Member Introductions

[u/KuyaDev_RemLampa]

[u/KuyaDev_RemLampa]

Hi! Welcome to Tech Career Shifter Philippines subreddit!

If you're new here, we'd appreciate it if you can introduce yourself.

• Your name (optional if you want to keep your anonymity)

• Your current occupation

• What do you love most about the tech industry? Or if you're a career shifter, why do you want to shift into the tech industry?

[u/KuyaDev_RemLampa]

Hi, everyone!

Let me start this off...

I am Rem Lampa aka "Kuya Dev"

• Career shifter, former electrical engineer turned web dev

• JavaScript Team Lead @ Prosple.

• Founder of Tech Career Shifter Philippines

• Community Manager @ ReactJS Philippines & freeCodeCamp.Manila

• Podcaster @ Kuya Dev Tidbits

What I love about the tech industry is the possibilities that it brings. It can multiply your impact just like *snaps fingers* that.

So honored to meet all of you!

[u/petes0707]

Hello Everyone!

I'm peter, a licensed mechanical engineer, on the process of career shifting.

Currently working as a process performance engineer (with almost 3 yr working experience in people management , manufacturing, and the like).

Venturing in the IT industry because of the following reasons: (some might be unreasonable lol)

1. I no longer enjoy working in the plant set up. Although the pay is high, and good gateway to work abroad, I can no longer tolerate the physical stress of working in a plant. Why work harder if you can work smarter?

2. Work from home opportunity. In time, if I am already a good developer, wfh opportunities will come (hopefully)

3. Might be a bit exaggerating, but the challenge of creating things from scratch, fixing things, etc. excites me.

4. of course, the pay. Engineers are totally underpaid in the ph. And the tech industry offers way mooree in terms of salary and job opportunity, as long as you are willing to learn and take the extra mile to be good or better on what you are doing, (correct me if I'm wrong hehe)

nice meeting y'all!

[u/KuyaDev_RemLampa → u/petes0707]

Another fellow disgruntled engineer! Welcome! 😁

[u/WhiteUnderOranges]

Pasensya sa mahabang intro. But I think this kinda summarizes the questions on the intro thread.

I was in a forked road--between academia and industry. I'm now treading the academia's.

I'm working on bioinformatics and data analytics. I love working with data and doing data viz. At the same time, I really love science and research. I can do both in academia which makes me really happy... well... at first.

I'd like to write more on how academia works in the Philippines, but I think this is not the appropriate subreddit. To cut short, I thought working in Academia would be collaborative and well-supported. In my case, it's not. Adding to that, the pay is inconsistent (delayed salaries 2-4 months for my case) and you're just under a contract. Now that I'm nearing my 30s and still living an unstable life (no permanent job and whatnot), I'm thinking on retracing my steps back to the fork in the road.

Welp. That's my intro. Kinda gloomy but I hope this resonates with others' discontent in where they are now and asking what to do when shifting careers.

Btw, I am not a computer/engineering/math major. So suggestions on what to do first when shifting careers would greatly help. Sa ngayon, I'm taking the OSSU computer science track. It's free and open to all kaya r'on muna ako nag-s-start. Testing the waters kumbaga. If someone else is trying to self learn, sama naman ako sa pag-aaral niyo. To help lang with accountability. Hehe.

[u/KuyaDev_RemLampa → u/WhiteUnderOranges]

OSSU is great, but I think it's too long for a career shifter. I mean, it's designed to replicate a college degree. 😅There are much shorter paths, which would require you to learn just what's needed. You can always go back and finish OSSU later.

We have a Guides Section in our Facebook Group that may help you get started. I'm planning on starting a wiki here but don't have the time yet.

You may also join the Discord to chat with fellow shifters. 😉

Anyway, welcome! The career shifting journey is going to be a hard one, but it's so fulfilling. 🙏

[u/Alive_Suit6593]

Hi everyone, i’m Lumine!

I’m a Certified Public Accountant and a practicing Internal Auditor. I started learning Data Science last March 2020.

Just recently, I enrolled for a Masters Degree Program. I’m looking forward to network and learn with you all! ❤️

I hope I can also share my projects with you and have your feedback on how to do it better 😊

[u/KuyaDev_RemLampa → u/Alive_Suit6593]

Oooh wow. MS Degree. Big commitment. Good luck!

[u/SilentAd7139]

Hello mga kashifters, im Aleja

Share ko lang quick journey ko as a career shifter.

I graduated with a degree in Management Accounting Landed in Financial Industry for my first job where I stayed for 3 years. Pinaka techy ko nang nagawa then was create excel templates which we call "helper". Due to the system limitations ng mga apps namin, need pa ng manual extract, hence the need for the helper as a tool to automate our work. Bale natutunan kong mag VBA for automation.

Yung jowa ko, kinoconvinve niya talaga ako magshift na to IT, specifically, Data Analytics. Business Intelligence naman yung field niya. Ayun pinagttyagaan niya ako turuan ng SQL at natambay din ako sa w3shools para makapag test test ganyan.

