Reviews
Angela, 34
(factory worker before HABSIDA)
(factory worker before HABSIDA)
Oleg, 29
(factory worker before HABSIDA)
(factory worker before HABSIDA)
Alyona, 26
(part-timer before HABSIDA)
(part-timer before HABSIDA)
Sergey, 36
(factory worker before HABSIDA)
(factory worker before HABSIDA)
Andrew, 46
(technician in Canada before HABSIDA)
(technician in Canada before HABSIDA)
Irine, 26
(sales manager before HABSIDA)
(sales manager before HABSIDA)
Igor, 23
(programmer in Uzbekistan before HABSIDA)
(programmer in Uzbekistan before HABSIDA)
Sofia, 26
(housewife before HABSIDA)
(housewife before HABSIDA)
Husen, 24
(part-timer before HABSIDA)
(part-timer before HABSIDA)
Maxim, 24
(university dropout before HABSIDA)
(university dropout before HABSIDA)
Roman, 29
(factory worker before HABSIDA)
(factory worker before HABSIDA)
Dima, 27
(factory worker turned software developer @SLEXN)
(factory worker turned software developer @SLEXN)
Alyona, 26
(part-timer before HABSIDA)
(part-timer before HABSIDA)
"Patience and diligence"
I finished the Habsida program in July of 2021. It was rather different from the courses I took before, but for me it was even better.
For the most part we tried to find solutions to the tasks at hand ourselves, and that way we learned more information. But we could also turn to the group or our mentors for help.
With each stage of the program the amount of information increased, but it also became more and more interesting.
As we began preparing for job interviews, students immediately started getting invitations from some startups. Through trial interviews we were prepared for the questions interviewers might have, what to say and what better not to, how to write a resume, etc. All of this was a huge help for me, because previously I would always stall at the interview stage, not knowing where to start and how to proceed, but they were able to give me great directions.
For the most part we tried to find solutions to the tasks at hand ourselves, and that way we learned more information. But we could also turn to the group or our mentors for help.
With each stage of the program the amount of information increased, but it also became more and more interesting.
As we began preparing for job interviews, students immediately started getting invitations from some startups. Through trial interviews we were prepared for the questions interviewers might have, what to say and what better not to, how to write a resume, etc. All of this was a huge help for me, because previously I would always stall at the interview stage, not knowing where to start and how to proceed, but they were able to give me great directions.
Sergey, 36
(factory worker before HABSIDA)
(factory worker before HABSIDA)
"Thanks to HABSIDA I mastered the most in-demand profession in Korea"
Hello everyone! My name is Sergey. I come from sunny Uzbekistan.
I have been living in Korea for about 5 years, and throughout this time I had to work at a variety of factories, but I always had a desire to work not with my hands, but with my head. Back home I graduated university as a system administrator, but because my Korean proficiency level was very low, I could not get a white-collar job.
When I learned about the Habsida courses, I realized that this was my chance. I was especially enticed by their ISA formula. That is, not having to pay a penny until after I got hired as a developer. And I decided to give it a try. Completed the application task and got enrolled into their program.
To say that learning was difficult is an understatement. I had to work at the factory during the day, and study at night and during the weekends. But I persevered.
Habsida's program is built very efficiently: learning process is under constant control, training is gamified, the community gives great support, and the live project helps gain experience working in a team. But the most important skill I have gained is the ability to solve any problem on my own - for example, for the pre-project I taught myself JavaScript and jQuery.
The learning part took me about 7 months. After that I was preparing for job interviews and writing a resume. And I was lucky to have been hired after only a couple interviews. Now I am working as a programmer in Seoul developing a website with a back-end, an android smartphone app and an iOS app.
Many thanks to Vladi for believing in me despite my zero Korean language skills and almost no programming experience. Now, thanks to the HABSIDA courses, I have mastered the most in-demand profession in Korea.
I have been living in Korea for about 5 years, and throughout this time I had to work at a variety of factories, but I always had a desire to work not with my hands, but with my head. Back home I graduated university as a system administrator, but because my Korean proficiency level was very low, I could not get a white-collar job.
When I learned about the Habsida courses, I realized that this was my chance. I was especially enticed by their ISA formula. That is, not having to pay a penny until after I got hired as a developer. And I decided to give it a try. Completed the application task and got enrolled into their program.
