We sit down with Sergiu to talk about passion. He graduated from Informal School of IT's C++ course. "Programming in C++ is a lot like writing a story," he tells us, carefully choosing each word – with emotion – about the life that changed radically. His life. Long ago, he would have said that dreams where you can be anyone you want stay just that – stories. Today, though, he talks about limits that can be overcome. The person who, as a child, saw himself as an astronaut, aimed high, and that says a lot about the story of a new beginning. "I had graduated from Law School when I realized I didn't want to practice law. I started from scratch, in programming, because I was curious and passionate. The curiosity started at 10, with my first computer, but afterwards I never really thought about starting a career in IT." And this isn't a story that ends here.
Because the interview is just getting started:
"I learned that there are no limits"
So why did you choose IT anyway?
My passion for technology was always there. I had graduated from Law School when I realized I didn't want to practice law. So for more than a year I worked in logistics, at a corporation, a period when I thought about what I really wanted to do in the future. I wanted to develop myself, but also to have financial stability and opportunities to grow professionally. That was the period when I decided to make the transition into IT. I knew it was a field that stimulates your thinking, an environment that requires logic and reasoning. My curiosity about technology, the drive to find out "how does this work," brought me to where I am now.
If you had to list the most important things you've learned at Informal School of IT, say 3 of them, they would be…
- How to program. I learned how to write a program in C++ and how the logic behind it works.
- To have patience. In development you need a lot of patience to build something, but nothing compares to the feeling of satisfaction at the end. It's huge.
- That there are no limits. Even when it seems hard or discouraging, everything is possible with enough ambition.
"My biggest fear was that I would never be able to learn to program"
From the course sessions, what do you remember most?
Pointers. They're very important.
But beyond that, the mentor's attitude. The interactions with him and the pleasant way information was passed on. At Informal School of IT there's an atmosphere that has nothing to do with the traditional way of teaching, where – most of the time – you learn because you "have to."
My biggest fear was…
That I would never be able to learn to program. This fear showed up somewhere in the middle of the course, when I realized how little I actually knew. Over time, though, I realized what I was feeling was normal. That it's a feeling you get in any new field, while you're still in the learning stage. As I did exercises, using what I learned in the course, I got used to the programming language. At some point, writing code became like "second nature."
"Programming in C++ is a lot like writing a story"
Do you need a mentor to learn programming?
I'd say: yes, absolutely. The mentor plays an extraordinary role. When you're just starting out, it's very hard to filter the information, to know what's essential and what isn't. What's more, interacting with people who have a lot of experience in IT, and being able to ask for clarification whenever you need it, are simply decisive in learning a programming language properly.
How would you describe, in simple terms that everyone can understand, what it means to write code in C++?
I think programming in C++ is a lot like writing a story. Everything has a certain order, and if that order isn't followed, the story loses its coherence (it doesn't compile). I think learning a programming language itself is a lot like learning a foreign language. Through practice you learn more and more, and everything becomes clearer.
"Graduating from the course radically changed my life. I say this with complete conviction"
What skills do you think you should start out with in development?
With passion. You need to be able to sit for hours in front of the computer without feeling tired or discouraged. On top of that, you need logical thinking and reasoning skills, but also the ability to communicate effectively, which will help you a lot in relating to other people (colleagues, clients).
I want to say that Informal School of IT gives you everything you need to get started. It genuinely develops your technical skills and builds the mindset you need in this field. But, of course, the story doesn't end once you graduate from a course. All these skills need to keep developing afterward, through hands-on work and research.
What do you do now?
Graduating from the course radically changed my life. I work as a Software Developer in the automotive industry. I say this with complete conviction: thanks to this course, I fulfilled my biggest dream.
Advice for those reading this interview
What was the job interview like, and what advice could you share from your experience?
The job interview was a relaxed conversation. It's true, some pressure shows up when you're asked technical questions. You might not know how to answer some of them, but admitting that doesn't automatically mean rejection. From my own experience, I recommend doing your research. It's good to have information about the company you want to work for (its history and so on), which you'll mostly find on its official website. But more importantly, make sure you review everything you learned in the course. If you're yourself, honest and open, you'll also come across as trustworthy, which is very important.
