"I learned a very valuable lesson in Le Wagon: Being able to expose myself to a community of people
from really diverse backgrounds,
and being able to problem-solve with them."
Can you introduce yourself to our community?
Hi, my name is Sophia! I'm 26, and I was born and raised in Taiwan. I'm an alumnus of batch #258 of Le Wagon Melbourne. Before Le Wagon, I was working as a product manager in an Ed-Tech startup based in Taipei. I was mostly in charge of a virtual reality and augmented reality learning platform that was distributed around Taiwan and Hong Kong.
What decided you to learn to code and to join?
Having a Politics studies background, it was a challenge for me to step into the tech startup's world. Working with developers with limited technical knowledge myself has got me a rough start. However, as time went by, I found their job and the whole idea of software development fascinating. Thus I thought it would be a great opportunity for me to gain more knowledge by doing a bootcamp. With curiosity and my passion for building my own products, I chose Le Wagon as a kick-start into learning to code.
How would you describe your experience in Le Wagon?
It was an overall informative and intense program. First of all, I enjoyed how Le Wagon structured the course, which had me thinking everything made sense when we created our final product. We could finally apply the things we’ve learned during the first weeks in the process of creating it. I chose Melbourne specifically because it is a vibrant and diverse cultural scene, with a relatively active community of developers that held a lot of events with local startups and companies. Lastly, a very valuable lesson learned in Le Wagon is exposing yourself to a community of people from really diverse backgrounds, and being able to problem-solve with them.
So, what's up since you graduated?
I returned to Taipei after the bootcamp and joined a Kuala Lumpur-based telecommunication company called
Forest Interactive as a Software Developer. I am in charge of mostly backend and API development for value-added service with telecommunications companies and e-commerce sites. After almost a year working here, I’ve enrolled at Monash University for Master of IT and will be returning back to Melbourne in a few months as a student (yes, this is how much I love Melbourne).
The ultimate plan for the future is to build my own startup, after my studies.What would you say to someone thinking about joining the course?
I remember that the driver of Le Wagon Melbourne, Paal, once said: “Don’t compare yourself to other people from your batch. The most important thing is knowing you’re better than yourself from the day before.” Attending the bootcamp is basically stepping out of your comfort zone and engaging in an intense learning curve. At first, I was really afraid I wouldn’t be able to catch up with other batch mates, but his words have inspired me and made me realize that the whole idea of the bootcamp is to try to beat yourself every day. Although it’s a lot to commit to, I’ll always appreciate myself for taking the risks to attend the bootcamp. It has changed my life in so many ways. I discovered a skill I’m passionate about and it boosted my career. And, as a reminder: Graduating from Le Wagon is just the beginning, so stay hungry to learn more afterward!
"Attending the bootcamp is basically stepping out of your comfort zone and engaging in an intense learning curve."