To say that learning was difficult is an understatement. I had to work at the factory during the day, and study at night and during the weekends. But I persevered.
Habsida's program is built very efficiently: learning process is under constant control, training is gamified, the community gives great support, and the live project helps gain experience working in a team. But the most important skill I have gained is the ability to solve any problem on my own - for example, for the pre-project I taught myself JavaScript and jQuery.
The learning part took me about 7 months. After that I was preparing for job interviews and writing a resume. And I was lucky to have been hired after only a couple interviews. Now I am working as a programmer in Seoul developing a website with a back-end, an android smartphone app and an iOS app.
Many thanks to Vladi for believing in me despite my zero Korean language skills and almost no programming experience. Now, thanks to the HABSIDA courses, I have mastered the most in-demand profession in Korea.
Andrew, 46
(technician in Canada before HABSIDA)
(technician in Canada before HABSIDA)
"Age is not an obstacle"
My name is Andrey and I currently work as a developer at Daein. I used to work as an English-Russian translator in Korea before I moved to Canada, where for a long time I worked as a cash register technician. I have been thinking of transiting into programming, and dreamed of learning for a long time, but I wasn't certain I could master it. At some point, I learned about the Habsida school. Their conditions were very interesting, and I decided that this was my chance to turn my life around, upgrade my skills and master a cool profession in the shortest possible time. Their program is well thought out, providing an opportunity to gain knowledge and skills while continuing with your current job. What's great about it is that Habsida provides strong support from mentors and other students, and guides its students from start to finish. And perhaps most importantly, they help to find a job. Me and almost all of my classmates found a job within a month, some even before they finished the program.
Irine, 26
(sales manager before HABSIDA)
(sales manager before HABSIDA)
"Anything is possible with strong motivation and perseverance"
I completed Habsida's Java course in May, and now I work as a junior developer at a Seoul-based company developing authentication apps.
I never thought I would be working in this field as I majored in international relations and business management, which had nothing to do with programming. After graduating from university I got a job in an IT company as a sales manager, but after working there for 2 years I realized that administrative work did not suit me, however I developed an interest in the IT industry. I wanted to learn something new, but I hardly believed that changing my career path radically would be possible. Fortunately, my colleagues and friends supported me, among them were those who started their career as a programmer from scratch by taking some courses. Just as I was frustrated not knowing where to start, I accidentally stumbled upon one of Habsida's ads, and decided to give it a try. No regrets there at all.
In a short period of time I acquired all the basic skills a junior developer needs, including team experience working on a common project. By the middle of the course I was determined to switch jobs, so I quit my manager job and focused on learning. This motivated me to start looking for a new one as soon as possible, and as a result I started going to job interviews even before I finished the resume preparation stage, but I was able to find a job quite quickly.
If you think that it might be too late or too difficult for you, I recommend trying the application task. It will give you an idea whether coding will interest you at all, and whether you can devote enough time to learn. If so, Habsida will be the best way to achieve your goal. Right now programming is a sought-after skill in Korea, opening many opportunities for further growth.
I never thought I would be working in this field as I majored in international relations and business management, which had nothing to do with programming. After graduating from university I got a job in an IT company as a sales manager, but after working there for 2 years I realized that administrative work did not suit me, however I developed an interest in the IT industry. I wanted to learn something new, but I hardly believed that changing my career path radically would be possible. Fortunately, my colleagues and friends supported me, among them were those who started their career as a programmer from scratch by taking some courses. Just as I was frustrated not knowing where to start, I accidentally stumbled upon one of Habsida's ads, and decided to give it a try. No regrets there at all.
In a short period of time I acquired all the basic skills a junior developer needs, including team experience working on a common project. By the middle of the course I was determined to switch jobs, so I quit my manager job and focused on learning. This motivated me to start looking for a new one as soon as possible, and as a result I started going to job interviews even before I finished the resume preparation stage, but I was able to find a job quite quickly.
If you think that it might be too late or too difficult for you, I recommend trying the application task. It will give you an idea whether coding will interest you at all, and whether you can devote enough time to learn. If so, Habsida will be the best way to achieve your goal. Right now programming is a sought-after skill in Korea, opening many opportunities for further growth.
