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“The way I think has changed. The aspiration that I had before has changed. Everything has changed. It’s not only lifestyle but it is the entire philosophy to look at life that has changed because of Microverse and the journey I took.” - Avijit Karmaker
Microverse students work incredibly hard to become professional software developers and we’re so proud of all our students and the work they put in. Our alumni have landed jobs around the world, earning more than what they made before — without paying Microverse anything until they’re employed.
Microverse alum Avijit Karmaker currently works in Miltton Oy, a Finland-based consultancy. We spoke with Avijit about how he persevered in changing his career and the lessons he learned along the way.
Avijit is originally from Bangladesh but migrated to Finland in 2018. Despite wanting to pursue a programming career, he graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Finance and a Master’s degree in Developmental Studies.
Avijit chose this degree because he thought that it was the easiest path to landing a job. He said that when he was younger he wasn’t able to plan out his education properly and led him to a different career path than the one he dreamed of.
When Avijit worked in his previous job in Bangladesh, he worked with programmers and wanted to share their excitement of working in software development. His passion to create something concrete as a developer was still there.
Avijit was discussing potential careers with a former classmate who was a programmer. His classmate started saying technical terms that he didn’t understand which made Avijit realize there were still a lot of things that he hadn't learned. He already had a background in coding but it wasn’t enough for a professional career.
“I have to change my approach or I have to come up with a structure that will allow me to acquire all of those skills.”
So, Avijit began to look for a place to learn how to code and be given a structure to follow. When searching for online programs, Avijit found he couldn’t register in any because they weren't available internationally.
Then, he learned about Microverse and how they accepted students all around the world. After learning more about it, he decided that Microverse was the best place for him to start his learning journey in software development.
“Microverse is a framework. It gives you the structure to become a web developer or a programmer.”
Avijit started the Microverse program in August 2020 and finished after eights months, landing his first job soon after.
For Avijit, the most important thing Microverse taught him was how to learn by himself. He had a group of peers working alongside him to help on his learning journey but shared that at times, he was frustrated that he didn’t have teachers to assist him.
“It might be a little bit difficult to deal with sometimes, but those are the moments that will teach you how to do your job.”
These struggles will build your character and teach you the importance of perseverance. “It’s not about talent, it’s not about how smart you are. It’s about going through those tough days,” Avijit asserted.
He believed that understanding everything is not essential in the field of software development. ”What matters is whether you are prepared to come the next day and try to solve your problem,” says Avijit. Failure is common in this field and Avijit believes that trying everything to come up with a solution will eventually lead you to success.
“Losing hope is not a good thing in this profession. You always have to have hope, and you will always have to accept the fact that you got defeated that day.”
Avijit’s first job after Microverse was in a small company and he shared that it wasn’t the most pleasant experience. This taught Avijit that respect in the workplace was a big factor when looking for a job. “If there is no respect in a job or whatever I am doing, then it is not the place where I want to be.”
In his current company, Miltton Oy, they focus more on the soft skills of their employees because they believe that technical knowledge can be more easily taught compared to soft skills. During his interview, he was asked many questions about his soft skills, including; whether he can work with a team, if he can accept failure, and if he was honest.
Another important soft skill is politeness, Avijit noted. “You shouldn’t let other people bully you, but you should have a certain amount of respect.”
After completing the Microverse program, Avijit had a change of outlook. Before Microverse, he thought about what he wanted to do and after Microverse, he thought about what he needed to do to achieve what he wanted to do. Microverse taught him to set up his goals and identify the effort he has to take to reach them.
He began to notice the difference in his lifestyle and philosophy that motivated him to aim for bigger things in life. It also allowed him to work with more passion.
To those beginning their programming journey, Avijit highly encourages starting with the practice coding sessions at Microverse. Other than coding practice, he also recommends researching different situations from others, like himself, who began a software development career without a technical background.
If starting your programming journey seems daunting, he suggests focusing on one programming language first. Software development is not limited to one language, so it’s necessary to learn multiple languages. But as a beginner, start with one language, then branch out once you’ve mastered it.
Further, Avijit shared advice for job searching and interviewing; Take extra time to design your projects better. Recruiters will look at your projects with a critical eye and even the smallest details will be considered.
Finally, Avijit assures that you don’t have to be special in order to build something special. “You can be a person who constantly doubts yourself and thinks you are not good enough but you can still build something amazing just by persevering.”
Through a lot of hard work, focus and dedication, Avijit fulfilled his dream of becoming a software developer and landed a job at one of the top consultancy firms in Finland. To date, Microverse has enrolled full-time students from 100+ countries in its full-time online program, and helped students from around the world land life-changing jobs. If you’re ready to change your life by becoming a remote software developer, get started below!
Ariel is the founder & CEO of Microverse, an online school for software engineers. Read more about Microverse and how it can help you.
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