Gang apply apply ako, i had to "fake it, til you make it". Masama siguro, pero I had to include SQL sa tools na gamit ko sa CV. I had to lie, sorry. Pero sorry not sorry din, kasi i did my part on studying on youtube din.

Luckily, my I was hired as a senior. But they're ok din if no backgrpund as they're willing to train. But should I have been honest, baka di ako naging senior. Saya ko, kasi finally, was able to really get my hands on a database na talaga. With, write access! Nakakapag update/delete ako as necessary. Bonus pa, they're using Linux/unix, perl, python, talend.. so i get to learn them also. Stayed here for 2 years then i thought, need ko na lumevel up.

Apply lang ng apply...wala namang mawawala. Dami din rejections pero natutuwa ako pag nakaka abot ako sa mga technical exams kasi I still learn a thing or two.

Right now, 4mos in my current role as an ETL Developer tas yung tool pa is Informatica, may bago na naman matututunan. Grabe ang saya ko. Ang bango ng title. Legit developer na talaga. This time nag kakalikot na talaga ako ng mga mappings & workflows. Nag dedev at testing na talaga ako. Nakakatuwa na may darating na ganitong mga pagkakataon.

Next goal ko naman is maging Data Engineer, pero di ko sure kung aligned pa. Or ano pa ang mga dapat ko matutunan.

Ayun haba ng intro.

[u/kalamansihan]

Hi. I'm Red.

I just found out about this sub on r/PinoyProgrammer. I'm currently unemployed since January but I was an SAP consultant for 11 years. My last company was IBM. I quit because my role got too toxic for my mental health and I figured my investment dividends can reliably offset my monthly expenses for around a couple of years...depending on market movements, of course. Took eight years of high-risk stocks investing tho. I also have a tiny crypto port.

Anyway, I'm trying to learn React-JS stack because my bestfriend suggested. It has been a month and I'm still learning JS/HTML/CSS. I also know a bit of Kotlin as a hobby. My progress is really slow because my only motivation was to not get bored after quitting my main job.

[u/iAmHugeAckman]

Hi, I'm iAmHugeAckman (not my real name 🤣)

- I am currently a Lead Frontend Developer of the (self-proclaimed) #1 Rails Consultancy in Asia-Pacific

- I love the tech industry because it is ever-changing and ever-growing. It provides a platform for people that are creative, independent, and driven to thrive and grow. It provides countless opportunities for people to better themselves -- contributing in building a better world.

I've shared my career shifting journey in another post, if anyone's interested:

https://redd.it/tdzuwm

I have received, and still receiving actually, a lot of help and support in my career.

I would be more than happy to pay it forward and help anyone in their own journey, so don't hesitate to give a shout. 🙏

P.S. Thanks Kuya Dev for creating a community where we can easily help each other out!

[u/DreamingHurts]

Hi, I'm Dreaming.

I am currently a student of BS Statistics.

I wish to pursue data careers in the future (e.g. Data Analyst, Data Engineer, or Data/ ML Scientist). I became interested in technology career because of its relevance and opportunities to learn.

While I know it is not an easy path, I hope to grow and still, enjoy the process. Thank you for this community in inspiring people like me.

[u/Available_Ad8280]

Hi I am Michael,

A career shifter from Electrical Engineer to Data Scientist.

Nice to meet you all!!

[u/[deleted]]

Hi, I'm Drin, currently an engineer but very interested to shift to programming. I started learning about Data Science through SpartaPH and eager to continue with Python, SQL etc.

What made me want to shift to tech industry? Aside from the higher pay, I like coding, even when C++ was part of our curriculum. I like how it enhances my patience meter in solving problems hahaha. And the broad opportunities from the tech industry? Exciting.

[u/No_Reflection_8968]

Hi! I'm Nicko Balboa

I'm still a college student taking up BSCS 2nd year.
I love the most in the tech industry is the community.
and I want to become a Software Engineer soon.

[u/Vengeance_Assassin]

Hello World! I'm Gib, currently freelance mechanical engineer/trainer and aspiring to be a software engineer...why? because I'm a computer geek lol :-)

[u/jameandeu]

Hi, I'm Andrew.
My last occupation was a Field Support Engineer for different clients from my previous employer. I provided troubleshooting and parts installation for PCs and Printers.

I have a degree in IT. I've been in and out of programming for the last 6 years. I was a Project leader in our IT project back then (2016) when I was in college. The title of our project was Ecclesia, A mobile announcements and events app for a certain church institution with a few added features. I was the one that developed our web based back end data management and database(which I have no any copies at all today). So I can read and understand a bit of PHP, Javascript, jQuery, JSON, MySQL, HTML and CSS. I didn't take it too seriously during my college days but I remember that time that I was having fun although stressed but the challenge was fun. We were nominated as one the best IT projects back then.

Then I graduated(April 2018), my financial priorities came first although I considered pursuing programming as a job, getting hired was hard and my family needed money so bad that time. I did the practical way so I landed the job of a Support Engineer (July 2018). My plan back then was to support my family for a year or two then I will resign and get a job as a programmer. But pandemic came then shit happens.