Igor, 23
(programmer in Uzbekistan before HABSIDA)
(programmer in Uzbekistan before HABSIDA)
"Got hired to a Korean company from overseas"
I began studying with Habsida in November 2020. Although I had some experience in programming I admit that it took me some effort to complete the program, but now thanks to these courses I am working in Korea as a middle Java developer at an IT company.
I wanted to move to Korea and work in my profession, but I did not know the language and was not qualified enough. Turns out studying at Habsida was the right decision for me.
At first I had some doubts since the training format was unusual and I had to sign a contract with a company that I knew nothing about (I was in the first draft). But I was motivated to move to Korea, and decided to take a chance.
Online courses allowed studying remotely with a free schedule, thus it was possible to combine study with work. Plus, tuition is paid only after employment. And employment is guaranteed.
After finishing the program while still in Tashkent I successfully passed an interview with an IT company that was selected by Habsida and moved to Korea. As it turned out, I didn't need to know Korean to get a job - my knowledge of English was enough.
For those of you who decide to start from scratch, you should know that this should be a serious step and passing the Habsida program is not going to be easy. But if you are determined to change your career and become a programmer in Korea, all your efforts will definitely be rewarded.
I wanted to move to Korea and work in my profession, but I did not know the language and was not qualified enough. Turns out studying at Habsida was the right decision for me.
At first I had some doubts since the training format was unusual and I had to sign a contract with a company that I knew nothing about (I was in the first draft). But I was motivated to move to Korea, and decided to take a chance.
Online courses allowed studying remotely with a free schedule, thus it was possible to combine study with work. Plus, tuition is paid only after employment. And employment is guaranteed.
After finishing the program while still in Tashkent I successfully passed an interview with an IT company that was selected by Habsida and moved to Korea. As it turned out, I didn't need to know Korean to get a job - my knowledge of English was enough.
For those of you who decide to start from scratch, you should know that this should be a serious step and passing the Habsida program is not going to be easy. But if you are determined to change your career and become a programmer in Korea, all your efforts will definitely be rewarded.
Sofia, 26
(housewife before HABSIDA)
(housewife before HABSIDA)
"Be ready to adopt"
I think this program is very beneficial, especially in terms of preparing for job interviews. But during some of the interviews I was asked a few questions I was not prepared for, and that is when I understood that it is important to know Korean, because some of the employers can not communicate in English. It is also better if you live in Seoul or close to the city - then you have more chances of finding a suitable job. I found a job quickly, but I couldn't move to Seoul, so I will keep looking for other more suitable options.
Husen, 24
(part-timer before HABSIDA)
(part-timer before HABSIDA)
"I couldn't get a job after university"
Despite graduating from a university in Korea, I couldn't find a job. I came across an advertisement for Habsida on social networks and became interested in it. Then I applied and got accepted. Right after the core, pre-project and project stages, I was invited for an interview and after a couple more Habsida helped me find a great job at a start-up company.
Maxim, 24
(university dropout before HABSIDA)
(university dropout before HABSIDA)
"Don't expect a smooth ride"
Up until the end of the project I didn't believe that I could graduate from Habsida and get a job. Even as we started preparing for interviews and writing resumes, I could not believe that we were really doing this, that soon I would be working as a developer. But as a result I received offers from 2 companies and now I am already working.
This course is very helpful in learning how to navigate the world of JAVA and frameworks, students learn what they need. Motivation from Vladimir helps a lot. If not for him, I would probably be working at a factory now. Habsida also helps you find a job using their connections.
But there are also some disadvantages. If you expect a personal course where someone will explain every detail to you clearly and smoothly, so that you will immediately understand everything and immediately solve all the tasks - then it's not for you. Learning is difficult and only if you search for information will you understand what it is about and how to solve the tasks. Perhaps this is done in order to develop independence in solving problems, but it was still difficult. And another thing that perhaps only happened to me was that I had a bad mentor. Seemed like he did not care about my learning process. I hope you will have a better mentor as there are many of them.
To sum up, the course is difficult, but very helpful, as it gives foreigners in Korea a chance to get a white-collar job. If you are smart and motivated enough, then this course is for you.
This course is very helpful in learning how to navigate the world of JAVA and frameworks, students learn what they need. Motivation from Vladimir helps a lot. If not for him, I would probably be working at a factory now. Habsida also helps you find a job using their connections.
