Posted by A natural problem-solver and addicted to deciphering complex puzzles, HyperionDev graduate Khomotso Tibane was literally born to work in tech. He recently graduated from our Web Developer Bootcamp and now works full-time as a front end developer at Mercury Global. This is his inspiring story.
Jumping right into tech
Considering his career options in a country where unemployment is sky high and good jobs are hard to come by, Khomotoso realised early on that learning, training, and experience can take you to new places, allow you to expand your horizon, and open the doors to new opportunities.
With the digital transformation affecting virtually every South African industry, and more and more companies needing programmers, enrolling in our Full Stack Web Development Bootcamp, and studying online full-time, was a no-brainer. He says:
“I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted to do in the field of tech. After researching everything I could about jobs in tech, I decided to try a couple of short online courses. Then I came across HyperionDev and decided to go for it.”
The difference a bootcamp makes
During the course of our Web Developer Bootcamp, students get to understand both the front end and back end of web development, as well as how to build dynamic, data-driven web applications through HTML, CSS, React, JavaScript, and the MERN stack. However, Khomotso says he learnt so many other valuable skills that will stand him in good stead now that he’s starting his career. For instance, he learned more about himself, especially about working independently, and that self-discipline is the key to finding solutions.
Khomotso gained the confidence to experiment with new technologies and, when he hit a roadblock, to simply ‘put his head down and code’. Another valuable lesson for him was time management, which he initially found to be a challenge. With the help of HyperionDev’s support team, he was able to draw up a weekly plan that ensured his consistent progress. He also has high praise for our human code review process, which guided him back on the right track during iterations.
Interestingly, most online programming courses have extremely high dropout rates because students get frustrated by generic, automated error messages, and they just give up. With HyperionDev’s internationally-recognised code review services, each student’s code reviewer helps them debug their programmes on the fly while constantly showing them how to improve their code.
Over the course of his studies, Khomotoso has created a number of side projects to put his knowledge to the test. These include a real estate app, a responsive website for a local pizza shop, and a student dashboard. He says:
“The bootcamp was not what I expected. I thought they’d spoon-feed us and hold our hands along the way, but that’s not how it works in the real world.”
On the road to solving the world’s problems
Khomotso heard about the Mercury Global opportunity via HyperionDev’s career support team. This support also enabled him to create a winning CV and GitHub portfolio and supported him throughout three gruelling rounds of interviews – an initial interview, a technical interview, and finally, a company culture-fit interview.
Although he has just started his new job, he is already dreaming of working towards becoming a senior developer. We asked him how learning code has empowered him to achieve his personal and professional goals, and he said:
“I love solving puzzles and problems, and code has allowed me to do that – while getting paid!”
Follow Khomotso’s exciting career in tech at his portfolio website and on Github.
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If you’re inspired by Khomotso’s story and feel ready to embark on your own journey toward a fulfilling coding career, sign up for a bootcamp by registering with HyperionDev here. Who knows, your success story may be next!
