Aleksei Skokov has completed the Java course at the Software Development Academy. Read more about his journey, his career change and his recommendations for those who want to take an SDA course in IT themselves.

1. WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO JOIN THE COURSE? (CAREER CHANGE? NEW CHALLENGES? TIRED OF YOUR PREVIOUS JOB? ETC…) 

I wanted to challenge myself and get out of my comfort zone. So it seemed logical to learn Java development, intending to learn the back-end. Once the Java programming language was mastered, I learned Python independently.

2. WHAT WAS YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF IT BEFORE TAKING THE SDA COURSE?

Before that, I was only involved in the financial world. I dealt with the internal and external responsibilities of financial companies, from client and project management to corporate governance and human capital management. I was also well acquainted with the front-end world. I was involved in developing web solutions using different languages, frameworks and platforms such as Javascript, SQL, HTML, CSS, Gatsby.js, Angular, Spring Boot and React.js. 

3. WHAT DID YOU LEARN MOST FROM THE SDA COURSE?

Most importantly, I learned the back end, which was my main goal. In addition, during the SDA course I learned how to work in a team, I understood the importance of teamwork and how it should work properly. Later on, this has helped me in team management. Also, attending the course helped me in self-discipline, and how to learn individually. The instructor gave constant feedback, which kept motivation high and made the process of learning independently easier.

4. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE LEARNING PROCESS AND WERE THERE ANY OBSTACLES?

In retrospect, everything went very well. You need enough motivation and the will to learn. Of course, if you want, you can pick on every little detail. But will it do me any good? Rather not. So I concentrated on the big picture and the end result. 

5. WHAT VALUE HAS COMPLETING THE SDA IT COURSE GIVEN YOU IN THE LABOR MARKET?

The SDA certificate has helped me a lot. It’s like a dot on the ‘i’ that you have started something, you have completed it. It’s like a confirmation that I have the right knowledge and skills, and it’s easier within the labor market when you have the certificate. 

6. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO THOSE WHO ARE PLANNING TO FOLLOW A SDA IT COURSE THEMSELVES?

Look at the big picture, the knowledge gained is useful also in other areas of life. It will add value to your CV and also grow you. Go on a course with a mission to learn as much as you can from it, and don’t be afraid that you might not understand anything at first. This is part of the learning process. 

7. WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE PLANS/VISION/MISSION?

In the future, I only want to work on projects that I am really interested in and that would benefit others. Currently one of my projects is the development of a Pizza restaurant system. I set up Kodu Pizza with a business partner and I am very happy with the result. The business partner is doing the recipes and the kitchen side, I’m doing the administrative side. Maybe in the future, I’ll be able to develop a system that will help other start-up catering businesses!