But there are also some disadvantages. If you expect a personal course where someone will explain every detail to you clearly and smoothly, so that you will immediately understand everything and immediately solve all the tasks - then it's not for you. Learning is difficult and only if you search for information will you understand what it is about and how to solve the tasks. Perhaps this is done in order to develop independence in solving problems, but it was still difficult. And another thing that perhaps only happened to me was that I had a bad mentor. Seemed like he did not care about my learning process. I hope you will have a better mentor as there are many of them.
To sum up, the course is difficult, but very helpful, as it gives foreigners in Korea a chance to get a white-collar job. If you are smart and motivated enough, then this course is for you.
Roman, 29
(factory worker before HABSIDA)
(factory worker before HABSIDA)
"From factory worker to developer"
Before I contacted Habsida I only had 5 years of work experience at a factory. Its dust and loud "ppalli! ppalli!" shouts have imprinted my memories for the rest of my life. Thoughts like "Will I be able to find a job as a programmer?" "Will my knowledge meet modern requirements?" "How will I communicate? I don't know Korean well" made my goal seem unattainable.
During the first meeting with Habsida's founder Vladi I could not believe when he said: "You will find a job right away, guys. Two weeks tops!". It sounded like a joke to me. But with each meeting he charged us with positive energy and motivation. We worked on our mistakes, got a lot of practical advice, and even managed to participate in a real project, which boosted my self-confidence. And less than 2 weeks after I started the job search I received my first offer. Everything turned out as Vladi said, and even now I still find it hard to believe. Everyday I wake up and go to work feeling passionate and inspired, I am very grateful to Habsida that it exists. Apart from me, it has produced a bunch of developers and programmers, and continues to recruit and train great specialists.
I hope to continue to cooperate with Habsida, wishing its students all the best. Good luck and thank you all!
During the first meeting with Habsida's founder Vladi I could not believe when he said: "You will find a job right away, guys. Two weeks tops!". It sounded like a joke to me. But with each meeting he charged us with positive energy and motivation. We worked on our mistakes, got a lot of practical advice, and even managed to participate in a real project, which boosted my self-confidence. And less than 2 weeks after I started the job search I received my first offer. Everything turned out as Vladi said, and even now I still find it hard to believe. Everyday I wake up and go to work feeling passionate and inspired, I am very grateful to Habsida that it exists. Apart from me, it has produced a bunch of developers and programmers, and continues to recruit and train great specialists.
I hope to continue to cooperate with Habsida, wishing its students all the best. Good luck and thank you all!
Dima, 27
(factory worker turned software developer @SLEXN)
(factory worker turned software developer @SLEXN)
"Habsida was my 'social lift' from factory to an office job"
I started studying at Habsida in October 2021. For me, these courses were somewhat of a 'social lift', since I had already lived in Korea for 4 years and all this time I worked at a factory. For a long time I wanted to change my type of occupation, but possessed neither the knowledge nor the courage to do so.
The final argument in favor of switching the factory to "normal" office work was my wife's pregnancy. It took me exactly six months to finish the programming courses. I found a job pretty quickly - within 2 weeks. I work with a different stack, so I have to keep studying for my new job. In any case, Habsida has greatly influenced my life in a positive way.
The final argument in favor of switching the factory to "normal" office work was my wife's pregnancy. It took me exactly six months to finish the programming courses. I found a job pretty quickly - within 2 weeks. I work with a different stack, so I have to keep studying for my new job. In any case, Habsida has greatly influenced my life in a positive way.
Oleg, 29
(factory worker before HABSIDA)
(factory worker before HABSIDA)
"From factory worker to developer"
At the beginning of my journey I didn't really think that I would ever be programming, and, even more so, programming in Korea. After I came to Korea and time passed, I had no particular desire to work at a factory, become an insurance agent, work in a phone company or be a translator. However at some point I found myself interested in the IT sphere, namely web programming. I learned Java in a Korean hagwon, but there were several factors that did not allow me to get a job in South Korea, namely, lack of mentors who could explain what to do and how to do it. Without wasting time I began self-learning and was ready to work as a full-stack programmer. But my job search was unsuccessful. One day I came across an ad from Habsida and decided to trust their experience. Luckily for me, they didn't disappoint me. Just a few months later, I got a job. Thanks a lot to the Habsida team. With their help, I was able to reach my goal. They helped me understand not only how to write a resume correctly, but also how to show my best sides, how to openly conduct a dialogue at a job interview and, most importantly, believe in myself and never give up.
