She's been a software developer for over 6 years and has expertise in a wide range of technologies. She worked for three years as an instructor .NET at Microsoft, and today she's part of the mentor team at the Informal School of IT Bucharest.
Silvia Gatu is one of the professionals who guides, step by step, those passionate about technology, determined to learn as much as possible to change careers or to build an IT career from scratch. Silvia explains what benefits a student will get from the Introduction to IT program.
The student can make a decision: whether an IT career is right for them or not
1. Who is the Introduction to IT program for and what skills do I need to enroll?
Introduction to IT is aimed at those without an IT background, who want a professional reorientation or who are at the start of their working life and are considering a career in IT. Candidates need to be passionate about technology and want to work in a field where change happens very fast.
2. What exactly is the learning process focused on?
In the Introduction to IT program, candidates get familiar with the current working methodologies practiced in specialized companies, with the main roles within an IT project, and with the basics of programming and testing. By the end of this module, the candidate will have a broader view of the IT field and, taking into account the mentors' recommendation, can make a decision: whether an IT career is right for them, whether they can handle this change, and which direction to head toward – programming, testing, etc.
The course sessions will be as interactive as possible and will include exercises that get students practically involved
3. Tell us more about the recommendation students will receive at the end.
Depending on their involvement, the skills they show during the courses, the homework they do and the results they get on tests, the mentors will recommend students toward a certain direction, in the area where they've shown they have stronger abilities.
4. What teaching methods will be used?
The course sessions will be very interactive and will include exercises that get students practically involved and capture their attention. We'll present the most relevant examples from existing IT projects, so that the topics discussed are as well understood as possible.
When you're at the beginning of your IT career or want to switch fields and start from scratch, it's important to know where to start
5. What is the biggest advantage of this introductory program?
Through the Introduction to IT program, you learn how to learn. Besides this, the candidate also gets the chance to see which area they do better in, being shown several sides of the IT world. When you're at the beginning of your IT career or want to switch fields and start from scratch, it's important to know where to start.
6. The biggest challenge?
The fact that the IT world is a dynamic one and you have to keep up with the technologies used at any given moment. It's a continuous learning process all the time. In other words, those who want a career in IT shouldn't be afraid of change, but should always be looking for it, eager to keep learning new things.
A message for those reading this interview:
If you're a person eager to prove yourself and always learn new things, then enroll in the Introduction to IT program. This way, you'll first see whether an IT career is right for you. Then, which is the best direction you can follow (web programming or software testing), based on the skills you have.
START YOUR EXPERIENCE AT THE INFORMAL SCHOOL OF IT