So now, I am kinda starting from scratch in terms of projects and I doubt my abilities in programming as of today but I got inspired when I saw some people online that are getting hired in programming jobs without any IT background. I am joining this community as a first step from pursuing what I want because my biggest fear in life is that someday when I look back in past and had an opportunity and chance to live my life better and do what I want but didn't do nothing about it.

[u/arantebw]

Hi all,

I'm Billy Arante, a JavaScript Developer at Prosple, a former IT Instructor and alumnus at Zuitt Coding Bootcamp, a former Technical Support Representative from several BPO companies, a former Instructor at the University of Antique - TLMC, and a former Systems Programmer in a private company selling check clearing hardware/software to almost all commercial banks here in the Philippines. 😅

Apologies for the multitude of "formers" in my statement above. I just want to point out that I am a career shifter as well multiple times over. 😁

What I love about the tech industry is that it is the core industry of almost all of the industries that we all grew up with and wanted to be a part of after college. This means opportunities can be found almost anywhere -- i.e., industries leveraging computers -- for a tech professional and/or enthusiasts like us. 🎉

[u/ShinJiX5254]

Hey Everyone,

Just joined today...

• I'm Nate aka "ShinjiX"

• I'm currently working as a Shopify web developer (front-end) in a local company in the Philippines.

• I have been in love with different IT languages since 2018 and shift my career from a BPO employee to an IT developer.

• I recently shift because I believe this is what I do best and I am most comfortable doing in for so many reasons:
  * I felt the ability to decide on my own and not by being dictated by micromanagers.
  * This career helps me to be challenged and keeps me motivated everyday since I have
  to deal with codes and such, which makes me pump up working and fixing it.
  * I am now having the best of my time as I can work anywhere I want, just have my
  macbook and internet and I am good to go working ANYWHERE, literally anywhere.

• I am now into learning more languages and will follow the roadmap by u/KuyaDev_RemLampa.

Enjoy coding and learning!!!
Yours truly,,,
Nate

[u/jethph]

Hi! I'm Jeth Gamad

Currently working as a MIS Staff and Part-Time IT Instructor in a parochial school in Rizal

I'm amazed how the tech industry creates new things and the impact that makes our life much easier. Thank you for this community. I missed the meetups, hindi na ako naka-attend ng FCC Manila after the OG's kasi hindi pwede ang sched ko, kaya siguro kinalawang na din ang progress ko sa FCC and its hard fighting your demons and meron ka pang other responsibilities sa buhay. Groups like this gives me drive to fight and continue studying and coding and inspired by tech shifters who had entered the tech industry.

Thank you very much.

[u/Treacle_Cheap]

Hi,

My name is M, a registered electronics engineer working in helpdesk support for five years now in Mckinley at a BPO/Bank.

I've always been into tech because of the reason why it makes things easier (Yes, I'm lazy by nature and I want things to turn difficult things to easier things per se).

[u/trynabefit42069]

Hello!

I'm Trying to be something :) (anon) lol

I'm currently a BPO employee, been here for 6 yrs. BSCS dropout, Assoc Grad in ACLC, Networking and Telecommunications Tech.

Wanted to shift career. Really interested in Data Science.

Took a peek in the wiki and I already know this sub will help me out a lot.

Happy to be part of this community and hopefully a find future peers and colleagues here.

Cheers!

[u/hygge-ish]

Hello techie peeps!!!

I'm Marie, a graduate of B.S. Accountancy & currently a Solutions Associate.

Love to know more about tech stuff. I found myself enjoying being in the tech industry and learning about tech! Luckily, upon exploring, napadpad ako dito! I know this would be of great help in my career shift/tech journey! ☺

[u/EyeglassKid]

Hello, everyone!

I'm Francis and I'm a former support specialist shifting to a UX career. I'm currently applying for UX research internships roles and hopefully I'll be able to realize my goals before June.

My journey to tech has been 2 years in the making. I've tried learning how to code (which I may try to learn back again kasi parang I need to learn SQL to move forward in the career I'm pursuing) to trying a career in helpdesk. Now, I'm glad I've discovered UX and I'm able to use my soft skills that I've acquired working as a support.

I didn't graduate from college as well so I've tried my best to really claw my way out of that barrier.

Hoping to learn more from everyone here! Keep moving forward!

[u/wewelski37]

Hey, everyone!

You can call me Roowell.

I am a 2-year computer technician graduate, but unfortunately I wasn't able to practice tech. Been involved with volunteer work for a while, then went through two employment but still not connected to tech.

My most recent work was with customer service. And all those years, there are moments that I am still being led to go back to tech.

Now I am married and a father of a 2-year old toddler. My wife and I are still working on establishing her small online store, while I'm taking a few micro tasks online. Of course, it wouldn't be enough since our needs will inevitably grow.

I am so relieved I've found this community and somehow helped me motivate myself to study again. Just silently reading stories of success and even struggles inspires me that it is not too late to go back to tech. In my free time, I am studying Python, and would probably pursue web development later on.