Angela, 34
(factory worker before HABSIDA)
(factory worker before HABSIDA)
«If your dream is to become a developer and work in IT, start making your dreams come true. First you might need to code a calculator.»
I started the program in February of 2021 and finished my studies in March of 2022. Then I landed my first developer job in May.
It all started with a facebook group, where inexperienced moms, like me, ask other moms for advice. I was on maternity leave and as I opened Facebook out of boredom
I came across a message from one of the group members about a Java programming school. Before coming to Korea I had thought about studying programming, but back then, after looking at a number of programs and schools, I never ended up doing it.
Firstly, I did not have much free time. Secondly, I didn't like the reviews I found on the Internet. There were no employment guarantees, so I didn't see the reason to pay for information that would be useless later. Thirdly, those courses were rather expensive, so they would hit my finances rather noticeably. In addition, many advised against working, only to study.
Perhaps not everyone will understand, and some mothers will judge me for saying this, but during the maternity leave I began to degrade mentally. My memory became worse and, in general, intelligence too. The financial situation was not getting any better either, as in Korea, as you might know, if you are not earning money, you need to save on everything, and therefore many newly mothers go back to their country for 2-3 years after childbirth.
When I saw Habsida's recruitment ad I thought that soon I will need to go to work, back to the factory ... and that I've been in Korea for five years and my health is not going to be eternal to work in factories … I do not want to speak badly about working in Korea, after all, this country gave so many of us an opportunity to come and earn decent money, but this type of labor affects health very quickly …
All these thoughts flashed through my head and I started searching for information about the Java Mentor school (now Kata Academy) on the Internet, because I saw it on the Habsida website. I thought: "Now, as always, I'll find bad reviews and find out what kind of a school they are!". But, to be honest, I didn't find any bad reviews. On the contrary, everything was very transparent, I could write directly to the Habsida graduates who were employed. So I asked my husband's opinion, and he said that I should give it a try.
I wrote to Habsida, and they answered me with an email containing information about the test exercise and links with information for those, who, like me, know nothing about programming. The exercise required to write a program for the console calculator. The word 'console' didn't mean anything to me, so I just made a graphical 'shell' of the calculator according to a template from the textbook, which I downloaded online from the link provided, and submitted it. Of course, they did not accept my 'decision' and asked me to do it again.
I obviously lacked knowledge, so I decided to take a beginner Java course with a mentor from Java Mentor, which cost 300,000 Korean won. My advice to newbies with limited finances would be to just take a similar course on Stepic - although there is no mentor, it's free :).
During the day I took care of the baby and household chores, and after she fell asleep for the night, I would sit at my old laptop and slowly build my calculator. By the way, when I asked if a weak laptop would be suitable for studying, they told me not to worry as it is possible to code even in a memo pad, so do not worry if you don't have a new computer, but I'd say it is rather better to have a more powerful device. My tip number two - do worry! Because you will be coding in a framework that my old laptop with 4GB of RAM pulled very slowly. During the pre-project and project, after installation
of all databases (MySql, PosgreSQL, LiquiBase) generally it would freeze for 30 minutes, so sometimes I would fall asleep and wake up at my laptop with a stiff neck. In general, it was a pain to wait until SpringBoot starts up or the page with BootStrap loads. Buying a new laptop was out of the question at that time, so I just continued to do it with the old one. Writing the calculator at night took me a month, and I would catch up on sleep during my daughter's daytime sleep. It was not possible to practice every day, as one-year-old babies sometimes cry at night as well.
If someone asked me why I chose Habsida, I would say that the main reason is their post-payment policy and employment guarantee - in case you can't get hired, you don't have to pay anything. During my studies, my brain began to work actively again and it was an outlet from my newly-mother's routine.
Of course, not all of it was easy. I had to sleep very little, I did not always have a quality feedback
communication from the mentor, there were disagreements with other students ... so, my studies dragged on: instead of 6 months, I studied, with breaks for family
circumstances, for more than a year. Honestly, sometimes it was very hard, both mentally and physically, but I remembered the signed contract, so I kept going as best as I could. I reminded myself why I got into all of this - for the sake of the opportunity to change my job and not do hard 3D (Dirty, Dangerous, Difficult) manual labor. Thank you very much to Vladi and his team for not expelling me and giving me the opportunity to finish my studies.
