs programmers. Plus, there’s the chance of travelling the world when you have the skills to become a data scientist. And with that comes the opportunity to earn more.
Fitting in a Data Science Bootcamp while working full-time was easier than Molato anticipated, thanks to support from both HyperionDev and his supervisor at SANDF. He managed to set aside five hours after work and 16 hours over weekends to ensure he completed all the courses.
At the same time, he was involved in a work project that required data analysis and insights as well as the skills to build his own dataset. He explains:
“I had great support from my supervisor as I needed to develop my skills in data visualisation as part of a work project. I was given time to complete assignments to avoid falling behind as my success at bootcamp meant success in the project.”
He was drawn to data science as his field of specialisation because of his passion for AI and machine learning and his ambition to become a machine learning engineer one day.
The pros and cons of bootcamp and the value of code review
Molato liked the practical aspects of the projects he completed at bootcamp, such as building models and training them. And while he found machine learning quite challenging, once he got to grips with it, he thrived.
He was especially impressed by the code reviewing process, which taught him alternative ways of solving programming challenges.
“The code reviewing process was very insightful because it showed me whether I was on the right (or wrong) track. It took my coding to a new level.”
Putting data science to work
For Molato, studying data science helped him upskill and grow his technical knowledge in Python while preparing him for technical interviews. This helped him easily transition from the public sector to his new role as a Python software engineer at Daemon in the UK, a job he found via his impressive LinkedIn profile.
Upon completion of the data science bootcamp, HyperionDev career services team helped Molato polish his LinkedIn profile and build a Github portfolio, two essential tools in helping IT specialists find work in the industry. At the same time, the graduate programme prepared him for the demanding technical interviews that always come with IT placements.
He now uses the tech skills he developed during coding bootcamp to perform:
- Data analysis
- RESTful API building
- Machine learning
- Python and Django
- Building data sources (datasets, Database, CSV, XML).
The tech stacks he mostly works in include Python, Django, POSTGRES, Pandas, and RESTFul APIs. But the coolest thing about his new job is working in virtual environments, which he regards as excellent practice for software development. And yes, the salary increase has been great, too.
Lots of room for growth in the future
We asked Molato how he sees himself growing in his new job and the tech industry. He says:
“I see myself becoming a tech lead or a senior engineer at some point in my career. I would also like to share my expertise by helping others advance their tech careers. My philosophy is very much ‘Each one teaches one’.”
Where does he want to be in five years, and how has learning to code impacted his life? Molato sees himself leading a team of engineers in machine learning and computer vision and starting a foundation that teaches youth to code.
As for coding, he is a complete convert. He says:
“Learning to code has given me the confidence to do more and continuously invest in myself. Code encourages one to be innovative and think outside the box; it pushes people to think of problems and solutions. A coder sees a problem and a solution. The more coders the world has, the more solutions to human problems there will be, making the world a better place.”
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Follow Molato’s exciting career in tech on his Github portfolio. If you’re inspired by his story and feel ready to embark on your own journey toward a fulfilling career in the tech industry, consider registering with HyperionDev here.
Who knows, your success story may be next.
