Johannesburg-based Sedeshtra Pillay, aged 25, is no stranger to studying. He followed up his bachelor’s degree in Finance with a master’s degree in Demography and Population Studies. However, he was still keen on upskilling and while working as an Associate Consultant at IQbusiness, a management consulting firm, he decided to enrol on a HyperionDev Data Science Bootcamp. He says:
I wanted to upskill and improve my current job prospects.
Sedeshtra has now landed a job at Deloitte Consulting as an analyst in the Actuarial, Rewards and Analytics Practice. He believes his data science competency, learnt during his bootcamp, helped him to secure this position.
These days, upskilling is an integral part of a career. A 2018 study, published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, estimated that 46% of all jobs have at least a 50% chance of being lost or greatly altered. In addition, there is a chronic shortage of appropriate talent in tech, with an anticipated tech skills shortage of approximately 500 000 people in Europe by 2020. In the US, the Bureau of Labor Statistics anticipates a 19% growth between 2016 and 2026 in the software engineering field – i.e. jobs that involve solving “problems in computing for business, medicine, science, and other fields.”
Sedeshtra, who has just started his exciting new job, says, “I will be engaging mainly with Excel and SQL, though I hope to make use of my Python and Tableau skills down the line.” He was able to ramp up his tech skills by studying part-time and online. The great thing about an online bootcamp is that it offers maximum flexibility and freedom. Plus, with a HyperionDev bootcamp you don’t need any background in coding, IT or computer science.
Besides wanting to land a new job, Sedeshtra was in favour of upskilling to earn a better salary and prepare himself for work opportunities overseas. At some point in the future, Sedeshtra wants to travel – his programming skills will stand him in good stead for this potential future endeavour.
And how did he enjoy his HyperionDev Data Science Bootcamp? Sedeshtra explains that the “data visualisation aspect” of the course was his favorite part, but the 1:1 mentorship and code reviewing were integral in advancing his coding skills. As far as advice for newcomers wanting to enter the lucrative field of coding, Sedeshtra says:
The world is moving fast. You need to be able to adapt quickly to market trends and demands. Upskilling yourself never hurts, especially in an age where data has become the world’s most valuable resource.
If you’re keen to upskill or you just want to enter the in-demand field of tech (no previous experience necessary), HyperionDev offers online bootcamps in Full Stack Web Development, Data Science or Software Engineering. You can also trial one of these courses for free. If online learning is not your thing, you could join a face-to-face Web Developer or Software Engineering course in Cape Town or Johannesburg. Start your career in tech today.