The most difficult stage for me was the pre-project. I remember getting stuck with one error in the HTML and I couldn't see it. I almost despaired, and I thought how wonderful it would be if the mentor could point his finger and say: "This is where we need to fix it!". Instead I was told to find the error
on my own, which I eventually did. But now, I will be more careful with HTML tags and will not put two <form> tags in a row.
The project was also not easy, but very interesting. It was a team project on Gitlab and my first time seeing such a large repository.
The tasks were mostly on the backend and one on the frontend. I had to tinker with the frontend, but it was possible to see how the project was built in general, learn new things and apply this knowledge to my task.
I also had to adjust to Moscow time. While my daughter was watching cartoons, I handed in reviews or sat on phone calls on the project. Sometimes I had to hand over the review with my kid loudly shouting directly into the microphone. When I was too tired and I wanted to quickly hand over my work or review, I would use this to my advantage. When they heard my kid with me, they just accepted my work quickly and did not look for faults.
Tip number three - plan your free time. If you have been sitting at it for 4 hours and it's not working, then it's better to get distracted by another task or ask for help. During the project, I did not sleep for 2 days due to one task on the frontend and nearly set the kitchen on fire. Luckily, my husband was there to put out the fire.
Most of all, I remember the reviews on Java Core, which I took together with students from other countries. It was really interesting and a lot of what was taught stuck in my memory.
After the project, I began to prepare for employment directly with the Habsida team. I want to say that they worked on my CV really professionally, especially in Korean (which is basically the most important thing in Korea). They also helped me write a resume in English, although I didn't need it that much during my job search. They also helped me prepare for the interviews in Korean and English. I have an intermediate Korean level (3급) and in general I translated my information through Google translator and then sent it to Habsida, where they helped to correct the information. As a result, I passed three interviews. For the first interview, the employer himself even came to my workplace and interviewed me during my lunchtime. One was held by phone in English, and one more in Korean in person. I also was invited for a fourth interview, but I was no longer able to go, as I have already started at my new job. The first three months are a trial period with a payout of 90% of the salary (at first they wanted to make it 70%, but according to Korean law, they cannot pay less than the minimum wage). My mother is even more happy than me for this journey.
The last tip: if your dream is to become a developer and work in IT, start making your dreams come true. First you might need to code a calculator.
It all started with a facebook group, where inexperienced moms, like me, ask other moms for advice. I was on maternity leave and as I opened Facebook out of boredom
I came across a message from one of the group members about a Java programming school. Before coming to Korea I had thought about studying programming, but back then, after looking at a number of programs and schools, I never ended up doing it.
Firstly, I did not have much free time. Secondly, I didn't like the reviews I found on the Internet. There were no employment guarantees, so I didn't see the reason to pay for information that would be useless later. Thirdly, those courses were rather expensive, so they would hit my finances rather noticeably. In addition, many advised against working, only to study.
Perhaps not everyone will understand, and some mothers will judge me for saying this, but during the maternity leave I began to degrade mentally. My memory became worse and, in general, intelligence too. The financial situation was not getting any better either, as in Korea, as you might know, if you are not earning money, you need to save on everything, and therefore many newly mothers go back to their country for 2-3 years after childbirth.
When I saw Habsida's recruitment ad I thought that soon I will need to go to work, back to the factory ... and that I've been in Korea for five years and my health is not going to be eternal to work in factories … I do not want to speak badly about working in Korea, after all, this country gave so many of us an opportunity to come and earn decent money, but this type of labor affects health very quickly …
All these thoughts flashed through my head and I started searching for information about the Java Mentor school (now Kata Academy) on the Internet, because I saw it on the Habsida website. I thought: "Now, as always, I'll find bad reviews and find out what kind of a school they are!". But, to be honest, I didn't find any bad reviews. On the contrary, everything was very transparent, I could write directly to the Habsida graduates who were employed. So I asked my husband's opinion, and he said that I should give it a try.
I wrote to Habsida, and they answered me with an email containing information about the test exercise and links with information for those, who, like me, know nothing about programming. The exercise required to write a program for the console calculator. The word 'console' didn't mean anything to me, so I just made a graphical 'shell' of the calculator according to a template from the textbook, which I downloaded online from the link provided, and submitted it. Of course, they did not accept my 'decision' and asked me to do it again.
