Some techies are made, others are born. Johannesburg native Lee Kaplan is one of those born into the industry, with a clear vision of what he wanted to do from an early age: become a full stack developer.
His journey into the world of coding started the minute he left school. He took a job in the IT industry to keep the pot boiling and signed up for HyperionDev’s immersive Full Stack Web and Software Engineering Bootcamp. He opted to do it online part-time, completing assignments after work and whenever he had a spare minute.
We asked him what moved him to become a developer. He says:
“I’ve been interested in a career in coding and development since I was young. It’s something that I’ve always been very eager to learn. When I discovered that learning it part-time while working was possible, it was a no-brainer to go with HyperionDev.”
While his passion for software development ensures he’ll always be in a job he loves, this field of work comes with other attractive benefits too. One of those benefits is that a coding career gives him the opportunity to work anywhere in the world.
An investment in his future
While Lee was naturally drawn to the broad field of IT, his passion for development is what drove him to upskill with HyperionDev. The advanced skills focus of the Full Stack Web and Software Engineer Bootcamp provided an ideal launching pad to pursue a multi-role developer career. With that comes the exposure to a wide range of jobs, including software engineering, data management and full stack web development.
Lee found the best part of the bootcamp was the fact that he learned so much more than just coding. He acknowledges that he gained valuable soft skills that are needed in the workplace, such as collaborating with others, managing your time, and knowing when – and not being shy – to ask for help.
The downside?
“The most difficult part was staying motivated and to keep pushing when I felt I was falling behind. Reminding me of my future goals kept me going.”
As part of all HyperionDev bootcamps, students receive code reviews, a software quality assurance activity that Lee found super useful because it helped him identify whether he was on the right (or wrong) track.
Lee passed the HyperionDev Full Stack Web and Software Engineering bootcamp with an impressive 97% average. On completion, HyperionDev offered him a full scholarship to study data science with Python, which he’s currently doing part-time.
Putting knowledge into practice
Thanks to the skills acquired at the HyperionDev bootcamp, Lee took on a side project where he wrote a web-based app that manages invoices for small businesses. To execute it, he kept all the information about clients and invoices in a SQL database. He wrote with ReactJs and ExpressJs, which communicate with the SQL database. The simple yet effective app can generate an invoice that users can view and edit. He found the process of having an idea and knowing how to build it using code hugely rewarding.
With his HyperionDev graduate certification in hand, Lee started looking for a new job. He scoured the recruitment boards and quickly landed an interview with Fidelity Group , a company specialising in telecoms in the UK, for a junior C# developer position. C# is a programming language created by Microsoft as part of its .NET framework.
Although the interviewing process was gruelling, consisting of an informal, then formal interview, followed by a technical interview and test – all done remotely – he was hired and recently started working at the integrated security solutions provider.
Onwards and upwards
For Lee, finally putting his knowledge into practice has opened up a new world of possibilities. Along with that, the support he gets at work is invaluable, and he loves the fact that others are keen to help him learn.
“I can see myself growing from a junior to a senior developer very quickly. Because of my knowledge from the bootcamp, I find it easy to pick up on new skills and languages, which I think will help me greatly as I climb the ladder.”
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Follow Lee’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.
