“Being part of the Telerik Academy community is irreplaceable,” shared Yoanna Kostova, one of our Alpha C# graduates.
Only two months after graduating from Telerik Academy Alpha C# and a couple of job offers later, she started her first IT career back in 2020. Today Yoanna is a software developer at Accedia and still has an active part in our community, helping our learners make their first steps into programming.
Just like someone else did for her when she made the choice to become a C# developer.
“Before I decided to change my career, I was involved in human resources - quite a different field.”
Nevertheless, she knew she wanted to switch her career and start a new adventure into the IT industry. As a recruiter for technical positions, she had close contact with the IT sector. Her first, but not her last one.
“To be honest, I started my path timidly and with almost zero knowledge. For example, I didn’t know what Visual Studio was, nor cycle or collections. I didn’t know if I would be able to retrain, but still, I decided to try,” explains Yoanna.
And she took the right decision.
"This was one of the best investments I’ve ever made for myself,” as she describes it.
Learning from friends about Telerik Academy, Yoanna started her journey with our free fundamentals course in programming before the Alpha C# program.
“I enrolled in the preparation course, and from the very beginning, I was impressed. We had mentors who were part of the Academy, and they dedicated a lot of time to help us in our first steps. Even at this early stage, I felt that the Academy is also a community, which was very valuable for me - I always had someone to turn to for advice and help if I had difficulties.”
Yoanna knew she was on the right path when she met her trainers and her fellow students in the fundamentals course, who were just like her - building their IT careers and preparing for the next step towards their life-changing journey!
“After the fundamentals course, I decided that this was the environment I wanted to be in. I applied for the Academy, and I was accepted.”
During the Telerik Academy Alpha C#, Yoanna learned new technical skills and something new about herself.
"I am amazed at how consistent and focused I was during the Telerik Academy Alpha C# training. I think it was because I was surrounded by like-minded people walking the same path as me. It's contagious!"
Being part of a team and sharing the experience with motivated learners like her encouraged Yoanna to keep going toward her dream career. And every step on the way, there was always an expert trainer by her side, supporting her to launch her IT career in no more than 6 months.
"The intensive program was an advantage for me because if the information fades over time, it disappears, and you can't connect the pieces of the puzzle. In addition, the technical and soft skills trainers are always there to support you if you need it, which helps you stay motivated and purposeful."
When we asked Yoanna to share her favorite moment from Telerik Academy, she told us about one of the many good memories she had during her training. With a smile on her face, she said:
“In the beginning, we were divided into buddy groups of 6 people to work together as a team. Our first task was to name our group, and we chose Push to Master. We become very close during the program, and today we all know that we can depend on each other.”
For Yoanna, her successful career switch happened quickly after graduating. But her connection to Telerik Academy is still strong.
“After graduation, first, I was a mentor of the next cohort, and after that, I was invited to lead the preparation course before the Alpha C# training. During that time, I learned a lot, and it changed me by supporting my personal development. One of the essential things that I learned was that the most valuable thing about being part of a community is supporting someone when they need it and sharing with others what you already know," shared Yoanna.
And she continued passionately giving back to the people at the beginning of the road she travelled a year ago.
“I rediscovered the importance of helping and giving back. I learned that by helping others, you are helping yourself.”
"The IT industry is giving you a future-proof career. If you are wondering whether to take this step, I would say - try. Telerik Academy provides valuable technical and soft skills knowledge, and I am incredibly grateful that I decided to join the Alpha C# program."
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