I obviously lacked knowledge, so I decided to take a beginner Java course with a mentor from Java Mentor, which cost 300,000 Korean won. My advice to newbies with limited finances would be to just take a similar course on Stepic - although there is no mentor, it's free :).
During the day I took care of the baby and household chores, and after she fell asleep for the night, I would sit at my old laptop and slowly build my calculator. By the way, when I asked if a weak laptop would be suitable for studying, they told me not to worry as it is possible to code even in a memo pad, so do not worry if you don't have a new computer, but I'd say it is rather better to have a more powerful device. My tip number two - do worry! Because you will be coding in a framework that my old laptop with 4GB of RAM pulled very slowly. During the pre-project and project, after installation
of all databases (MySql, PosgreSQL, LiquiBase) generally it would freeze for 30 minutes, so sometimes I would fall asleep and wake up at my laptop with a stiff neck. In general, it was a pain to wait until SpringBoot starts up or the page with BootStrap loads. Buying a new laptop was out of the question at that time, so I just continued to do it with the old one. Writing the calculator at night took me a month, and I would catch up on sleep during my daughter's daytime sleep. It was not possible to practice every day, as one-year-old babies sometimes cry at night as well.
If someone asked me why I chose Habsida, I would say that the main reason is their post-payment policy and employment guarantee - in case you can't get hired, you don't have to pay anything. During my studies, my brain began to work actively again and it was an outlet from my newly-mother's routine.
Of course, not all of it was easy. I had to sleep very little, I did not always have a quality feedback
communication from the mentor, there were disagreements with other students ... so, my studies dragged on: instead of 6 months, I studied, with breaks for family
circumstances, for more than a year. Honestly, sometimes it was very hard, both mentally and physically, but I remembered the signed contract, so I kept going as best as I could. I reminded myself why I got into all of this - for the sake of the opportunity to change my job and not do hard 3D (Dirty, Dangerous, Difficult) manual labor. Thank you very much to Vladi and his team for not expelling me and giving me the opportunity to finish my studies.
The most difficult stage for me was the pre-project. I remember getting stuck with one error in the HTML and I couldn't see it. I almost despaired, and I thought how wonderful it would be if the mentor could point his finger and say: "This is where we need to fix it!". Instead I was told to find the error
on my own, which I eventually did. But now, I will be more careful with HTML tags and will not put two <form> tags in a row.
The project was also not easy, but very interesting. It was a team project on Gitlab and my first time seeing such a large repository.
The tasks were mostly on the backend and one on the frontend. I had to tinker with the frontend, but it was possible to see how the project was built in general, learn new things and apply this knowledge to my task.
I also had to adjust to Moscow time. While my daughter was watching cartoons, I handed in reviews or sat on phone calls on the project. Sometimes I had to hand over the review with my kid loudly shouting directly into the microphone. When I was too tired and I wanted to quickly hand over my work or review, I would use this to my advantage. When they heard my kid with me, they just accepted my work quickly and did not look for faults.
Tip number three - plan your free time. If you have been sitting at it for 4 hours and it's not working, then it's better to get distracted by another task or ask for help. During the project, I did not sleep for 2 days due to one task on the frontend and nearly set the kitchen on fire. Luckily, my husband was there to put out the fire.
Most of all, I remember the reviews on Java Core, which I took together with students from other countries. It was really interesting and a lot of what was taught stuck in my memory.
After the project, I began to prepare for employment directly with the Habsida team. I want to say that they worked on my CV really professionally, especially in Korean (which is basically the most important thing in Korea). They also helped me write a resume in English, although I didn't need it that much during my job search. They also helped me prepare for the interviews in Korean and English. I have an intermediate Korean level (3급) and in general I translated my information through Google translator and then sent it to Habsida, where they helped to correct the information. As a result, I passed three interviews. For the first interview, the employer himself even came to my workplace and interviewed me during my lunchtime. One was held by phone in English, and one more in Korean in person. I also was invited for a fourth interview, but I was no longer able to go, as I have already started at my new job. The first three months are a trial period with a payout of 90% of the salary (at first they wanted to make it 70%, but according to Korean law, they cannot pay less than the minimum wage). My mother is even more happy than me for this journey.
The last tip: if your dream is to become a developer and work in IT, start making your dreams come true. First you might need to code a calculator.
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